Southeast Missouri State University

School Counseling

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Why Should I Study School Counseling at Southeast?

The School Counseling Program at Southeast Missouri State University is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Students graduating from a CACREP program are assured a quality educational experience. The School Counseling Program at Southeast Missouri State University is also accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The School Counseling Program prepares graduate for school counseling certification as an Elementary and/or Secondary School Counselor.

Options/Areas of Emphasis

Master of Arts in School Counseling emphasis in

  • Elementary
  • Secondary
  • K-12
  • Psychological Examiner Certificate

Admissions Requirements

All candidates must hold a Baccalaureate Degree with a cumulative undergraduate GPA of no less than 3.0* and be admitted into the School of Graduate Studies. This is done by:

  1. Completing the Application for Admissions and returning it to the Office of Admissions.
  2. Submitting the appropriate application fees to the Office of Admissions.
  3. Submitting undergraduate transcripts to the Office of Admissions.
  4. Completing the GRE or MAT and forwarding scores to the Office of Admissions.
  5. Submitting three (3) letters of recommendation (one is required to begin the process, an additional two are required before full admission to the program can be completed.)

Candidates for School Counseling must possess a 3.0 GPA and must possess either:

  1. A valid teaching certificate OR
  2. Provide evidence of competency or willingness to enroll in the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's required areas of teaching methods, teaching practices, classroom management and psychology of the exceptional child. (These classes may be taken at the graduate level while pursuing the school counseling degree. These courses are pre or co requisite and do not count toward the masters degree program.)

Further, the candidate must satisfactorily complete CP 610 Counseling Orientation and Ethics and the screening procedure. During the screening procedure, the candidate will complete a battery of assessments and undergo an interview with member(s) of the counseling faculty. The screening will be scheduled after the candidate has presented GRE scores and letters of recommendation as stated above and enrolled in CP 610. After these criteria have been completed, the program admission committee will review the candidate's credentials and 1) admit the student, 2) not admit the student, or 3) admit the student with restrictions and/or conditions.

*With the approval of the admissions committee, students that have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75-3.0 may be admitted on a probationary basis (there will be specific requirements during this probationary period). Students, who have a low undergraduate GPA, yet hold a master's degree with a 3.5 GPA will have satisfied the admissions GPA requirement.

Courses and Curriculum

School Counseling with emphasis in Elementary/Secondary (courses required, elective list)

CP 610 Counseling Orientation and Ethics (3)
CP 611 Developmental Theories (3)
CP 612 Counseling Theories (3)
CP 613 Social & Cultural Aspects of Counseling (3)
CP 614 Counseling Skills (3)
CP 615 Career Development (3)
CP 616 Group Counseling (3)
CP 617 Assessment in Counseling (3)
GR 691 Methods of Research (3)
CP 630 Foundations of School Counseling(3)
CP 631 Crisis Intervention and Consultation
CP 643 Psychodiagnostics and Treatment
CP 680 Counseling Practicum (3)
CP 682 Internship - Elementary(3)
CP 683 Internship - Secondary(3)
CP 684 Internship - School Counseling (3-6)

Both elementary and secondary internships required for K-12
A total of 9 internship credits required

48 Total Credits

Prerequisites: Teaching Certificate OR No Teaching Certificate

No Teaching Certificate: 2 educations courses
EX 390 - Psychology & Education of the Exceptional Child or
EX 635 - Psychology and Education of Students with Special Needs
AND 
EA 653 - Curriculum for Leaders in Education or
SE 635 - Theory of Learning and Instructional Strategies

Accreditations

Advising Procedures/Information

Upon admission to the Counseling Program, you will be assigned an academic advisor. Your advisor will act as your primary source of contact and communication with the department. Therefore, the department encourages the formation of effective professional relationships between students and their advisors.

Capstone Requirements

The School Counseling program capstone requirements are to acceptably complete a Comprehensive Professional Counseling Portfolio (CPCP), Personal Counseling Position Paper, Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam, and a Comprehensive Oral Exam. See the Graduate Bulletin for more details.

Career Opportunities

  • Elementary or Secondary School Counselor
  • K-12 School Counselor

For a detailed career outlook as a school counselor, please refer to Occupational Outlook Handbook which states that the overall employment of counselors is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through year 2014.

Real-World Experience

The School Counseling Program offers experiential learning through practicum and internship opportunities. Students in the counseling program are also required to attend one professional workshop.

Student Organizations

Professional Certifications & Organizations

Our students are encouraged to join professional organizations as a student member while they are in the program.

  • The American Counseling Association (ACA) is a professional organization representing the interests of counselors and counselors-in-training nationwide.
  • The American School Counseling Association (ASCA) provides insight into the forefront of advances in the school-counseling field. As a member of the ACA, branch membership in ASCA can afford students additional benefits to those gained through the ACA. Some of these benefits include: Various journal publications (The School Counselor, 5 issues annually; Elementary School Guidance and Counseling, 4 issues annually), newsletters such as The ASCA Counselor, other publications which include a wide range of brochures, books, and monographs related to topics of interest to school counselors, and grassroots involvement through developmental workshops and state conferences allowing networking opportunities.
  • The Missouri School Counselor Association (MSCA) addresses issues involving school counselors at the state level. Student membership is available. MSCA also addresses regional issues through regional chapters such as the Southeast Missouri School Counselor Association.
  • Southeast Missouri School Counselor Association (SEMOSCA) addresses issues involving school counselors in the southeast Missouri area. The Association meets quarterly and also coordinates in bi-yearly conference.

Facilities

The counseling program maintains a fully functional counseling lab, outfitted with audio and visual equipment for student and faculty use. The counseling lab is used for instructional purpose, as well as for direct counseling and supervision.

Graduate Assistantship Opportunities

The Educational Administration and Counseling Department has four graduate assistant positions.

For information concerning currently available positions, visit the graduate assistantship Web site. Interested students should apply to the dean of Graduate Studies or to the department chair of Educational Administration and Counseling.

Related Links

Online Application
Graduate Bulletin
School Counseling Program
School of Graduate Studies
International Students

Contact Us

Dr. Janice Ward, Coordinator of School Counseling Program

Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling
Southeast Missouri State University
One University Plaza, MS 5550
Cape Girardeau, MO. 63701

Phone: (573) 651-2137
Fax: (573) 986-6812
E-mail: jward@semo.edu

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