At a Glance
Degree Earned
Master's in Education (M.Ed.)
Credits: 60
Application Semesters and Deadlines
Fall: Jan. 15 (required interview in early February)
Program Modality
In-person
Completion Time by Program Type
Full-time (9-15 credits): average completion in 2 years
Part-time (1-8 credits): average completion in 3 years
About The Program
The M.Ed. in counselor education with a concentration in school counseling is a 60-credit-hour program designed to prepare counselors for elementary, middle and high schools. The school counseling concentration leads to school counseling licensure and preparation for advanced graduate work at the post-master’s level. The program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Programs (CACREP) and requires a minimum of two years of study to complete.
The school counseling concentration prepares students for positions as professional school counselors. Students who successfully complete the program are eligible for licensure or provisional licensure as school counselors in pk-12 settings.
In addition to school counseling licensure, the course sequence also meets the educational requirements for the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) as set by the state of Virginia Department of Health Professions. Please note that the application for licensure as a school counselor in Virginia requires a social security number.
Program core (48 credit hours)
- CLED 600 – Professional Orientation and Ethical Practice in Counseling
- CLED 601 – Theories of Counseling
- CLED 602 – Techniques of Counseling
- CLED 603 – Group Procedures in Counseling
- CLED 604 – Practicum: School Counseling
- CLED 605 – Career Information and Exploration
- CLED 606 – Assessment Techniques for Counselors
- CLED 607 – Multicultural Counseling in Education
- CLED 612 – Seminar in Counseling
- CLED 613 – Data Driven Comprehensive School Counseling
- CLED 622 – School Counseling Services
- CLED 640 – Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling
- CLED 650 – Addictions Counseling
- CLED 660 – Diagnosis and Treatment
- CLED 672 – Internship: pk-12 School Counseling (six credits)
Foundation of Education courses (nine credit hours)
- CLED/EDUS 615 – Lifespan Development: A Gender Perspective
- EDUS 660 – Research Methods in Education
- EDUS 673 – Seminar on Educational Issues, Ethics and Policy
Electives
- Three credit hours of approved electives
Students start their program in the summer semester. There are full-time and part-time options, and students are encouraged to consult with their advisor to pick one of those scheduling options. The course scheduling options can be found in the Counselor Education M.Ed. Student Handbook [PDF].
A final, comprehensive examination is required of all degree candidates. In order to be eligible to take the comprehensive exam, students must have completed CLED/EDUS 615 and EDUS 660 and all counseling core courses (excluding Practicum and Internship). Students are exempt from these requirements if they are graduating in the semester in which the exam is given. Students must be enrolled during the semester in which they take the exam.
The comprehensive exam information can be found in the Counselor Education M.Ed. Student Handbook [PDF].
The School of Education (SOE) degree programs that lead to professional licensure are designed to prepare students to meet the requirements for professional licensure in the Commonwealth of Virginia as outlined by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). The SOE has determined that the curriculum includes applicable educational prerequisites for the following professional licensure(s) and/or certification(s) as outlined on this page of our website.