NYU Steinhardt's accredited master of arts program in Counseling and Guidance: School and Bilingual School Counseling. Through this online program, you will gain the skills you need to become a professional Pre-K-12 school counselor, working with children and families in your community to foster academic achievement and success. The program is accredited by several agencies including the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation and the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. News and World Report ranks West Alabama #107 in regional universities South. #5 – Angelo State University Online Master’s in Guidance and Counseling.

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Welcome to CACREP

WHAT IS CACREP?

CACREP accredits master’s and doctoral degree programs in counseling and its specialties that are offered by colleges and universities in the United States and throughout the world.

More and more programs are seeking CACREP accreditation. There are over 870 specialty areas and programs at 405 colleges and universities, and counting!

The 2023 Standards Revision Process

The 2023 Standards Revision Committee has begun the process of reviewing and revising the 2023 Standards. Future annoucements and opportunities for feedback will be forthcoming. Read More

Use our interactive searchable directory to find CACREP accredited programs.

News

Exciting News on Occupational Series and VA Hiring

New Law Opens the Federal Government to Mental Health Counselors.

Public Notice of Accreditation Decisions: July 2020

The Board met on July 9-11, 2020 and made the following July 2020 Accreditation Decisions.

Message from CACREP Board Chair

School Counselor Graduate Programs

Dear Counseling Community, The COVID-19 pandemic has catapulted our world, nation, and profession into an unparalleled era.

Events

CSI, ACES, & CACREP Collaborative Panel Webinar: Counselor Education Transitions and Responses Due to the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted counselor education program operations and prompted counselor educators to adapt quickly to continue operating counselor education programs.

How to Write A CACREP Self-Study Workshop

This Worksop is Now Full.

How to Write A CACREP Self-Study Workshop

This hands-on workshop will address the process of preparing to write your CACREP Self-Study.

Meet the Counseling Program faculty at the Information Open House
Click for Dates and Details

Interview Days – SC Flagstaff, Phoenix, & Tucson

Student Handbook & Access to Personal Counseling

CACREP Student Handbook
Access to Personal Counseling

NAU CACREP Annual Reports

Join our graduate program

Graduate quick links

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  Practicum and Internship Manuals and Forms for Masters Candidates

Future students

Visit the College of Education’s future students page to get helpful links for both undergraduate and graduate students.

Programs of study

For a complete listing of all programs of study, please visit the Graduate College Programs of Study page.

According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook (2020), employment of school counselors is expected to grow by 8% from 2019 to 2029; faster than average for all occupations. The number of students attending schools at all levels is expected to increase during the projection's decade, boosting demand for school counselors. The School Counseling master's program addresses this need by offering a high quality nationally accredited program for training school counselors to work in Arizona and across the nation.
If you have a passion for supporting students in an educational setting by promoting advocacy efforts, leadership, collaboration, and systemic change (ASCA, 2019), then the school counseling program is the program for you. Our program can help develop the tools you will need to serve students in areas like human growth and development, social and cultural foundations, relationships, career development, and professional orientation in the community and schools. With the added counseling-focused coursework, you will meet the educational requirements for licensure as a Licensed Associate Counselor in Arizona.
You will be offered opportunities to learn new counseling skills in the classroom, through fieldwork, and on internships; you will emerge ready to organize service delivery systems in schools.

The Educational Psychology Department designed this plan to prepare professional school counselors. It is appropriate if you are seeking the Arizona Department of Education's K-12 Guidance Counselor Certification. We offer this program at Northern Arizona University–Flagstaff and through some of our statewide offices.
This academic plan meets the coursework requirements for National Counselor Certification of the National Board for Certified Counselors.
This plan is accreditated by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)

This program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

Career opportunities that might be pursued:

• School counselor
• Guidance counselor

With further education, one of these paths is possible:

• Doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision

University Requirements

• To receive a master’s degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete a planned group of courses from one or more subject areas, consisting of at least 30 units of graduate-level courses. (Many master’s degree programs require more than 30 units.)
  You must additionally complete:

  • All requirements for your specific academic plan(s). This may include a thesis.
  • All graduate work with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0.
  • All work toward the master’s degree must be completed within six consecutive years. The six years begins with the semester and year of admission to the program.
  The full policy can be viewed here.
  

Overview

In addition to University Requirements:

• Complete individual plan requirements.

Candidates in this program are required to demonstrate content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and skills, professional knowledge, and professional dispositions to be eligible to enter student teaching or internship placements. Content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge or skills, professional dispositions are demonstrated through candidate performance on key assessments embedded in the following course(s):

• , , - School Based Crisis, ,

Minimum Units for Completion	60
Fieldwork Experience/Internship	Fieldwork Experience/Internship is required.
Arizona Endorsement	Prepares student for Arizona Endorsement.
Progression Plan Link	View Program of Study
Licensure	This program may lead to licensure.

Purpose Statement
As a student in the MEd in Counseling - School Counseling program, you will take courses, engage in fieldwork, and participate in practicum and an internship that will prepare you to be a certified school counselor.
Upon obtaining your degree, you will be prepared to provide counseling services in the following areas:

• human growth and development
• social and cultural foundations
• career and lifestyle development
• research and program evaluation
• professional orientation
• school emergency mangement plans, and crises, disasters, and trauma

Our School Counseling faculty are leaders in the School Counseling profession across Arizona and at the national level (See Advocacy Projects and faculty bios). Our faculty are also integrally involved with the day-to-day realities of the ever-evolving profession of school counseling. The CACREP-accredited coursework is deeply informed by the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) current edition of the ASCA National Model, which stresses the modern school counselor’s integral role in all students’ academic, career and personal/social growth and development.
Student Learning Outcomes
Outcomes align with Standards from the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

• Professional orientation and ethical practice - studies that provide an understanding of all of the following aspects of professional functioning.
• Social and cultural diversity - studies that provide an understanding of the cultural context of relationships, issues, and trends in a multicultural society.
• Human growth and development - studies that provide an understanding of the nature and needs of persons at all developmental levels and in multicultural contexts.
• Career development - studies that provide an understanding of career development and related life factors.
• Helping relationships - studies that provide an understanding of the counseling process in a multicultural society.
• Group work - studies that provide both theoretical and experiential understandings of group purpose, development, dynamics, theories, methods, skills, and other group approaches in a multicultural society.
• Assessment - studies that provide an understanding of individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation in a multicultural society.
• Research and program evaluation - studies that provide an understanding of research methods, statistical analysis, needs assessment, and program evaluation.
• Foundations, contextual dimensions and practice in School Counseling.

See the full list of Student Learning Outcomes

Details

Additional Admission Requirements

• Admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.

• • NAU Graduate Online application is required for all programs. Details on admission requirements are included in the online application.
  • Undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution
  • Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = 'A'), or the equivalent.
  • Admission to many graduate programs is on a competitive basis, and programs may have higher standards than those established by the Graduate College.
  • Transcripts
  • For details on graduate admission policies, please visit the Graduate Admissions Policy
  • International applicants have additional admission requirements. Please see the International Graduate Admissions Policy

  
  Individual program admission requirements include:

• • GRE® revised General Test for applicants with a GPA lower than 3.0.

• • 3 recommendation references

• • Responses to specific essay questions

• • IVP Fingerprint clearance card

• • Candidate Interview

• Prerequisite coursework:

  • or upper-division undergraduate Statistics course completed within the past three years.

Master's Requirements

• This Master’s degree requires 60 units distributed as follows:

  • Counseling – School Counseling Course Requirements: 45 units
  • Select a Career Counseling course: 3 units
  • School-Based Crisis course: 3 units
  • Elective Coursework selected in consultation with your advisor: 3 units
  • Post-Practicum Internship: 6 units

  
  Take the following 60 units:

  • , , , , , , , , , , , , , , (45 units)
  • or (3 units)
  • as School-Based Crisis (3 units)
  • for the post-practicum internship (6 units)
  • Additional elective coursework chosen in consultation with your advisor (3 units)

• Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also take. For prerequisite information click on the course or see your advisor.
  

• PROGRAM FEE INFORMATION

• Program fees are established by the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR). A program fee of $1000 per year ($500 per semester) has been approved for this program.

This program was intentionally designed to lead to certification as a Standard School Counselor, PreK-12 and licensure as a professional counselor in the state of Arizona. For information regarding how the curricular requirements for this degree program align to licensure or certification requirements in other states, see https://nau.edu/compliance-and-authorization/professional-licensure-by-state/.

What Does the Program Look Like?

This 60-hour CACREP-accredited program meets the coursework requirements for the Arizona Department of Education’s K-12 Guidance Counselor Endorsement and is designed to prepare students to become effective leaders in the process of transforming school counseling under the ASCA's National Model for School Counseling Programs. The degree and certificate are also portable to most states (for a state-by-state certificate overview, please visit the American School Counselor Association state certification requirements.)As a student in the MEd in Counseling - School Counseling program, you will take courses, engage in fieldwork, and participate in practicum and internship experience that will prepare you to be a certified school counselor.Upon obtaining your degree, you will be prepared to provide counseling services in the following areas:

• human growth and development
• social and cultural foundations
• career and lifestyle development
• research and program evaluation
• professional orientation

How Will This Degree Prepare Students For the Real World?

Our School Counseling faculty are leaders in the school counseling profession across Arizona and at the national level (See Advocacy Projects and faculty bios below). Our faculty are also integrally involved with the day-to-day realities of the ever-evolving profession of school counseling. The CACREP-accredited coursework that students experience at NAU is also deeply informed by the American School Counseling Association (ASCA National Model), which stresses the modern school counselor’s integral role in all students’ academic, career and personal/social growth and development.

Program and Student Learning Objectives for School Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling Programs

1. Our Clinical Mental Health and School Counseling Programs regularly gather and “reflect input from all persons involved in the conduct of the program, including counselor education program faculty, current and former students, and personnel in cooperating agencies.”
2. We seek to recruit and retain students who represent the diverse population of the Southwestern U.S.

Student Learning Objectives: Successful completion of the Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and the Master of Education in School Counseling prepares students to:

1. Become familiar with the requirements for being a professional counselor, including the relevant research and literature pertinent to the discipline.
2. Become familiar with and knowledgeable about the nature and needs of individuals at all developmental levels.
3. Develop a thorough understanding of knowledge and competencies related to issues and trends in a multicultural and pluralistic society, and to effectively demonstrate multicultural counseling competencies.
4. Demonstrate effective counseling skills.
5. Become familiar with studies in group dynamics and to development and related life factors, and to demonstrate effective career counseling skills.
6. Understand major theories of career development and related life factors, and to demonstrate effective career counseling skills.
7. Develop an understanding of assessment processes, and to demonstrate skills in individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation.
8. Become familiar with research, statistics, and program evaluation as they apply to the practice of counseling.
9. Develop a clear sense of professional identity in counseling, which includes professional ethics, legal responsibilities, professional preparation standards, participating in professional organizations, and obtaining necessary credentials.
10. Acquire knowledge about counseling supervision, and to experience peer, site supervisor and faculty supervision that allow students to integrate and apply the knowledge and skills that they have acquired to practice.
11. Experience continuous course-related and overall program-related feedback to enhance their professional development as they become professional counselors.
12. Acquire knowledge and skills related to the ways that counselors use a variety of technologies designed to assist students, clients, and the systems they work within.
13. Acquire knowledge related to the professional identity, roles, and functions of professional counselors.
14. Practice ongoing assessment of one's own skills, strengths, weaknesses, professional and personal development as related to counseling professional identity, counseling ethics, and the principles of ethics of client autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, justice, and fidelity.

How do I apply, and when is the application due?

The entire application process is a one-stop process. Once you click on APPLY NOW, in above right margin, all elements of the application are handled within that link!

The primary application items we will evaluate include:

• The graduate school application
• GPA
• Three-part personal statement
• Three professional/academic recommendation letters
• Interview
• GRE General Test (ONLY if your undergraduate GPA was less than 3.0)

For credit transfer and GPA policies, please visit the Graduate College website for more information about these policies.*Please note: GPA can be evaluated over the course of the entire undergraduate degree, for the last 60-credit hours of the undergraduate degree, or can include graduate credit (if applicable) as well.

When Is the Application Due?

Apply Now!Please note:

• Completed application files are reviewed and admission decisions are made once each year.
• Applications will be reviewed and admission notifications are sent to students within approximately 30 days of the deadline.
• It is your responsibility to ensure that your application file is complete. Incomplete files will not be reviewed.
• In Flagstaff, many students apply for graduate assistantships (GA roles). If a student secures a GA role during grad school, they typically earn a full-tuition waiver in exchange for working 20 hours per week. For additional information, please visit the Graduate College webpage.

• What do our site supervisors, recent graduates and current Interns say about our Masters in Counseling programs?
• Where are our students completing their Internships?
• Our graduates are successfully working in their fields of study. Find out more.

What Are We Doing To Make A Difference In The School Counseling Profession?

Ongoing Advocacy Projects from NAU-Flagstaff, NAU-Phoenix, and NAU-Tucson Masters Programs in...

• School Counseling Advocacy – Our involvement with Reach Higher

Counseling Program CACREP Core Faculty

Dr. P. Kolodinsky Bio* Flagstaff Practicum Lab Coordinator, 2018 - present* North Valley Campus Practicum and Internship Co-CoordinatorDr. S. Haas Bio

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