The faculty prepares students, who are already certified school counselors, to become leaders and researchers in school counseling. School Counselors develop advanced skills in counseling, consulting, and research.
The Education Specialist Degree in School Counseling is designed to enhance and advance the knowledge and skills of school counselors beyond the Master’s level in the following areas: counseling, supervision, leadership, consultation, research, and mental health care systems. The Ed.S. program prepares those who are already certified as school counselors to become leaders and researchers in the educational environment and to gain the knowledge and skills needed to address mental health issues found in the school environment.
Admission Requirements
- An applicant must hold a master’s degree and be a fully certified school counselor.
- An applicant must have one year experience working as a certified school counselor in a school setting. The one year of experience may not include practica and internships.
- An applicant will not be admitted with a grade point average of less than 3.0 on all previous graduate work attempted.
- An applicant must have current (within the last 5 years) scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Miller Analogy Test (MAT). The average GRE score for applicants admitted to the VSU Ed.S. in School Counseling program is 146 Verbal and 153 Quantitative. On the MAT, a minimum score of 390 is required.
- Only “Regular” admission status will be used for entry into the Education Specialist Degree in School Counseling. Graduate work taken prior to admission to an Education Specialist degree program will not be counted toward the degree requirements.
Selected Educational Outcomes
Program graduates will:
- demonstrate and model appropriate counseling and supervision skills and strategies in the supervision relationship.
- demonstrate a systematic conceptualization of the major roles and responsibilities of counselor supervision.
- evaluate their school counseling program to determine its effectiveness as a comprehensive school counseling program using standards set by the school’s accrediting body and the American School Counseling Association.
- design individual and group treatment strategies that are developmentally appropriate for children and youth that address the academic, social, and career success of all students.
- demonstrate a disposition appropriate for a leader in the school environment.
- follow appropriate professional and ethical guidelines.
Examples of Outcome Assessments
- Candidates will be assessed by performance in Ed.S. level courses.
- Candidates will be assessed by a faculty member using a standard observation and evaluation form in the Ed.S. School Counseling Practicum.
- The process of developing the thesis and the results of the thesis will be evaluated by faculty using established criteria.
Requirements for the Ed.S. Degree with a Major in School Counseling
| SCHC 8150 | Program Evaluation | 3 |
| SCHC 8160 | Advanced Practice in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy | 3 |
| SCHC 8220 | Social Justice in Professional Practice | 3 |
| SCHC 8300 | Crisis Counseling | 3 |
| SCHC 8891 | School Counseling Practicum I | 3 |
| SCHC 8995 | Capstone Seminar | 3 |
| PSYC 8200 | Child Psychopathology | 3 |
| PSYC 8610 | Behavior Modification | 3 |
| RSCH 8000 | Advanced Research Methodology | 3 |
| Total Hours Required for the Degree | 27 | |
