The Master of Education with a Major in Counselor Education includes two specialty concentrations: (1) School Counseling and (2) Clinical Mental Health Counseling. The faculty prepares students to become school counselors who are eligible for certification by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission in the school counseling concentration. The faculty prepare students to become clinical mental health counselors who are license eligible by the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling concentration.
The mission of the Valdosta State University Counselor Education Program is to educate professionals who will be leaders in the school and clinical mental health environments. Our graduates will accept responsibility for removing barriers and offering equal access to services for all students and clients. The main emphasis of the Counselor Education Program is to train school counselors and clinical mental health counselors to function as leaders in a global society. Trained counselors utilize data, advocacy, collaboration and consultation to offer counseling and support services, helping students and clients from diverse backgrounds achieve academic success, personal success, and well-being.
Selected Educational Outcomes
Graduates of the counselor education program will develop a strong foundation in psychological and counseling theories, research methodologies, and applied practices related to school counseling or clinical mental health counseling. Upon completing the program, students will be equipped with the following competencies:
- Students will demonstrate a strong professional identity in their specialized area of counseling practice with an understanding of the history, trends, ethical and legal issues, and credentialing process.
- Students will demonstrate multicultural competence through counselor self-awareness, understanding of client world view, understanding of how shared and unshared identities influence the counseling relationship, and choosing appropriate counseling and advocacy interventions.
- Students will demonstrate a broad knowledge base of human development across the lifespan, including biopsychosocial factors that impact both risk and resilience.
- Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of career development, counseling, and decision-making with understanding of interrelationships between education and training, work, occupation, and wellness.
- Students will demonstrate a personal model of counseling to include counseling theories, skills, and techniques, and will apply evidence-based strategies for prevention and intervention within their specialized area of practice.
- Students will demonstrate characteristics of effective group leaders including an understanding of group processes and counseling skills to effectively implement group work within their specialized area of practice.
- Students will demonstrate the use of assessment methods and procedures utilized within their specialized area of practice and use the assessment data to inform prevention, intervention, referral and consultation.
- Students will demonstrate the effective use of research in identifying and evaluating counseling theories, interventions, and practice, as well as program evaluation designs and procedures.
- Students will demonstrate professional dispositions including integrity, problem solving, flexibility, responsiveness to feedback, self-awareness, commitment, initiative, and respect.
Examples of Selected Outcome Assessments
Outcome assessments for the Counselor Education program evaluate how well students achieve the program's intended learning objectives. These assessments typically cover knowledge acquisition, skill development, and professional application.
- Students will demonstrate content knowledge and skills through individual case studies.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to impact student learning through a project that requires students or clients to use a pre-assessment, implement an intervention, and conduct a post-assessment to determine impact.
- Students will demonstrate their ability to effectively conduct a counseling session during a faculty observation.
- Students will demonstrate their ability to use data to develop a project that focuses on closing achievement gaps or develop a treatment plan.
Requirements for M.Ed. Degree with a Major in Counselor Education:
School Counseling Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | 27 | |
| EDUC 5999 | Professional Orientation | 0 |
| COUN 7400 | Counseling Theory and Practice | 3 |
| COUN 7800 | Orientation to Counseling as a Profession | 3 |
| COUN 7820 | Career Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 7450 | Group Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 7470 | Counseling Culturally Diverse Populations | 3 |
| COUN 7900 | Counseling Skills and Techniques | 3 |
| COUN 7030 | Measurement and Evaluation | 3 |
| COUN 8250 | Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| RSCH 7100 | Research Methodology in Education | 3 |
| School Counseling Concentration | 27 | |
| COUN 7430 | Ethics and Professional Issues in Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 7010 | Comprehensive Developmental School Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 7020 | Principles of Learning and Classroom Management | 3 |
| COUN 7420 | Counseling Children and Adolescents | 3 |
| COUN 7930 | College and Career Development | 3 |
| COUN 7830 | Consultation and Advocacy in School Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 7981 | Practicum | 3 |
| COUN 7991 | Internship I | 3 |
| COUN 7992 | Internship II | 3 |
| Electives (select two of the following) | 6 | |
| Psychopathology and Diagnosis | ||
| Clinical Mental Health Counseling | ||
| Expressive Arts in Counseling | ||
| Assessment in Counseling | ||
| Issues in Mental Health Counseling | ||
| Special Topics Seminar | ||
| Total Hours Required for the Degree | 60 | |
Competency Requirements
Additional school counseling competency requirement course for the Georgia Professional Standards Commission: SPEC 7000 Serving Students with Diverse Needs. 3 hours.
Requirements for M.Ed. Degree with a Major in Counselor Education:
Clinical Mental Health Counseling Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | 27 | |
| EDUC 5999 | Professional Orientation | 0 |
| COUN 7400 | Counseling Theory and Practice | 3 |
| COUN 7800 | Orientation to Counseling as a Profession | 3 |
| COUN 7820 | Career Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 7450 | Group Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 7470 | Counseling Culturally Diverse Populations | 3 |
| COUN 7900 | Counseling Skills and Techniques | 3 |
| COUN 7030 | Measurement and Evaluation | 3 |
| COUN 8250 | Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| RSCH 7100 | Research Methodology in Education | 3 |
| Clinical Mental Health Counseling Concentration | 27 | |
| COUN 7200 | Psychopathology and Diagnosis | 3 |
| COUN 7420 | Counseling Children and Adolescents | 3 |
| COUN 7430 | Ethics and Professional Issues in Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 7850 | Clinical Mental Health Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 7950 | Assessment in Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 7890 | Issues in Mental Health Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 7981 | Practicum | 3 |
| COUN 7991 | Internship I | 3 |
| COUN 7992 | Internship II | 3 |
| Electives (select two of the following) | 6 | |
| Principles of Learning and Classroom Management | ||
| COUN 7050 | Expressive Arts in Counseling | 3 |
| Consultation and Advocacy in School Counseling | ||
| College and Career Development | ||
| Behavior Modification | ||
| Crisis Counseling | ||
| Special Topics Seminar | ||
| Total Hours Required for the Degree | 60 | |
