School Counseling, M.A.
The School Counseling Program is committed to educating counselors who will provide leadership in serving the developmental needs of children in a school community. The purpose of a counselor’s intervention is seen as facilitating growth towards the student’s full academic and psychosocial potential. The program focuses on assisting future counselors with the wide range of issues that confront students, teachers, and parents across the full span of the school years (K-12). Therefore, school counselors who graduate from Saint Joseph College are prepared to work with elementary, middle, and high school students and to assist them with the types of challenges that they face as they grow and develop.
Degree Requirements
The school counseling curriculum is designed to facilitate self-understanding and development through individual and small group activities across a variety of educational domains that pertain to counseling practice. In addition to a common core of curricular
experiences, all students in the school counseling program are expected to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in foundations of school counseling, ability to conceptualize a comprehensive counseling program, and the practice of school counseling including program development, implementation, evaluation, and consultation. The content elements included in this program meet academic standards for school counseling established by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs and the 2003 Connecticut State Regulations for School Counselor Preparation Programs.
Matriculation
A student seeking to matriculate into the program is required to submit to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies (in McDonough Hall) the following:
- A completed admission application along with the required application fee.
- All immunization records as required by the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies;
- Two copies of all official college transcripts, one mailed directly to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies and one mailed directly to the Department of Counseling and Family Therapy. These must be from accredited institutions and must evidence at least a baccalaureate degree with a GPA of 2.67 or higher. Transcripts are required prior to registration.
- Two (2) letters of professional reference mailed directly to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies recommending the candidate for graduate work in the School Counseling Program at Saint Joseph College. Recommendation forms are available in the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies;
- Two copies of Praxis I scores, one to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies and one to the Department of Counseling and Family Therapy. Any student who has scored 1100 or higher on their math/verbal SAT may apply for a Praxis I waiver.
In addition, School Counseling applicants are required to:
- Submit a Personal Entrance Essay (Essay guidelines available through the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies and the Department of Counseling and Family Therapy.)
- You will be contacted to sign up for an interview session once your application and official transcript is submitted and received.
Note: Following the interview and admission to the program, a planned program of study (POS) will be prepared based on the number of credits you wish to carry each semester. This POS will then be mailed to you with instructions for registration and final matriculation.
When all the required documentation is received by the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies, the file will be submitted to the Department of Counseling and Family Therapy for matriculation.
Required Courses for the Master of Arts in School Counseling (51-54 Credits):
Foundations
Professional Orientation to and Foundations of Community Counseling (3 Credits)
Ethics and Standards of Practice (3 Credits)
Counseling Prevention and Intervention
Theories of Counseling and Psychology (3 Credits)
Developmental Theories and Applications (3 Credits)
Skills and Techniques in Counseling (3 Credits)
Group Process & Dynamics (3 Credits)
Theoretical & Practical Sources for Career/Lifestyle Development (3 Credits)
Diversity and Advocacy
Multicultural Counseling (3 Credits)
Leadership, Collaboration, and Consultation
Principles, Organization, and Practice of School Counseling Services (3 Credits)
Assessment
Appraisal and Its Application in Counseling (3 Credits)
Research and Evaluation
Applied Research Methods for Counselors (3 Credits)
Diagnosis
Diagnosis and Treatment Planning (3 Credits)
Academic Development
Instruction and Curriculum (3 Credits)
Psychology of Exceptional Children (3 Credits)
Moral Development and Its Application to Mental Health Settings (3 Credits)
Practicum/Internship
Practicum (3 Credits)
Internship I (3 Credits)
Internship II (3 Credits)
Clinical Hours
All students must complete a 100 hour practicum and a 600 hour internship. A student who has not completed the required 700 clinical hours by the end of Internship II may continue group supervision by enrolling in an additional internship course.
NOTE: If a student does not hold a CT teaching certificate and have at minimum 30 months of classroom teaching experience, they must complete a 10-month full-time residency (40 hours per week) in place of the internship experience.
Comprehensive Examination
The comprehensive examination requires the student to demonstrate the ability to integrate the content and application of the chosen field of study. With the completion of a minimum of 39 credits in the core course curriculum (including Practicum), the student may sit for this examination.
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