The job of a school counselor has taken on much greater significance over the past three decades. Today, school counselors often have much more to contend with than a child who is struggling with homework. Today, counselors are often asked to be advocates, defenders, psychologists, and more for their students.
Educational Requirements
School counselors require a certain level of education. This helps to ensure that they know how to best help their students. In most states, it is required that future school counselors complete a Master’s degree. Most choose to pursue a Master’s in school counseling. However, some states allow students to obtain a different degree. For example, in Illinois, a person can obtain a Master’s degree in a related field like psychology. Usually, states that offer this option require that the student takes additional courses that focus on working with students and the job of a school counselor.
In Kansas and Connecticut, it is further required that the future school counselor holds a professional teaching license before applying to be a school counselor. Other states also allow those who have been licensed as teachers to apply to become school counselors. Similar to those with Master’s degrees in other disciplines, current teachers will be asked to take coursework in school counseling to apply for the job.
Experience Requirements
Most states have requirements for school counselors to complete either hours of observation, a direct internship working with students, or both. By doing this, the future school counselors understand the types of work they will be doing and gain practice working directly with students.
States that have experience requirements often set them based on a semester, a school year, or a set number of hours. Idaho, for example, requires 700 hours of fieldwork and further requires that seventy-five percent of it takes place in the K-12 classroom. In Mississippi, a full school year internship is required. This can be waived if the applicant is already a licensed classroom teacher in the state.
Because school counselors work directly with students, it is important to make sure that they are safe to do so. Therefore, most states require the applicant to get a full background check, or at least fingerprinting, to ensure that they will not be a danger to their future students. This may be required to apply for certification or when a person is actually hired as a school counselor. Oklahoma and West Virginia do not require background checks, though individual districts within Oklahoma can require them.
It is important to remember that requirements are always changing, so if you are interested in becoming a school counselor, check your state’s Department of Education website for the most up-to-date information.
Requirement: Standard teaching license and a master’s degree in guidance and counseling; or Master’s degree in another area and completion of an approved program for guidance and counseling.
Assessment: Must meet state Praxis requirements.
Experience: If applicant does not already hold a MS teaching certificate, must complete a full-year internship.
Requirement: GPA 3.25 minimum, 100+ hours practice, inc. 40+ counseling EC/secondary school learners.
Assessment: Must meet state Praxis requirements
Experience:
- A supervised elementary and secondary school-based internship (P-12) of at least 600 clock hours, begun subsequent to the completion of the practicum, including a minimum of 240 clock hours in direct service work with early childhood/elementary and secondary school students.
- Effective July 1, 2017, and thereafter, two full years of full-time, acceptable professional educational work experience.
- Effective July 1, 2019, two full years of full-time, acceptable P-12 professional educational work experience.
Requirement: Master’s degree followed by a graduate degree specializing in school counseling, or Master’s degree from an accredited institution in academic advising.
Assessment: None
Experience: Two years of verified, full-time experience as a school counselor or
- three years of verified teaching experience or
- completion of a supervised counseling practicum in school counseling from an accredited institution.
Requirement: Master's degree or higher in school counseling; or
Master's or higher degree in a clinical counseling domain.
Assessment: Praxis 5421.
Experience: Minimum of 100-hour practicum and 600-hour internship, with multiple grade levels of students under the supervision of a licensed school counselor.
Requirement: Master’s degree in school counseling. 30 semester hours in planned program in school counseling service, 36 clock hours in special education.
Assessment: None
Experience: Holds a professional educator certificate or holds or is eligible for an initial educator certificate and has completed 30 school months of successful teaching experience or
A 10-month, full-time (700 hour min.) supervised school counseling internship.
Requirement: Master’s degree in elementary or secondary school counseling. 39 credits of graduate course work in areas that include school counseling, child develpement and behavior and related fields.
Assessment: Must meet state Praxis requirements.
Experience: Clinical experience of 700 hours in an elementary or secondary setting or
Clinical experience of 350 hours at each level for dual certification.
Requirement: Master’s degree and completion of an approved program of graduate study in school guidance and counseling from a college/university; six semester credit hours within the last five years.
Idaho Code allows certificated school social workers to be employed as elementary school counselors without any credential change.
Assessment: None
Experience: 700 clock hours of supervised field experience, 75 percent of which must be in a K-12 school setting, to include elementary, middle and high schools. Previous school counseling experience may be considered to help offset the field experience clock hour requirement.
Requirement: Master’s degree or higher in school counselin or related field, completed an Illinois program approved for the preparation of school counselors, completed a supervised counseling practicum of at least 100 clock hours.
Assessment: ISBE Examination for School Counseling.
Experience: The internship shall be of a length that is determined by the approved program to be adequate to enable candidates to meet the standards but shall entail at least 600 hours and last no less than one semester, during which candidates shall engage in the performance of various aspects of the counseling role and shall be gradually introduced to the full range of responsibilities associated with that role.
The internship for an individual with at least two years of teaching experience may, at the discretion of the institution offering the approved program, consist of no fewer than 400 hours. In each case at least 240 hours of the internship shall involve direct service work with school-age individuals and groups.
Requirement: Master’s degree in school counseling or related field.
Assessment: Yes, for initial license
Experience: Successfully completed all field experiences as set forth by the institution offering the counselor education program in both the content and all developmental levels. CPR and suicide training also required for initial license.
Requirement: Master’s degree; ompletion of an approved human relations and exceptional learner component; teaching and counseling practicum (at either the K-6 or 7-12 level) consisting of a minimum of 500 contact hours.
Assessment: None
Experience: The school counselor demonstrates competency in conducting classroom sessions with elementary, middle (elementary certification) OR middle and secondary school students (secondary certification).
Requirement: Master’s degree with a 3.25 cumulative GPA in graduate coursework.
Assessment: Praxis II: School Guidance Counseling, minimum 600.
Experience:: Must hold a valid Kansas professional teaching certificate to be eligible for a school counseling license and have a supervised internship by enrolling in internship credits during your first year of employment as a school counselor under your conditional license. Parallel pathway program also available for those without teaching experience.
Requirement: Master’s degree in guidance and counseling from a regionally accredited institution or a master’s degree with the equivalent hours and courses in school counseling.
Assessment: NTE Core Battery, NTE Specialty Area Exam in school counseling
Experience: Must hold or be eligible to hold a valid LA teaching certificate except for ancillary counselor certification and must have 3 credits in a supervised practicum in a school setting.
Requirement: Master's degree in school counseling or school guidance and counseling and NBCC certificate, or approved program that includes 500 hours in a supervised practicum, or a program approved by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Program,or professional school counseling certificate from another state.
Assessment: None
Experience: Two years of satisfactory performance as a teacher or school counselor in a school setting. or
- two years of satisfactory performance as a teacher or school counselor or 500 clock hours in a supervised practicum in school counseling or school guidance and counseling.
Requirement: School Counselor Endorsement, or School Counselor License, or master’s degree from an approved program in school counseling.
Assessment: Michigan Test for Teacher Certification – School Counselor (NT) exam.
Experience: Completion of not less than a 600-clock hour internship with school-aged pupils under the supervision of a person who is a counselor educator in an approved school counseling program. At least 300 of the 600 clock hours shall be in a school setting.
Requirement: Master's degree or the equivalen and completing a Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board preparation program, completed a preparation program in school counseling accredited by CACREP.
Assessment: None
Experience: 700 hours experience in CACREP programs (100 hours practicum and 600 hours internship) and 700 hours total in non-CACREP programs.
Requirement: Master’s degree with a major in counselin, meeting approval of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education; completion of a planned program of at least 42 semester hours of approved graduate credit in courses in school counseling with at least 12 semester hours focused upon school counseling.
Assessment: Missouri School Counselor Content Assessment with a score of 220 or higher and the School Counselor Candidate Assessment.
Experience: Completion of a three-semester hour internship (minimum of 300 clock hours).
Requirement: Master’s or more advanced degree in school counseling; specialty credential as a National Certified School Counselor issued by the National Board for Certified Counselors or master’s or more advanced degree with a major in counseling conferred by a regionally accredited college or university.
Assessment: Praxis – professional school counselor.
Experience: None or;
- 280 hours of practicum, internship or field experience in school counseling at any grade level in K-12.
Requirement: Master's degree or higher in school counseling, or master's degree in a closely related counseling field and documents/demonstrates that they have also acquired the competencies, skills, and knowledge that they would have gained if they had graduated from a NHDOE approved graduate program in school counseling.
Assessment: None
Experience: Qualify for state certification as a school counselor, candidates must have completed a 600-hour internship in a general school setting under the direct supervision of a state certified school counselor with at least 2 years experience as a state certified school counselor in NH public schools, or;
- Candidates for alternative certification must have worked for three months, full time, as a school counselor before beginning the alternative certification process. This is usually accomplished from having been a certified school counselor in another state, or from taking classes, including internship classes, through a NH approved program with a view towards qualifying for alternative certification.
Requirement: National certified school counselor credentials, licensed professional mental health counselor (LPC) or licensed professional clinical mental health counselor (LPCC) credentials, and a minimum of six semester hours of graduate credit in school counseling coursework, or a master’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
Assessment: New Mexico Content Knowledge Assessment for School Counselor.
Experience: None or
- 300 hour practicum or internship in a school setting.
Requirement: Completion of a NY registered school counseling program, or Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution and at least 30 semester hours of approved graduate study in the field of school counseling, or Be Nationally certified as a school counselor by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).
Completion of a Child Abuse Identification and a school violence prevention and intervention Workshop.
Assessment: None
Experience: None or;
- Supervised practice in school counseling. The internship must be in a K-12 school setting under the supervision of a regionally accredited college or university having an approved program of preparation for the certificate in question. One year of paid full-time approved experience as a school counselor in PreK-12 setting may be substituted fro the internship/practice.
Requirement: Master's degree or higher in school counseling and coursework determined by the institute of higher education approved school counseling program.
Assessment: None
Experience: Hold a valid educator's professional license,
have a supervised school-based internship of at least 450 hours, with at least 150 hours at the elementary level and at least 150 hours at the secondary level.
Requirement: Master’s degree from an approved program of preparation and internship consisting of 600 contact hours in a school setting.
Assessment: Ohio Assessment for Educators (OAE) School Counselor Test #040.
Experience: (Temporary License): A temporary school counselor license may be issued to an individual who holds a currently valid Ohio teaching license or Ohio counselor licensed issued by the OCSWMFT Board.
Must be employed by a school and have request for temporary license approved by school official.
Requirement: Master's degree or higher in school counseling or related field, or a bachelor’s degree and completion in Oregon or another U.S. jurisdiction, as part of the master’s degree or separately, of an initial graduate program in school counseling and required coursework.
Assessment: Minimum of 610 on the Praxis Test of School Guidance and Counseling.
Experience: Completion of a practicum approved by the commission in early childhood and elementary counseling or in middle level and high school counseling as part of the initial graduate program or separately and
two academic years of experience as a full-time licensed teacher in a public, private, charter or otherwise licensed school.
Requirement: Completion of an approved program in school counseling. Supervised counseling practicum experiences, prior to and separate from the field experience, providing direct service with individuals and groups (60 clock hours).
Assessment: Professional School Counseling Praxis.
Experience: A minimum of an additional 300 clock hours of internship/supervised field experiences to include instructional experience and a minimum of 70 hours (elementary) OR 75 hours (secondary) of direct service with individual and group clients.
Requirement: Advanced degree from a regionally accredited institution, ompletion of an approved program for the preparation of school counselor support professional and completion of 300-hour Internship.
Assessment: Praxis II Professional School Counselor test (5421) with a score of 156.
Experience: Demonstration of meeting the content competencies as prescribed by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs.
Requirement: Master's degree in school guidance or counseling, or master's degree or higher in counseling and passage of the state-designated school counselor test and one year of supervision by a mentor school counselor. One clock hour of suicide awareness and prevention training.
Assessment: Praxis II Professional School Counselor (5421).
Experience: For option 2, one year of supervision by a mentor school counselor.
Requirement: graduate degree with an approved preparation program in school guidance and counseling or graduate degree in community/agency counseling and must be enrolled in a approved graduate program in school counseling and has completed at least 30 hours leading to completion of an approved graduate program in school counseling.
Assessment: Praxis II: School Guidance & Counseling, Minimum 580.
Experience: Internship will be on a full time basis for at least one semester in length. Guidance and counseling experiences at both the preK-6 and 7-12 grade levels will be provided to the candidate during the internship or practicum and
School counselor candidates without teaching experience will have a one semester long orientation experience in a school as an early part of the preparation program. The orientation experience will be structured to provide observation, participation in, and analysis of classroom instruction.
Requirement: Master’s degree in school counseling or its equivalent.
Assessment: Must meet state Praxis requirements.
Experience: A supervised internship experience (600 clock hours) in counseling with a minimum of 60 hours of experience in school counseling at both the elementary (PK-6) and middle/secondary (7-12) levels, under the supervision of a licensed school counselor.
Requirement: Master's degree from an approved counselor education program.
Assessment: None
Experience: At least 100 clock hours of clinical experiences in the preK-6 setting and 100 clock hours of clinical experiences in the grades 7-12 setting or:
- Two years of successful, full-time teaching experience or two years of successful, full-time experience in guidance and counseling. Two years of successful, full-time experience in guidance and counseling under a provisional license may be accepted to meet this requirement.
Requirement: Master's degree in counseling, completion of an issues of abuse course, completion of a suicide prevention training.
Assessment: Must meet state Praxis requirements.
Experience: For initial certificate applicants without a master's degree in school counseling and/or completion of a state-approved program leading to ESA certification, three years of out-of-state experience in the school counselor role and completion of a comprehensive exam relevant to the role are required.
Requirement: Master's degree from an approved counselor education program.
Assessment: None
Experience: Eligibility for a WI license to teach in the elementary/secondary schools and two years of successful teaching experience at the elementary/secondary school levels; or
Completion of an approved one year full-time internship in school counseling; or
A minimum of two years of successful experience as a licensed school counselor in an assigned position of 1/2 time or more.
Requirement: Master's degree from an approved counselor education program, or master’s degree with at least 30 semester credits in approved school counseling and guidance coursework.
Assessment: Knowledge of the U.S. Constitution and the Wyoming Constitution either through coursework or an exam.
Experience: Eligibility for a license to teach and 2 years of successful teaching experience; or
- An approved one-year full-time internship in school counseling or
- a minimum of 2 years of successful experience as a school counselor in an assigned position of one-half time or more or
- - three years of comparable experience in a human services setting.
Requirement: Bachelor’s degree or higher and completion of a teacher education program. 3 semester hours in Alaska studies, 3 semester hours in multicultural education or communication, six semester hours or nine quarters of credit earned within the last five years.
Requirement: A bachelor's degree or higher, except in professional education, from a regionally accredited college or university,
Complete post-bachelor's degree study consisting of a minimum of 48 semester units in a commission-approved professional preparation program specializing in school counseling, including a practicum with school-aged children,
Obtain the formal recommendation of a California college or university with a commission-approved pupil personnel services program specializing in school counseling. This process will result in the college or university submitting the recommendation online.
Requirement: Master's or higher with a graduate major in guidance and counseling and three semester hours in a supervised counseling practicum in an elementary or secondary school.
Requirement: Master’s degree in guidance counseling. For 1 year conditional certificate: bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Matriculated into an approved program for school counselor education, or current enrollment in graduate coursework for school counselor education.
Requirement: Master's degree or higher in school counseling, an emergency certificate upon the request of the county superintendent to a candidate with bachelor’s degree, and required coursework.
Requirement: Master's degree or higher in school counseling and coursework determined by the institute of higher education approved school counseling program.
Assessment: Praxis: Professional School Counselor 5421.
