Program Overview

The Master of Science and Educational Specialist degrees in School Counseling program, in the Department of Counseling, Higher Education Leadership, Educational Psychology, and Foundations, in the College of Education, offers degrees at the master's and educational specialist levels. Courses in this program are designed to accommodate the schedule of the working individual, offering flexibility of hybrid course delivery (i.e., face-to-face, live online, and/or asynchronous online).

Graduates of these graduate programs are eligible for licensure as a school counselor in the state of Mississippi, and graduates of the specialist programs are also eligible for licensure as a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in the state of Mississippi. Courses taught in the school counseling program use the college of Education's Conceptual Framework for General Advanced Program. The master's and specialist’s level school counseling programs are accredited by both NCATE and CACREP.

A degree in school counseling provides numerous opportunities for employment. Recent graduates from our program have not only been employed as school counselors in the pre-K - 12 educational environment, but have also obtained positions as child behavior therapists, counselors for the Armed Forces, counselors at the community college level, career counselors, and various positions at university settings, such as career counseling, academic advising, etc.

Faculty in the school counseling program seek to prepare graduates to be advocates for the appropriate role of the school counseling in pre-K - 12 educational environments, leaders in the educational field, supportive agents for teachers and parents, and advocates for children and adolescents. Through rigorous coursework and clinical experiences, graduates are trained to provide a wide array of prevention and intervention services in the school setting. Our program focuses on teaching graduates how to successfully integrate the Mississippi Counseling Model, the ASCA National Model, and the National Standards for School Counselors into a comprehensive school counseling program that focuses on helping each and every child to be successful. Students will learn the foundation of counseling, developmental issues and concerns, counseling skills, and group counseling strategies to help students with daily struggles, as well as program evaluation, research methods, and assessment strategies to assist with program management and implementation.

Students in the school counseling program will have the ability to gain and demonstrate knowledge through advanced readings, interactive discussions, small group work, and numerous field experiences. In addition to field-based activities in content courses, students will also participate in a 100 hour (for those with a current MS teaching license) or 600 hour practicum and a 600 hour internship that is completed in an accredited pre-K - 12 environment under supervision of a licensed professional school counselor. Faculty work with students to help ensure beneficial placement settings for both supervising counselors and students.