School Counseling, M.A.

The School Counseling program at Northeastern Illinois University prepares students for employment as school counselors in elementary, middle and high schools. The School Counseling program emphasizes a developmental counseling approach integrating the philosophy and standards of the American School Counselor Association's (ASCA) National Model, the Developmental Counseling Model for Illinois schools, and the Illinois State Standards for School Counselors. NEIU's school counseling program emphasizes social justice and advocacy in schools and data-driven practices, particularly to affect systemic change in educational settings to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Students completing the master's degree in school counseling will meet the educational requirements for the Professional Educator License (PEL) in Illinois with an endorsement as a School Counselor, Pre K-Age 21. The degree also meets the educational requirements for licensure in Illinois as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC). The School Counseling program is nationally accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

The School Counseling program trains counselors to work as school counselors who will be knowledgeable of, and demonstrate skills in the following:

1. CACREP's core content areas of: professional counseling orientation and ethical practice; social and cultural diversity; human growth and development; career development; counseling and helping relationships; group counseling; assessment and testing; and research and program evaluation.
2. History, models, issues/trends, and assessment in school counseling.
3. Roles and functions of school counselors in grades Pre K-12 within the context of the comprehensive developmental school counseling models proposed and/or mandated by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), Illinois Developmental Counseling Model, ASCA National Model, and CACREP.
4. Promoting the academic, career, and social/emotional development of all Pre K-age 22 students through evidence-based, data-driven school counseling programs.
5. The importance of advocacy, leadership, and social justice work as a school counselor, working within the context of the school system.
6. Delivery of services to students, parents, school staff, and community in the following areas: individual school planning; responsive services (e.g., individual, crisis and group counseling); indirect student services (e.g., consultation, collaboration, referrals); and school counseling core curriculum (e.g., classroom lessons, psychoeducation).
7. Understanding sociocultural factors impacting the academic, career, educational, and social/emotional development of diverse students in Pre K-12 settings, and effective strategies for building coordinated, systemic, school-based interventions.
8. Developmental, college- and career-readiness counseling to support students and their families in the post-secondary planning process from Pre K-age 22.

Foundation Counseling Courses
COUN 401 Professional Orientation & Legal/Ethical Practices (3 cr)
COUN 402 Developmental Counseling (3 cr)
COUN 403 Theories of Counseling (3 cr)
COUN 404 Assessment & Evaluation in Counseling (3 cr)
COUN 405 Individual Counseling Skills (3 cr)
COUN 406 Group Counseling (3 cr)
COUN 408 Research Seminar (3 cr)
COUN 409 Career Development (3 cr)
COUN 415 Children & Youth in School and Family Systems (3 cr)
COUN 425 Diagnosis & Treatment of Addictive Disorders (3 cr)
COUN 427 Diagnostic Systems for Counseling (3 cr)
COUN 430 Social & Cultural Diversity in Counseling (3 cr)

School Counseling Courses
COUN 410 Seminar in School Counseling
COUN 411 Post Secondary College & Career Counseling (3 cr)
COUN 412 Topics in School Counseling (3 cr)
Elective #1 Consult with program advisor
Elective #2 Consult with program advisor

Advanced Clinicals
COUN 442 Practicum: Group Supervision in School Counseling** (3 cr)
COUN 462 Internship I: School Counseling** (3 cr)
COUN 472 Internship II: School Counseling** (3 cr)

School counseling students find placements in Pre K-12 schools where they can work with an approved, practicing school counselor in a comprehensive school counseling program. Placements must allow the student opportunities to counsel students in academic, social/emotional, and career-related development. Practicum and Internship consist of 700 hours of documented field related experience, of which a cumulative 280 hours of face-to-face counseling is required.

COUN 442 Practicum: Group Supervision in School Counseling is a 100-hour, field-based experience requiring a minimum of 40 hours of direct contact with clients. COUN 462 Internship I: School Counseling and COUN 472 Internship II: School Counseling, together, consist of a 600-hour, field-based experience requiring a minimum of 240 hours of clinical contact with clients. A passing score on the #235 School Content Test is required before beginning Practicum.

All Counselor Education students are required to pass a comprehensive departmental proficiency examination (DPE) prior to graduation. This exam is offered annually in February, June and October. See Calendar for specific dates. To be eligible to take the DPE, SC students must have completed: COUN 401, COUN 402, COUN 403, COUN 404, COUN 405, COUN 406, COUN 409, COUN 410, COUN 430

Use the SC program planning guide to outline your proposed plan of study.