Additional Counselor Education, Higher Education, and Educational Psychology Bulletin Information
School Counseling Graduate Program (CEEP)
Offered through the Department of Counselor Education, Higher Education, and Educational Psychology
in the College of Education
A253 Education Building
Phone: 320.308.3131
Fax: 320.308.4082
Department Chairperson: Dr. Steve Hoover
Department Secretary: Ms. Lora Muggli
Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Bill Lepkowski
Graduate Faculty: Downing, Hoover, Hotz, Jensen, Kuhlman, Lepkowski, Macari, Mayhew, Murphy, Parault, T. Peterson, Renn, Wilson
Accreditation Specific to the Program
- Council for Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
The Profession
School counselors work in K-12 educational settings to assist with the educational, vocations, personal, and social development of all students. In carrying out their responsibilities, school counselors work with students, parents, teachers, school personnel and community agencies.
Degrees and Plans Offered
- Master of Science in School Counseling: Plan A (Thesis) at 58 credits
- Master of Science in School Counseling: Plan B (Starred Paper) at 52 credits
Mission Statement
The general purpose of the School Counseling Program in the Department of Counselor Education, Higher Education, and Educational Psychology is to educate students in the areas of school counseling, developmental guidance, and related psychological/educational services. Students develop the professional understanding, knowledge, attitude, and skills needed to assist individuals and groups in a multicultural, democratic society to achieve their maximum level of independence and functioning. The School Counseling Program embraces a developmental philosophy in preparing students to provide counseling and related services in a pluralistic society. The philosophical framework encompasses enhancing personal growth and development; creating awareness of self in relation to society; developing an identity as a professional school counselor; and attaining the knowledge and skills to counsel effectively with diverse populations.
Employers
The job outlook is excellent for school counselors in K-12 educational settings. Counselors will be required each year to replace those leaving the profession due to retirement and new positions are being created to respond to emerging issues in schools.
Admission Deadlines Specific to the Program
- Fall semester – March 1 for spring interview to be admitted for fall semester.
- Fall semester – June 15 for summer interview to be admitted for fall semester if program openings remain.
- Spring semester – Not available.
Admission Requirements Specific to the Program
To be considered for admission, the applicant must complete the admission procedure. In addition, the student must complete the following department requirements:
- Complete a personal data form obtained from the Department of Counselor Education, Higher Education, and Educational Psychology.
- Successfully complete a personal interview with representatives of the profession, advanced students in the program and the counseling faculty. An interview is required and is held in April. If program openings remain a second round of interviews will be held in July.
- Careful attention will be given to previous work experience, academic background, scholarship, emotional maturity, interpersonal skills and commitment to the counseling profession. Previous experience working with children and adolescents and previous school experience is most heavily weighted in the admission process.
- For the specific interview dates and an appointment, contact the departmental secretary. If attendance at an interview is totally impractical, the program coordinator may designate an alternate method.
- Admission decisions are not made throughout the year. Decisions are made only following the two interview schedules.
- Admission is competitive and selection is based on an evaluation of all factors.
Length of Program — Measured by Semesters
- Part-time student: six to eight semesters taking six credits per semester.
- Full-time student: four semesters and one summer taking 12 credits per semester.
- Course work includes both day and evening classes.
Part-time Student — Program Requirements
As a department, we understand that many part-time students may prefer to complete their graduate studies while continuing concurrent employment. However, some daytime hours are required in order to complete the program, especially for practicum and internship experiences.
Following admission to graduate studies, all part-time students must complete a minimum of nine graduate semester credits per year of course work, approved by their adviser, in order to maintain candidacy in the counseling program. Students must complete the pre-practicum core courses early in the program of studies.
Graduate Assistantship Overview
- Generally 10 to 12 graduate assistantship positions are available both fall and spring semesters.
- Graduate assistants work 10 hours per week with a faculty member on administration, course or research projects.
- Graduate assistantships require full-time student status.
- An application must be submitted to the department chairperson. It is recommended that applicants for department graduate assistantships meet the March 1 deadline.
- In addition, all applicants for department assistantships are required to contact the Office of Scholarship and Financial Aid to determine eligibility and apply for a federal work-study assistantship.
Required Orientation Program
All new students (both part-time and full-time) must attend the fall semester orientation meeting held early in fall semester. (See the department secretary for details.)
Advisement
Each new student will be assigned an adviser shortly after they are admitted. Part-time students will need to plan their schedules with their advisers. New full-time students have their first semester planned by the program. Information on a full-time course schedule will be sent to you.
Double Emphasis
A student may wish to complete a double emphasis to facilitate greater employability. The second emphasis must be completed with a minimum of 10 semester credits which are not included in the first emphasis program.
The Pre-practicum Core Courses
All counseling emphases include a common core of course work prerequisite to the supervised counseling practicum experience.
CEEP 619. Professional Orientation and Ethics, 3 credits
CEEP 651. Counseling Theories, 3 credits
CEEP 658. Multicultural Counseling, 3 credits
CEEP 665. Measurement Techniques, 3 credits
CEEP 667. Career Development, 3 credits
CEEP 668. Counseling Procedures, 3 credits
Supervised Counseling Practicum
This experience follows the pre-practicum core courses and provides for the application of theories and techniques to counseling experience. Each part-time student must apply in writing to their program coordinator for placement in a counseling practicum at least nine months before beginning the practicum. Late applications might not be admitted. This may result in delayed internship and graduation.
Candidacy
Admission to graduate study does not constitute candidacy for a degree. Rather, a student who has been admitted to graduate study is advanced to degree candidacy upon the recommendation of the school counseling faculty. Advancement to degree candidacy requires that the candidate must:
- Have completed between 12 and 24 semester hours of graduate study at St. Cloud State University with a minimum grade point average of 3.0.
- Have submitted to their adviser one completed program form signed by the student.
- Have clearly demonstrated the aptitude and ability to pursue graduate work and exhibited a commitment to counseling as a profession.
- Have demonstrated potential for a successful career in the field of counseling.
Admission to degree candidacy is not an automatic process, but rather the advancement to candidacy is approved by all program faculty only after careful evaluation of all pertinent factors. Proposed program of study forms may be obtained from the department secretary, Room A253 of the Education Building. Note that it is important to have blue program forms submitted before completing an internship placement request form. (See the section below.)
Academic Review and Retention Policy
The School Counseling Program faculty meet regularly to discuss the progress of students in the program. The following elements are reviewed: academic progress and promise; counseling skills acquisition and development; personality traits or personal issues that may be interfering with progress in the program; legal and ethical issues. In the event that there is a faculty concern about a student regarding any of these areas, a faculty member will meet with the student to discuss necessary remediation and steps to take toward improvement or to offer assistance to the student in finding a more suitable field of study. While there was preliminary evaluation of a prospective student's suitability for counseling at the time of admission, evaluation also occurs throughout a student's course of study. During the pre-practicum core, course evaluations are made by faculty as to whether students have developed the skills and personal characteristics necessary to proceed to practicum. During practicum, regular evaluations are made by faculty to determine whether the student is prepared to proceed to internship or whether the practicum experiences needs to be repeated or other assistance is necessary to continue in the program. During the internship, regular assessments are made by the site supervisor documenting the pre-professional progress and readiness for recommendation for graduation and licensure.
Supervised Counseling Internship
This experience follows the counseling practicum and is a final capstone experience which will provide counseling experience in a work setting. School counseling students must complete a 600-hour internship. School counseling students must have all courses required for the master's degree except CEEP 654, Guidance for Special Needs and CEEP 681, Practice in Small Group Process before beginning an internship. The candidate must apply in writing to the internship coordinator by completing an internship placement request form before February 15 for all placements during the following academic year. This means a minimum of seven months before beginning an internship. (See department secretary for details.)
Final Comprehensive Evaluation (Plans A and B)
All students are required to complete a final written comprehensive examination.
To be eligible for evaluation, the candidate must complete the procedures outlined earlier in this bulletin under "Graduate Study Options and Requirements — Final evaluation procedures" during the final semester of study.
Deadline for application to take the comprehensive examination for each semester is the second Friday of that semester (sign up with the departmental secretary). Examinations are given on the nearest Friday to midpoint of the semester. (The midpoint is indicated in the University calendar as the date the second half of the semester begins.) Confirm examination date with departmental secretary.
The Curriculum
The following program reflects the curriculum available at the time the bulletin was printed but does not necessarily represent the requirements at the time an applicant applies for a program. It should be noted that additions, deletions, or changes may have been approved through the curriculum process after the printing of this bulletin, and it is the responsibility of the applicant to check on changes that affect her/his program.
Master of Science — Counseling Psychology: School Counseling
The following program meets the current requirements of the Minnesota State Department of Education for licensure as a K-12 school counselor. Requirements are subject to change. The counseling psychology faculty may require additional credits to overcome deficits.
Plan A, 58 credits; Plan B, 52 credits
Research courses
Plan A, 12 credit minimum
- CEEP 675. Research Methods, 3 credits
- CEEP 678. Introduction to Graduate Statistics, 3 credits
- CEEP 699. Thesis, 6 credits
Plan, B, 6 credit minimum
- CEEP 675. Research Methods, 3 credits
- CEEP 678. Introduction to Graduate Statistics, 3 credits
Core courses
Plan A and Plan B, 46 credits minimum
- CEEP 619. Professional Orientation and Ethics, 3 credits
- CEEP 651. Counseling Theories, 3 credits
- CEEP 654. Guidance for Special Needs, 3 credits
- CEEP 658. Multicultural Counseling, 3 credits
- CEEP 665. Measurement Techniques, 3 credits
- CEEP 666. Group Process and Dynamics, 3 credits
- CEEP 667. Career Development, 3 credits
- CEEP 668. Counseling Procedures, 3 credits
- CEEP 669. Counseling Practicum, 4 credits
- CEEP 670. Developmental Guidance Programs and Procedures, 3 credits
- CEEP 672. Family, School and Organizational Partnerships, 3 credits
- CEEP 681. Practice in Small Group Process, 3 credits
- CEEP 696. Supervised Internship, Minimum 6 credits
Choose one
- PSY 640. Advanced Developmental Psychology, 3 credits
- CEEP 530. Seminar: Individual and Family Development, 3 credits
Students with full-time experience in a school counseling setting may substitute some courses with consent of adviser. Departmental approval is given only for those courses in which the experienced student demonstrates the competencies encompassed in the courses for which substitution is requested.
Licensure Requirements for those without a Teaching License
Students without a teaching license
Students who do not hold a current Minnesota teaching license must complete the following courses in addition to the school counseling masters degree program in order to be licensed as a school counselor in Minnesota:
- CEEP 361. Introduction to Educational Psychology, 3 credits
- ED 647. Curriculum Development and Assessment, 3 credits
- HURL 497/597. Human Relations for Teachers I, 3 credits
- Co-requisite HURL 498/598. Human Relations for Teachers II, 1 credit
Students must complete two of the three courses (CEEP 361, ED 647, HURL 497 & 498) prior to beginning the second semester of their internship experience. The third course must then be completed prior to beginning the second semester of their internship. Student who do not meet these requirements will not be allowed to enroll for internship credits. Incoming students (especially full-time) should consider this in planning their programs of study, potentially beginning these courses in the summer prior to fall enrollment.
School Counseling Certificate Program
Individuals already possessing a master's degree in counseling, psychology, human development, education, special education, social work, or any other mental health field at another institution may qualify for licensure certificate program status. This program requires students to complete the equivalent of our degree program through transfer courses and courses taken at St. Cloud State University. Specified courses must be taken from SCSU. Contact the school counseling program coordinator for further information.
