School Counseling, M.A.

All school counseling students must complete a 100-hour practicum and a 700-hour internship as part of the Master’s Degree in School Counseling. The internship is a part-time experience (three days a week) covering the 10-months of the academic year in a public school.

Students who hold a Connecticut teaching certificate and have a minimum of 30 months classroom teaching experience have the option to complete the 700-hour internship in a single semester.

School counselors in the state of Connecticut are certified by the State Department of Education. Students are approved for certification upon completion of their master’s program in school counseling.

School counseling students can also qualify for licensure as a professional counselor by completing the two-semester clinical mental health internship.

For further details contact the School Counseling Program Director, Dr. Marte de Wilde at (860.231.5324).

The master’s degree in School Counseling requires that a student complete 60 graduate credits (as outlined below) and pass a comprehensive exam administered during the final phase of the program.

Fall Year 1

COUN 515: Ethics and an Orientation to the Counseling Profession

COUN 541: Skills and Techniques in Counseling

COUN 543: Counseling Theories

Spring Year 1

COUN 514: Multicultural Counseling

COUN 529: Crisis and Trauma Counseling

COUN 585: Advanced Counseling Skills

Summer Year 1

COUN 506: Counseling Children and Adolescents

COUN 552: Developmental Theories and Applications

Fall Year 2

COUN 531: Group Process and Dynamics

COUN 544: Mental Health Diagnosis

COUN 560: School Counseling Program Development and Implementation

Spring Year 2

COUN 516: Psychology of Exceptional Children

COUN 550: Appraisal and its Application in Counseling

COUN 566: Practicum in School Counseling

Summer Year 2

COUN 565: Counseling for Postsecondary Planning

COUN 597: Applied Research Methods for Counselors

Fall Year 3

COUN 533: Career Development and Counseling

COUN 570: Internship I

Spring Year 3

COUN 547: Substance Use and Treatment

COUN 571: Internship II (CMHC)

• Case conceptualization: Counseling students employ a holistic wellness framework and a multicultural, developmental, and ecological lens to understand diverse individuals in the context of their families and communities.
• Counseling skills: Counseling students develop empathic and collaborative working alliances with students and clients and employ theory-based, evidence-informed, and culturally responsive assessment tools and counseling techniques to support their growth.
• Social justice: Counseling students apply a social justice mindset and serve as an advocate and champion for clients and students in historically marginalized populations while promoting inclusivity- and equity-driven individual, group, and systems interventions.
• Professional skills and dispositions: Counseling students demonstrate responsible and professional behavior, application of ethical standards as delineated in the professional codes, compliance with state and federal laws, and appropriate consultation and collaboration skills with other professionals.
• Research: Students use current knowledge to inform their practice or contribute to the knowledge base of the counseling professions through innovation and research.
• Self of the counselor: Students practice self-reflection, self-care, and cultural humility to support healthy and effective professional counseling relationships.
• Data-driven practice: Students empower P-12 students and their families for academic, social, emotional, college and career success through the design, implementation, and evaluation of data-driven comprehensive counseling services in elementary, middle, and high schools.

• Focuses on the wide range of issues that confront students, teachers, and parents across the full span of the school years (K-12)
• Prepares to assist all students with the types of challenges they face as they grow and develop
• Facilitates self-understanding and development through individual and small group activities across a variety of educational domains that pertain to counseling practice

Vital Statistics 2023