Educational Psychology, Counseling and Special Education Department

Website: suny.oneonta.edu/educational-psychology-counseling-and-special-education

School Counselor (K-12), M.S. Ed.

Program purposes: The Department offers a Master of Science in Education degree, School Counselor “K-12,” which leads to New York State Provisional Certification in School Counseling.

A Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) program is available for School Counselor students pursuing graduate work beyond the Masters degree toward permanent school counselor certification.

Degree Students: In general, any graduate student who wishes to transfer credit from another institution following admission must have written prior approval from the faculty advisor. Courses must be relevant to the field of school counseling, must be from an accredited college, must appear on a college transcript, must include a minimum of 37.5 semester hours and must result in a grade of “B” or better. No more than 9 s.h. may be transferred into this program. Transfer credits must meet specific guidelines. Check with your advisor or department chair. All degree students are required to take CNED 500 - Introduction to School Counseling 3 s.h. in their first fall semester.

Note: All education programs are accredited under New York State Education Department Commissioner’s Regulations Section 52.21. SUNY Oneonta is a member in good standing of the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP). In addition, the New York State Regents have made policy changes that affect the requirements for certificate applicants starting on September 1, 2020. Students should check with their advisor concerning course or programmatic changes before matriculating into or registering for courses in these programs.

We can neither endorse for certification, nor write letters of recommendation for those students seeking independent certification through the State Education Department.

Disclosure Statement

SUNY Oneonta’s School Counseling Program complies with the American Counseling Association’s Code of Ethics 2014 (F.5,a,b,c,d).

Applicants to the school counseling program are assessed for interpersonal competence in the admission process. We will nominate for admission, only those candidates we believe demonstrate the personal/social qualities, as well as the academic qualities needed to be an outstanding counselor and who we believe have the best opportunity for impacting K-12 student success.

Beyond admission, the Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling and Special Education is ethically obligated to safeguard the school counseling profession by continuously monitoring students’ performance. Students are assessed for academic and nonacademic fitness throughout their coursework, including practical experiential courses in which performance is an essential part of a grade.

Completion of the program is dependent not only upon academic performance but also on the demonstration of appropriate professional dispositions, interpersonal skills, professional demeanor, and social and ethical judgment. Courses are designed for self-reflection and self-evaluation. Self-reflection is a continuous requirement for counseling professionals.

Students who do not demonstrate professional competencies in the aforementioned areas will be required to complete a plan of remediation. For more details see the disclosure contract and the professional competencies for counselor education program.

Dignity for All Students Act

The Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) requires that all public school employees complete 6 hours of training/coursework that addresses harassment, bullying, and discrimination prevention and intervention. Students in this program are responsible for demonstrating that they have satisfied this requirement. For students who have not completed this training during their undergraduate program, the College provides workshops to satisfy this requirement.

Special Education: Early Childhood (Birth-Grade 2), M.S. Ed.

Program purposes and outcomes: The purpose of this Special Education program is to provide certified teachers with greater understanding of the needs of exceptional students, and to master techniques to provide the most effective education program for them. This program will lead to the professional license for teachers already certified in Early Childhood Education as well as initial licenses in Special Education.

This program builds on initial skills and knowledge and further develops skills and knowledge in special education and in applying these skills and knowledge to the content area of their initial certification. The program is designed to develop professional leaders who are committed to excellence, empowerment, diversity, and the best research-based teaching methods.

To ensure quality, students must be admitted to programs before registering for courses, unless they have permission from the department chair.

No more than 9 s.h. may be transferred into this program. SPED 600 may not be transferred in. Courses with grades of “B-” through “F” are not transferable.

Special Education: Childhood (Grades 1-6), M.S. Ed.

Program purposes and outcomes: The purpose of this Special Education program is to provide certified teachers with greater understanding of the needs of exceptional students, and to master techniques to provide the most effective education program for them. This program will lead to the professional license for teachers already certified Childhood Education as well as initial licenses in Special Education.

To ensure quality, students must be admitted to programs before registering for courses, unless they have permission from the department chair.

No more than 9 s.h. may be transferred into this program. SPED 600 may not be transferred in. Courses with grades of “B-” through “F” are not transferable.

Special Education: 7-12 Generalist, M.S. Ed.

Program purposes and outcomes: The purpose of this Special Education program is to provide certified teachers with greater understanding of the needs of exceptional students, and to master techniques to provide the most effective education program for them. This program will lead to the professional license for teachers already certified Adolescence Education as well as initial licenses in Special Education.

To ensure quality, students must be admitted to programs before registering for courses, unless they have permission from the department chair.

No more than 9 s.h. may be transferred into this program. SPED 600 may not be transferred in. Courses with grades of “B-” through “F” are not transferable.

School Counselor Certificate of Advanced Study

Program purposes and philosophy: The CAS provides post-Master’s study which, when combined with the SUNY Oneonta Master of Science in Education degree (School Counselor), satisfies the 60 s.h. academic requirement (Master’s degree + CAS or related course work) of New York State for Permanent Certification in School Counseling. Two full years of professional experience as a school counselor are also required for permanent certification by New York State.

This program can be completed through part-time study. The College allows a maximum of six calendar years to complete all requirements for the program. Since the NYS Provisional Certificate is valid for 5 years, students are encouraged to complete their CAS within this time period.

National Counselor’s Exam: Courses offered in the CAS program (school counselor) may be used to fulfill part of the eligibility requirements for the National Counselor’s Exam.

In general, any students who wish to transfer credit from another college following admission must have written prior approval from their faculty advisor. Courses must be relevant to the field of school counseling, must be from an accredited college, must appear on a college transcript as a “B” or better, must include a minimum of 37.5 hours. No more than 9 s.h. may be transferred into this program. Transfer credits must meet specific guidelines. Check with advisor or department chair.

At least half of the s.h. toward the CAS program must be taken following admission to the program. For this reason students are encouraged to apply to the program in a timely fashion.

Application materials (application form, transcripts, provisional certificate) for summer and fall admission must be filed by February 1st.

Decisions on admission to the program are made based on all of the following information plus the admissions committee’s judgement about the applicant’s potential for success in the profession. Admission is competitive and meeting the minimum admission’s criteria does not guarantee acceptance.

Dignity for All Students Act

Programs

Master of Science in Education

Master of Science in Teaching

Certificate of Advanced Study

School Counselor, C.A.S.