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

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Hegis Code 0826.01

Admission Requirements

All students applying for admission to degree status are required to:

Submit a completed application and the non-refundable fee by February 1.
Submit an official transcript of an earned Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college, consisting of a minimum of 9 s.h. in psychology and/or educational psychology coursework.
A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 based on coursework from all previously attended postsecondary institutions.
Submit two professional letters of recommendation.
For those who meet the above, have a personal interview with members of the Counselor Education faculty.
Submit an essay outlining your specific academic areas of interest and your career goals. See application for details.

Our program has been designed for students matriculating full time in the fall semester. Part-time students will need to plan for additional time to complete the program as most courses are fall and spring only. CNED 596 Counseling Practicum (School Counseling) will be offered only in the spring semester. All application materials must be filed by February 1st.

Note: Students will be asked on the application form for admission as well as when applying for New York State School Counseling Certification, whether they have any prior or current felony or misdemeanor charges (other than a minor traffic violation). A yes answer to this question is not an automatic bar to admission or to placement in practicum.

An affirmative response will require that you provide official court documents regarding past or current felonies and/or misdemeanors and that you attend a review meeting of the graduate committee. See the Department Chair for guidelines. Any information that is falsified or omitted will result in denial. State regulations now require students to be fingerprinted before obtaining placement in schools.

Decisions on admission to the program are made based on all of the above 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 criteria does not guarantee acceptance.

Please refer to the program web page for current admissions requirements. Occasionally changes must be made mid-year, in which case, updates are reflected only on our website.

Degree Requirements:

Curricular Requirements:

Additional Requirements:

Select one approved elective (3 s.h.) from the following options:

Total: 48 s.h.

Notes:

Minimum GPA of 3.0.
Students must complete all degree requirements within six years and complete a minimum of 33 s.h. in residence.
A minimum grade of “B” in CNED 500 - Introduction to School Counseling 3 s.h. , CNED 541 - Counseling Techniques 3 s.h. , and CNED 560 - Group Counseling 3 s.h. is required prior to placement in CNED 596 - Counseling Practicum (School Counseling) 3 s.h. Students who do not obtain the minimum grade of “B” in the above 3 courses may file an appeal with the Student Progress and Status / Academic Policy Committee for permission to take the Comprehensive Exam.
The Comprehensive Examination must be taken after or during the completion of the courses marked by the asterisk (see Department for guidelines). Students need an overall score of 70% and 70% on each subsection as well in order to pass. Students may take the Comprehensive Exam no more than two times. Students who do not pass the Comprehensive Exam after the second try will not be able to finish the degree.
CNED 596 - Counseling Practicum (School Counseling) 3 s.h. has all 33 hours of core courses as prerequisites, and must be passed with a grade of “B” or better.
Students must attend a pre-practicum orientation meeting during the semester before they expect to enroll in this course. The Department reserves the right to determine the student’s preparation and readiness to undertake the Practicum. A student may not be permitted to enroll in CNED 596 if the Department is unable to recommend that student without reservation. Placement decisions are based on numerous factors, including both academic and person/environmental match.
Refer to the Practicum Guidelines handout available through your advisor and in the Graduate and departmental offices for specific practicum information. This handout elaborates upon time and placement issues. No one may do a practicum in the district in which they went to school or where they work or have worked in the past five years.

All College policies and procedures found in this Graduate Catalog will apply to students enrolled in this program.