Master of Science in
Counseling
with specialization in School Counseling
Program Highlights & Benefits
The program is CACREP accredited and is PSC approved in Georgia
Flexibility - 75% of courses are offered in an asynchronous format
Certified School Counselor AND Licensed Professional Counselor - This program prepares students to become certified School Counselors and in addition, students can sit for the licensed professional counselor (LPC) exam during their last semester of the program and become a licensed mental health counselor
Program can be completed within 7-10 semesters - depending on full time or part time attendance
For
The Master of Science in Counseling (MSC) degree with a specialization in School Counseling is designed for people who want to create career opportunities; to become school counselors and also expand their horizons into Clinical Mental Health counseling. Thomas University recognizes the need for Professional School Counselors and has created a program to fit an adult’s schedule.
What You Learn
The Professional School Counseling track prepares students to work with PreK-12 school-aged children by helping them reach their academic, social, personal and career goals. School counselors advocate for students’ well-being by addressing issues such as bullying, depression, learning disabilities, poor academic performance and parental issues by developing a positive and realistic path to overall wellness. School counselors develop strategies with teachers, administrators and parents to help students succeed based on student need.
How You Learn
Fully online courses are taught by doctoral level professors with years of experience and credentials in the field. Each core curriculum class maintains a cap of 1:12 faculty-to-student ratio. We are a diverse faculty and serve a diverse student population. This is a 60 credit hour program with two in-person residencies. 75% of the courses are asynchronous. Classes are offered year around: Fall, Spring and Summer semesters.
Of the 25% of courses that are synchronous, they are specifically tailored to meet the needs of the students. The group counseling course, for example meets in the evening one night per week for 10 weeks. There are usually several sections of the course being offered per semester so students can enroll in the section that offers classes at times they are free to attend.
*Field Work Requirements
Three of the synchronous courses are fieldwork courses. Practicum has 100 fieldwork hours. Internship I has 300 fieldwork hours. Internship II has 300 fieldwork hours. All fieldwork for school counselors occurs in the school system with opportunities spread across each level of K-12 school and occurs Fall and Spring semesters. We provide students with a variety of professional experiences through these 700 experiential fieldwork hours, which are completed closer to the end of the student’s degree progression. Fieldwork courses require a weekly 90-minute synchronous meeting via Teams as part of the CACREP required standards for the courses. These Teams meetings are typically scheduled in the evenings to meet student schedules. Georgia school counselors and those students opting to gain the Georgia professional standards commission (PSC) school counseling certification must take and pass the GACE test to graduate with the state certification.
Career Outcomes
Upon completion of the 60-credit hour program, all students, regardless of specialty area, are eligible to apply for licensure as professional counselors in their state. The MSC program offers all courses necessary for professional counselor licensure in every state.
The Professional School Counseling track leads to certification as a school counselor, as well as licensure as a professional counselor (LPC/LMHC).
*Examples of Career Options:
School counselors; mental health counselors in private and public agencies; work at non-profit agencies; work at marriage and family agencies; work as substance abuse counselors (with one or two more courses); run their own private practice.
Degree Requirements
The Foundational Counseling courses are comprised of 45 credit hours and are required for all students pursuing the Counseling major. All students must also complete at least one Specialization of 15 credit hours for a total of 60 credits.
| Course # | Title | Hours |
| COU 602 | Foundations and Techniques of Counseling | 3 |
| COU 657 | Substance Abuse Counseling Methods | 3 |
| COU 656 | Crisis and Trauma Counseling | 3 |
| COU 627 | Theories & Techniques of Counseling | 3 |
| COU 628 | Theories and Techniques of Group Counseling | 3 |
| COU 634 | Assessment and Testing | 3 |
| COU 670 | Psychopathology and Diagnosis | 3 |
| COU 606 | Ethics and Professional Orientation | 3 |
| COU 646 | Foundations of Career Development and Job Placement Services | 3 |
| COU 612 | Human Growth & Development | 3 |
| COU 673 | Research and Program Evaluation | 3 |
| COU 680 | Counseling Practicum (100 hours) | 3 |
| COU 681 | Counseling Internship I (300 hours) | 3 |
| COU 682 | Counseling Internship II (300 hours) | 3 |
| COU 698 | Counseling Capstone | 3 |
| Total Hours: | 45 |
Professional School Counseling Specialization (5 classes)
| Course # | Title | Hours |
| PSC 600 | Introduction to Graduate Programs | 3 |
| PSC 625 | Diversity & Exceptionality | 3 |
| PSC 624 | Collaborative Classrooms | 3 |
| PSC 611 | Counseling Children & Families | 3 |
| Take one of the following courses: | ||
| COU 671 | Abnormal Behavior | 3 |
| COU 613 | Human Sexuality (required in Fla only) | 3 |
| COU 664 | Marriage & Family (required in VA only) | 3 |
| AAC 678 | Psychopharmacology | 3 |
| Total Hours: | 15 |
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