The CACREP Accredited School Counseling track in the Master of Arts in Counselor Education is designed for the student planning to seek certification as a professional school counselor in pre-K through postsecondary school settings.
The CACREP Accredited School Counseling track in the Counselor Education MA program is designed for students who have a bachelor's degree in a discipline other than education and plan to seek certification as a professional school counselor in pre-K through postsecondary school settings.
As part of the program's pragmatic approach to preparing counselors, in addition to classroom studies, all students complete clinical experiences in the UCF Community Counseling and Research Center and field-based experiences in the community. The UCF Community Counseling and Research Center serves as a hub for training and research in the program, with graduate students providing counseling services to children, adolescents, and adults through the provision of individual, couples, and family therapy. The CCRC serves more than 1400 individuals, couples, and families in the central Florida community.
The Master of Arts in Counselor Education-School Counseling track is a state-approved initial teacher/educator preparation program that is subject to any change in the Florida Administrative Code (State Board of Education Rule 6A-5.066). Students enrolled in Counselor Education-School Counseling should remain in close contact with their advisor to keep informed of any programmatic changes implemented to comply with new state requirements.
The CACREP accredited School Counseling track in the Counselor Education MA program prepares students for certification as a professional school counselor. As such, students must be formally admitted to the program in order to take any program area courses. The program requires a minimum of 60 credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree, including 6 credit hours of core courses, 30 credit hours of specialization, 9 credit hours of DOE required certification courses, 9 credit hours of professional clinical experiences, and 6 credit hours of electives in either the nonthesis or thesis option.
Total Credit Hours Required: 60 Credit Hours Minimum beyond the Bachelor's Degree
Degree Requirements
Required Courses
48 Total Credits
- Core, Specialization, and DOE Certification.
Core
6 Total Credits
- Complete the following:
- EDF6155 - Lifespan Human Development and Learning (3)
- EDF6481 - Fundamentals of Graduate Research in Education (3)
Specialization
33 Total Credits
- Complete the following:
- MHS5005 - Introduction to the Counseling Profession (3)
- MHS6220 - Individual Psychoeducational Testing I (3)
- MHS6400 - Theories of Counseling and Personality (3)
- MHS6401 - Techniques of Counseling (3)
- MHS6420 - Foundations of Multicultural Counseling (3)
- MHS6500 - Group Procedures and Theories in Counseling (3)
- SDS6347 - Career Development (3)
- SDS6411 - Counseling with Children and Adolescents (3)
- SDS6620 - Coordination of Comprehensive Professional School Counseling Programs (3)
- SPS6815 - Legal and Ethical Issues in Professional School Counseling (3)
- SDS6622 - Career and College Readiness in Schools PK-12 (3)
DOE Certification
9 Total Credits
- Complete the following:
- EDG6415 - Principles of Instruction and Classroom Management (3)
- RED5147 - Developmental Reading (3)
- TSL5085 - Teaching Language Minority Students in K-12 Classrooms (3)
Elective Course
3 Total Credits
- Earn at least 3 credits from the following types of courses: One approved elective course.
Professional Clinical Experience
9 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- The clinical experiences are comprised of two sections, Practicum and Internship. Both are experiential in nature and are independent learning activities that take place in authentic settings in which students must apply, reflect on, and refine knowledge and skills acquired in the program to their work with actual clients and students. The practicum is conducted either on campus in the UCF Community Counseling and Research Center or at one of the CCRC's partner schools in the community. Internship, which is usually completed in one semester (for 6-credit hours) is conducted at various schools around central Florida. The Internship can be divided into two semesters.
- Complete the following:
- MHS6803 - Practicum in Counselor Education (3)
- Prerequisites for MHS 6803 - Practicum in Counselor Education are the following: MHS 5005, MHS 6400, MHS 6401, MHS 6500, and SPS 6815. MHS 6420 and SDS 6411 are also pre or co-requisites for MHS 6803. A minimum of 27 credit hours are required prior to beginning the practicum.
- Earn at least 6 credits from the following:
- SDS6947 - Internship in Professional School Counseling (1 - 6)
- The prerequisites for SDS 6947 - Internship in Professional School Counseling include SDS 6620 and earning a "B" or better in MHS 6803.
Grand Total Credits: 60
Application Requirements
For information on general UCF graduate admissions requirements that apply to all prospective students, please visit the Admissions section of the Graduate Catalog. Applicants must apply online. All requested materials must be submitted by the established deadline.
In addition to the general UCF graduate application requirements, applicants to this program must provide:
- One official transcript (in a sealed envelope) from each college/university attended.
- Official, competitive GRE score taken in the last five years.
- Three letters of recommendation.
- Résumé.
- Goal statement (see the Program website for additional information about the Goal statement).
The Master's of Arts in Counselor Education - School Counseling track can accommodate only a limited number of students; therefore, there is a possibility of being denied admission even when all criteria are met.
The College of Community Innovation and Education reserves the right to refuse student entrance or terminate a student after admission to the Counselor Education Program, if in the judgment of the faculty the student demonstrates unacceptable personal fitness to work in the counseling field with children, youth, and/or adults.
A formal interview is required and will be scheduled after the program admission requirements are met. The interview dates are posted on the Counselor Education Program website. Upon admittance, it is required that students attend the program orientation session that occurs on the Thursday before classes begin in the semester to which the student applied.
Financial Information
Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see the College of Graduate Studies Funding website, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.
Fellowship Information
Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit to highly qualified students. They are paid to students through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, based on instructions provided by the College of Graduate Studies. Fellowships are given to support a student's graduate study and do not have a work obligation. For more information, see UCF Graduate Fellowships, which includes descriptions of university fellowships and what you should do to be considered for a fellowship.
