School Counseling

Overview

The Master of Arts Degree in School Counseling prepares candidates for school counseling positions in public, private, charter and faith-based schools. Graduates of the program are prepared to develop, implement, and evaluate the academic needs of children and adolescents in multicultural settings and provide individual and group counseling with an emphasis on mindsets and behaviors for student success. At the completion of the program, graduates will satisfy the academic requirements for the State of Georgia certification in School Counseling. The curriculum of this program meets the standards of preparation as set forth by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC), and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon graduation from the M.A. in School Counseling program, graduates will be able to:

1. Identify models of school counseling programs, and models of PK-12 comprehensive career development and school-based collaboration and consultation.
2. Design and evaluate school counseling curriculum, diverse classroom management strategies, and differentiated instructional strategies.
3. Advocate for comprehensive school counseling programs to be systems change agents.
4. Compare the role of counselors in school crisis and on management plans in varied school models.
5. Use consultation skills with families, postsecondary school personnel, community agencies and other referral sources to provide critical services to PK-12 students.
6. Apply skills to examine the connections of social, cultural, familial, emotional, and behavioral factors to improve academic achievement.
7. Evaluate characteristics, risk factors, and warning signs of mental health and behavioral disorders that could become barriers for school success for students in PK-12 schools.
8. Review data to determine interventions to promote postsecondary options, student achievement, and school and postsecondary transitions.