Online Master’s Degrees in School Counseling
Counseling Schools Search
When you click on a sponsoring school or program advertised on our site, or fill out a form to request information from a sponsoring school, we may earn a commission. View our advertising disclosure for more details.
“I wish that people understood our role as being connectors. I wish the public would understand that we are a voice for them just as much as we are a voice for the professional educational field. We not only help our students but, for parents, we’re advocates.”
Ashley Wright, MEd, Certified School, Counselor, Gordon-Reed Elementary School (Montgomery, Texas)
As the name suggests, school counselors work in schools. They often work directly with individual students to help them cope with issues that might affect their home life, and hence their school productivity. School counseling in later years might focus on helping individual students prepare for and achieve their post-high school education and career goals.
In addition to helping individual students, school counselors also apply their training to the school as a whole, to institute policies and effective learning environments that benefit the general school population. School counseling may take place in individual or group settings in K-12 schools or universities or in any setting in which emotional development affects a person’s school and career opportunities.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2023), jobs in school counseling are projected to rise 5 percent nationally between 2022 and 2032, which is faster than the average growth rate for all occupations during the same period (3 percent).
School counselors need at least a master’s degree or significant relevant educational experience to work in that field. Achieving that degree means core coursework, specialized coursework, and several hundred hours of supervised clinical experience before being eligible for state licensure as a counselor.
Getting an online master’s degree in school counseling is a convenient way for many modern students, who may already have family life or professional career obligations, to achieve their degree and launch their careers or enhance a career they already have within a school setting.
Ask an Expert: Ashley Wright MEd, CSC, LPC, NCC – National Speaker
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Ashley Wright has been an educator for the past 16 years, and a certified school counselor and licensed professional counselor for the past six years. She is a counselor at Gordon-Reed Elementary School in Montgomery, Texas. Her experience as an elementary classroom teacher helped her to realize students were having endless challenges that dealt with home, school, and peers. She later decided to become a school counselor to fully serve and connect with students campus-wide and in her community. This move enabled her to reach more students with social-emotional support and strategies/tools to enhance their resilience and relationships.
Recently recognized as the 2022 American School Counselor of the Year Finalist and 2021 Texas School Counselor of the Year, Ashley continues as a national speaker and advocate of the profession to teach students and educators to accept diversity, increase self-esteem, build character and maintain resilience. It is her divine belief that, “Every human being has the unlimited potential to make positive change in one’s life.”
CounselingSchools.com: What is something that you wish the public understood about the field of school counseling?
Wright: I wish that people understood our role as being connectors. I wish the public would understand that we are a voice for them just as much as we are a voice for the professional educational field. We not only help our students but, for parents, we’re advocates. It is a beautiful position to be in because we have the ability and the gift to take in different expectations and figure out how we can work together. We stand in the middle, holding hands, to say, “Here’s the school setting” to help parents understand where the school is coming from.
We also understand the reality of what’s happening in the communities, and we’re able to take both sides, bridging them together to impact the kids. I find that a lot of people don’t understand what school counselors do. We still do college and career readiness, but a lot of parents forget academic development and help them develop character that is rooted in resilience. We don’t teach science, social studies, and math, but we do help with organizational skills and social-emotional skills that kids need to be aware of to continue to be successful. The social-emotional development piece is a super important part of how kids develop socially with their peers, even with their own parents, and balance the different worlds and environments that they’re constantly having to maneuver.
CounselingSchools.com: What advice would you give to someone else who was considering entering the field of school counselor?
Wright: There are three words I like to use, which are passion, purpose, and position. Know what you’re passionate about when it comes to kids and what you believe about their unlimited potential and ability to make a difference and to be whoever they want to be, and be the best version of themselves, and help them to carry traits that are going to lead them to a successful future, not only within their home but at their workplace when they get older.
When you’re looking to go into that field, you have to dig deep within yourself to figure out what you love about yourself that you can contribute to helping kids move in a positive direction. How can I incorporate my personality, my traits, my hobbies, and the things that I love the most into helping create change within the kids?
Purpose explains why you want to do it. What do you see that’s happening within campuses and our communities that need to be changed and how could you influence it? I was a teacher for nine years and I felt empowered to help the kids outside of my classroom—to help all kids everywhere. As a teacher, I could help the kids within my own classroom, but I wanted to expand myself to help kids in all classrooms and also help my other colleagues at other campuses. In my role, I’m able to do that.
And then lastly, position means thinking about what you are going to do once you get there and how you are going to get involved because you can’t do it by yourself. You want to collaborate with other people. Get involved in organizations like the American School Counselor Association, stay professionally developed, speak with different stakeholders.
Passion, purpose, and position are hugely important when you’re even thinking about “Is this the field for me?” because it will help you to understand how you can be an asset and do the work that’s needed to collaborate with others to make change happen.
Typical Admissions Requirements for Online Master’s Degrees in School Counseling
An online master’s degree in school counseling offers flexibility for students who are also working professionals.
Many schools require a graduate admissions test score as part of their admissions process. Some don’t, so that is one of the first decisions that a student has to make. Studying for and taking a GRE can add weeks or months to a student’s timeline.
Admission to a master’s program requires that a student have a bachelor’s degree, at a minimum. While, in many cases, there are no requirements for the type of bachelor’s degree that a potential master’s student can have, many programs will give more consideration to an applicant who has a degree related to or complementary to counseling or education in some way such as psychology or sociology. Volunteer experience within a school, career, or vocational setting would also be beneficial.
Typical admissions requirements for online master’s degrees in school counseling include:
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
- A minimum GPA, often 2.7 or 3.0
- Official transcripts from the student’s previous school
- An essay outlining interest in the program
- Letters of recommendation
- Resume or CV outlining relevant work and volunteer history
- A GRE, MAT, or another standardized test score, if required
- A completed official application including the above information is submitted, typically with an application fee
During a master’s degree, students will complete many hours of supervised direct experience. Licensure is different in each state. However, the general standard for licensure is completing a 60-credit hour major with two years of post-degree supervised work and passing a state licensure exam. Students should determine the requirements for licensure in the state or states they would like to practice in the future.
Courses in Online Master’s Degrees in School Counseling
Some common courses include:
- Abnormal Behavior and Psychopathology
- Advanced Group and Family Counseling
- Qualitative Methods of Research
- Human Sexuality
- Analysis of Behavioral Data
- Theories and Practice of Counseling Supervision
- Counseling Leadership and Advocacy
- Ethics and Legal Aspects of Counseling
- Research and Program Evaluation
- Grant Writing
- Introduction to Secondary School Counseling
- Introduction to Elementary/Middle School Counseling
- Multicultural Issues in Counseling and Related Fields
- Parenting and Parent Consultation
- Psychosocial Development and Disability
- Assessment in Schools
- Career Counseling and Development
- Anger Management
- Counseling Boys and Men
- Crisis Prevention
- Grief, Death, and Bereavement Counseling
- Advanced Behavior Intervention
- Psychological and Educational Measurement
- Advanced Issues in Professional School Counseling
- Substance Abuse and Society
- Current Trends and Legal Issues in Educating Special Populations
- Prevention and Intervention within Public Schools
- Theories & Strategies for Counseling School-Aged Children
- Career Development and Vocational Appraisal
- Counseling Children and Adolescents
- Counseling Applications of Lifespan Development
- Counseling Diverse Populations
- Crisis Intervention in Counseling
- Basic Methods in Education Research
- Group Processes in Counseling
- Research Design and Writing
- Supervised Practicum in School Counseling
- School Counseling Internship
Supervised Clinical Hour Requirements & Internships – Online Master’s Degrees in School Counseling
There is no national licensing or certification body for counseling education, meaning each state has its own procedures, requirements, and even levels of licensure. It is up to each state to determine its requirements for licensure and educational minimums, so it is of the utmost importance to research the standards in the state where you wish to practice to be sure that your choice of schools and programs meets their needs.
In addition to academic coursework, most online master’s programs in school counseling include supervised hands-on experiences in practicums (100 to 150 hours) and internships (600 to 700 hours). While most state requirements are similar, they are different enough that the requirements met in one state will not necessarily be valid in another.
The American School Counselor Association maintains an updated list of each state’s requirements for licensure. Alabama, for instance, requires a 100-hour practicum, including a minimum of 40 clock hours of supervised, direct service work in individual and group counseling with early childhood/elementary and secondary school students. They also require a 600-hour school-based internship.
On the other hand, Alaska has no experience requirements but requires completion of three semester-hours of Alaska studies, three semester-hours in multicultural education or cross-cultural communication, and six semester hours of credit earned within the last five years.
Connecticut, a state with more traditional experience requirements, has specific standards. They require a minimum of 30 semester-hours of credit in a planned program in school counseling services as part of (or in addition to) the master’s degree required coursework. Also, they require completion of a minimum of 36 hours of study in a special education program for gifted and talented children and special-needs children in the regular classroom. Following that, a 10-month, 700-hour minimum supervised school counseling internship is also required.
Check out the specialized requirements for credentialing within each state on the school counselor career and licensure page.
Program Accreditation for Online Master’s Degrees in School Counseling
The benefit of attending a nationally recognized college or university school counselor program is that students can be sure they are attending a program that meets certain respected educational parameters. An accredited school has comprehensive educational programs, experienced faculty members, and many student resources. Schools, school districts, and other settings that employ school counselors generally look more favorably on applicants who have graduated from a nationally recognized program.
Program accreditation for online master’s degrees in school counseling is overseen by the American School Counselors Association (ASCA) Specialized Professional Association (SPA) under the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), which was formerly known as the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Another program, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs, or CACREP, certifies counseling education programs.
CACREP standards address faculty requirements, credit-hour and internship requirements, student and faculty evaluation, and other issues. CAEP SPA standards address student knowledge only. The ASCA’s FAQs explain that while there are some similarities between the two sets of standards, the ASCA standards focus on the essential knowledge and skills necessary to be a successful school counselor. CACREP standards do not differentiate between school counselors and clinical counselors.
CAEP standards are written for different fields of teaching (e.g., elementary, special education, secondary mathematics) and for other school professionals (e.g., principals, librarians, school psychologists). To earn the ASCA national recognition, colleges/universities must be accredited by CAEP.
Another council, the Master’s in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC), accredits master’s programs that have been vetted specifically for their mental health offerings.
Featured Online Master’s in School Counseling Programs
Albany State University – College of Business, Education, and Professional Studies
Among Albany State University’s three concentration areas of its counseling education program is the 63-credit school counseling program. Applicants do not have to be certified teachers to be admitted to the program.
Students who earn a master of education in counselor education with a concentration in school counseling are eligible for Georgia T-5 Certification in School Counseling. Online students are required to complete at least 2 four-day on-campus residencies.
The school counseling concentration includes courses such as school counseling foundations; counseling children and adolescents; school counseling P-12; school counseling curriculum and program coordination (clinical mental health); and exceptional children.
- Location: Albany, Georgia
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC); Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
- Expected Time to Completion: 63 credits, two years
Bradley’s program is an online master of arts in counseling specializing in professional school counseling. This program prepares students for the National Counselor Exam and, though it is online, allows students to complete practicums locally.
To graduate with this degree, students must complete 60 credits of coursework (or 61 credit hours for non-teachers), including one practicum, two internships, and two one-week in-person residencies. The first residency will occur during the student’s first term, and the second will occur in the eighth term.
The curriculum includes courses such as theories & techniques of counseling; career counseling; professional school counseling, secondary schools; education law, advocacy, & leadership; professional school counseling, K-8; trauma crisis & grief counseling; intimate partner relationships & family counseling; and principles of group counseling.
- Location: Peoria, Illinois
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC); Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
- Expected Time to Completion: 60 credits, two years
The Department of Special Education, Rehabilitation, and Counseling in Auburn University’s College of Education offers a school counseling master of education program that is delivered both on-campus and online. This degree allows graduates to apply for a Class A Alabama professional educator certification.
The program’s 60-credit curriculum includes courses such as introduction to measurement and assessment; career development and vocational appraisal; counseling children and adolescents; introduction to counseling practice; orientation to school counsel; crisis intervention in counseling; orientation to professional counseling; foundations of school counseling; and leadership and advocacy for school counselors.
- Location: Auburn, Alabama
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC); Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP); Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
- Expected Time to Completion: 60 credits, two years
Adams State University has an online counseling education program leading to a master of arts in clinical mental health counseling or school counseling. Online program students must attend two one-week sessions on the Adams State campus twice during the program.
Completing the school counseling curriculum qualifies the student to apply for licensure as a school counselor in Colorado. Adams State University accepts students in the fall, spring, and summer.
The program’s 60-credit curriculum includes courses such as lifespan development; group counseling; couples/family/systems; assessment in counseling; foundations of addictions counseling; ethics & professional issues; creativity in counseling; foundations of school counseling; comprehensive school counseling; and professional school counseling issues.
- Location: Alamosa, Colorado
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC); Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
- Expected Time to Completion: 60 credits, two to three years
Capella’s online master of science in school counseling follows the traditional GuidedPath course of study, meaning the coursework is based on the quarter system of one to three courses per ten-week quarter (one semester-credit = 1.5 quarter-credits).
Courses are online, with two in-person residencies required. Each residency is embedded within a six-week online course. The course opens approximately three weeks before the five-day in-person residency, with two days allotted for travel. All of Capella’s core faculty hold doctorates.
Capella University’s 90-credit online MS in school counseling offers three concentration options: addiction treatment and recovery; child and adolescent counseling; and general school counseling. Courses include life planning and career development; theories of addiction treatment; interventions for substance-related and addictive disorders; child and adolescent counseling; theories and skills of play therapy; ethical and legal issues in professional counseling; and crisis assessment and intervention.
- Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC); Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP); Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
- Expected Time to Completion: 90 credits, three years
The College of William & Mary – School of Education
The College of William & Mary is the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, after Harvard University. It was founded in 1693 by King William III and Queen Mary II. William and Mary’s online counseling program offers a master of education with concentrations in clinical mental health counseling, military and veterans counseling, and school counseling.
The online MEd in counseling programs require that students participate in two on-site residencies which will take place before students begin their practicum and again before starting their internship. The two, 3-day residencies take place at William & Mary’s historic campus in Williamsburg, Virginia. Each program is 60 credits and includes a 100-hour practicum and 600 hours of an internship.
The school counseling concentration includes courses such as theories & strategies for counseling school-aged children; current trends and legal issues in educating special populations; substance abuse and society; advanced issues in professional school counseling; prevention and intervention within public schools; marriage and family counseling; techniques of counseling; and introduction to professional school counseling.
- Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC); Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP); Commission on Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
- Expected Time to Completion: 60 credits
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
The Counseling Department at PennWest University offers an online master of science degree in counseling with three separate concentration options in art therapy, clinical mental health counseling, and school counseling. The school counseling concentration prepares graduates to function as highly effective and dynamic school counselors in PK-12 settings. Graduates learn how to develop and implement developmental school counseling programs and provide counseling services and student support in school settings. Students will become familiar with the ASCA model of school counseling.
The program’s 60-credit curriculum includes courses such as ethical & legal issues in counseling; group counseling & group work; crisis and trauma counseling; professional orientation in school counseling; current issues in school counseling: evidence-based practice; child & adolescent counseling; and addictions counseling.
Graduates of this program will be eligible to become licensed as a Professional Counselor in Pennsylvania (LPC) and other states.
- Location: Edinboro, Pennsylvania
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE); Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
- Expected Time to Completion: 60 credits, three years
Emporia State University’s online master of science program in school counseling is designed for students who do not already hold a teaching license or have no teaching experience. This 60-credit CACREP-accredited program is offered completely online and classes are held both synchronously and asynchronously. Synchronous classes are offered in the early evenings to accommodate working professionals.
This 60-credit program includes courses such as assessment in schools; leadership & advocacy; counseling consultation/collaboration; ethical issues in counseling; diagnosis & treatment; counseling theories; crisis/trauma counseling; substance abuse in counseling; and multicultural counseling.
- Location: Emporia, Kansas
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC); Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP); Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
- Expected Time to Completion: 60 credits, two to three years
Liberty University offers an online master of education (M.Ed.) program in school counseling that prepares students to work as school counselors in Christian, public, and private schools. Providing specialized preparation for those seeking K-12 school counseling licensure, this program provides students with advanced psychology and counseling skills with an emphasis on techniques, ethics, evaluation, assessment, and group counseling.
This 60-credit online program requires students to complete two on-campus intensives. Requiring one full-semester practicum and two full-semester internships, the program’s curriculum includes courses such as orientation to school counseling; professional, ethical, & legal issues in school counseling; counseling techniques for school counseling; theories of school counseling; structured groups; foundations of school counseling; principles of school counseling; and crisis counseling in schools.
- Location: Lynchburg, Virginia
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC); Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP); Commission on Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
- Expected Time to Completion: 60 credits, 2.5 years
University of Denver’s Morgridge College of Education offers an online master of arts program in school counseling preparing future school counselors to advocate for adolescents and children in public, private, and charter P-12 school settings through a data-driven and comprehensive practice. Helping graduates develop a solid school counseling identity, the program teaches them how to successfully address the career, social, and academic needs of diverse students.
Students in this program will complete a 100-hour practicum and a 600-hour internship experience at a school near their community, as well as optional in-person events at the University of Denver campus. The curriculum of this 90-credit program will include courses such as counseling techniques; counseling theory; diagnosis in counseling; school counselor interventions; comprehensive school counseling programs; activity-based counseling; counseling youth & families; and roles & responsibilities of the school counselor.
- Location: Denver, Colorado
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC); Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP); Commission on Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
- Expected Time to Completion: 90 credits, two to three years
The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Counseling at Wake Forest University offers an online master of arts degree in counseling. Students can choose the path that best aligns with their goals: clinical mental health counseling or school counseling. Both programs are rooted in counseling but offer specialized focus to hone relevant skills.
The online master’s in school counseling prepares students for K-12 schools by offering clinical instruction through internship and practicum experiences, as well as advanced therapeutic techniques across eight areas: professional orientation; research and program evaluation; appraisal; career and lifestyle development; group work; helping relationships; social and cultural foundations; and human growth and development.
The program’s 60-credit curriculum includes courses such as school counseling; consultation and program development in counseling; consultation and program development in counseling; addiction counseling; counseling children; issues in school counseling; professional, ethical, & legal issues in counseling; and group procedures in counseling.
- Location: Winston-Salem, NC
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC); Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
- Expected Time to Completion: 60 credits, two years
Regent University offers an online master of arts program in school counseling, preparing students to become school counselors who can empower others with the resources and skills to transform their lives. Graduates gain solutions-focused skills for addressing specific, real-world problems teachers, families, and students face today.
Online students in this master’s degree will be required to participate in two week-long residencies. These residencies provide mentoring and networking opportunities for students and facilitate discussions with faculty.
Comprising 60 credits, the program includes courses such as orientation to the counseling profession; theories of counseling; ethics, professional orientation & legal issues in counseling; principles of school counseling; psychopathology & diagnosis; program development & evaluation for school counselors; counseling children & adolescents; assessment techniques in counseling; and school counseling leadership.
- Location: Virginia Beach, VA
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC); Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
- Expected Time to Completion: 60 credits, three years
Jobs for Those With an Online Master’s Degree in School Counseling
Jobs for those with an online master’s degree in school counseling can vary depending on the age level of the students.
School counselors who work with young children are typically more focused on ensuring academic success and personal development. School counselors who work with older students may be more focused on ensuring the requirements for graduation are met and preparing a student for their post-high school education or career path.
Elementary counselors often deal with the social challenges students may be facing. They may spend a lot of time developing programs to support the school as a whole, such as an anti-bullying program or support for LGBTQ+ students, as well as working with individual students and their parents. Elementary school counselors support teachers and consult with the school’s principal to address any systemic problems.
Middle school counselors also help students with personal, social, and academic development. They may do more to support students’ peer acceptance through groups and extracurricular activities. Middle school counselors work similarly to an elementary school counselor.
A high school counselor will also do work to support the school as a whole and individual students, but their focus may be more on preparing students for college or helping them choose and prepare for a career. They may coordinate college-campus visits and help students apply to schools for financial support.
School counselors may also work in career or technical vocational schools, helping students determine if that path is right for them. Colleges and universities also employ career counselors who do similar work.
Vanessa Salvia
WriterVanessa Salvia is an Oregon-based freelance writer and editor with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. As fun as rigorous studies in math and science were, Vanessa took an independent path and developed a prolific career covering lifestyle and healthcare topics for magazines and newspapers, important industries such as concrete construction and building waterproofing, and even hard science. You can get in touch at Sage Media and Marketing.