Professional Counseling, School Counseling Concentration, M.Ed.

Admission Requirements

Students apply separately to the College of Graduate Studies and Professional Counseling program. Admission to the School Counseling program is not automatic for students meeting minimum admission requirements. Admissions decisions for the School Counseling Program will be made after reviewing all materials and determining the applicant’s capacity, suitability, and preparation for graduate study in this area.

Successful applicants for the Master of Education in Professional Counseling with a concentration in School Counseling typically have demonstrated the following:

1. a 3.00 or higher undergraduate grade point average (If an applicant’s GPA is lower than 3.00 then Professional Counseling faculty will consider applicant’s academic performance during the last 60 hours of his or her undergraduate program);
2. a combined Verbal + Quantitative score of 291 (current scale) or 900 (former scale) or higher on the GRE with scores on both the Verbal and Quantitative measures of the test above 146 and 140 respectively (current scale) or 400 (former scale); 
3. Three positive references on Professional Counseling recommendation form;
4. a written essay/statement of purpose on the supplemental application form in which the applicant’s reason for pursuing a master’s degree in Professional Counseling with a concentration in School Counseling is congruent with the focus/emphasis of the program;
5. resume that includes name, address, and phone number of applicant; school applicant attended and applicant’s major, minor, and grade point average; honors and awards; and employment and volunteer experiences;
6. if invited, participation in a half-day interview within the first six (6) hours of coursework (invitation based on how the applicant compares to other applicants in relation to the other requirements). The interview is conducted by Professional Counseling faculty and a practicing mental health counselor and school counselor. Applicant must receive a positive recommendation from the faculty and counselors for program admission.

Note: Meeting minimum requirements for program admission does not guarantee admission, as applicants are selected on a competitive basis.

Application Procedures

All application materials are to be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies.

Application materials for Summer/Fall admission must be submitted by March 1; October 1 is the deadline for Spring admission.

Applicant must

1. submit an application with the appropriate application fee (online at www.mtsu.edu/graduate/apply.php);
2. submit official transcripts of all previous college work;
3. submit official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE);
4. submit a current resume;
5. complete and submit a Professional Counseling Program supplemental application. This is available online at www.mtsu.edu/edu_leadership/. A copy of this application is also available in the Section XVI: Program Forms at the end of the program handbook at www.mtsu.edu/edu_leadership/professional_counseling/docs/Handbook.4.12.13.pdf;
6. submit recommendation forms that are specific to the counseling program. These are available at www.mtsu.edu/edu_leadership/ (Adobe pdf format). If possible, two of the recommendations should come from faculty who can attest to the applicant’s academic abilities. The third can come from someone who has either supervised the applicant’s work, has been a colleague, or has known him/her for at least three years (other than family).

Professional Counseling faculty will review all completed application files (all of the above) and, if minimal requirements are met, will arrange with the applicant for participation in an admissions interview in March or October. The admissions committee consists of Professional Counseling faculty members and at least one practicing mental health professional and school counselor.

Following the admissions interview, Professional Counseling faculty will make admissions decisions. The following are considered in the decision-making process:

1. input from regular, adjunct, and affiliate program faculty (if the applicant has taken or is currently taking classes);
2. input from practitioners who served on the admissions committee;
3. each applicant’s potential success in forming effective interpersonal relationships in individual and small-group contexts;
4. each applicant’s aptitude for graduate-level study, including technological competence and computer literacy;
5. each applicant’s career goals and objectives and their relevance to the program; and
6. each applicant’s openness to self-examination and personal and professional self-development.

Applicants will be formally notified of the admission decision by the College of Graduate Studies within 30 days of the admissions interview.

If accepted into the Professional Counseling program, the applicant must within two weeks notify the program coordinator of his/her intention to enter the program.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Education in Professional Counseling degree with a concentration in School Counseling requires completion of 49 semester hours. No more than 30 percent of the total degree hours may be dually listed as undergraduate/graduate hours.

Candidates must successfully complete the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (may be taken no more than twice).

Curriculum: Professional Counseling, School Counseling

 Candidate must complete 49 hours in the following course of study:

Program Notes

Students are required to complete a 100-hour practicum and two 300-hour internships in elementary and high school settings. An additional 60 hours of school experience for persons not licensed to teach are also required. Students seeking Tennessee school counseling licensure must obtain a positive recommendation from the professional counseling faculty at the end of their programs. Coursework completion is not a guarantee of the recommendation for licensure.

Candidate must

1. file a degree plan in the College of Graduate Studies prior to the completion of 21 credit hours;
2. file a Notice of Intent to Graduate form in the College of Graduate Studies within the first two weeks of the term in which the student intends to graduate.

School Counseling Candidates Seeking Tennessee School Counseling Licensure

All candidates seeking licensure as a school counselor in Tennessee must take and pass the Praxis II Specialty Area Test in School Guidance and Counseling (per State Department of Education criteria). This test is taken when the student is near the end of the master’s program.

Students who hold a master’s degree in an area other than school counseling who seek to take classes to obtain licensure as a school counselor in Tennessee must be accepted into the School Counseling program in order to do so. This admission is not automatic. Successful applicants will generally meet the same criteria as other School Counseling program applicants, as described above.

These applicants should take the following steps:

1. consult with the School Counseling program coordinator regarding what additional coursework is needed for licensure;
2. apply to the College of Graduate Studies under the category of “Addition of School Counseling License to Previous Master’s”;
3. submit all application materials, as described in Application Procedures, to the College of Graduate Studies;
4. attend the half-day interview if invited to do so.