School Counseling Program (Concentration)
Program Director: Dr. Michele Kielty
Admission Requirements
Minimum admission requirements for entry to the concentration in school counseling include the following:
- Completion of a baccalaureate degree with a satisfactory grade point average.
- Satisfactory scores on the general portion of the Graduate Record Examination.
- A personal statement.
- A resume.
- Three completed reference forms from individuals familiar with the student’s potential for graduate education.
- A minimum of 18 credit hours of undergraduate preparation in education, psychology or related behavioral sciences.
- A personal interview and a screening session with the program committee.
- As a part of the final admissions process, applicants must complete a criminal history check.
Mission
The school counseling program (concentration) of James Madison University is a learning community of faculty, staff and students who vary in abilities, age, class, gender, ethnicity, race, religion and sexual orientation. Coming together from a variety of geographic areas, we share a common vision of achieving a vitally important mission – training students to become successful school counselors.
Our alumni are dedicated to providing competent, caring and ethical services to diverse students in public and private schools. Putting our principles of school counseling into practice, we strive to create an academic community in which our students can thrive personally and grow professionally. While many of our graduates play vital roles in schools along Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley or among the mountains of West Virginia, many more have moved on to serve in rural, suburban and urban schools throughout the mid-Atlantic region and across the nation. We invite our students to embark on a life-long journey of exploring new possibilities, refining their skills and staying fresh throughout their careers. We encourage them to support one another in the formidable task of making a difference in students’ lives by meeting their emotional, social, educational and career development needs as licensed or certified school counselors. Finally, we challenge our graduates to advance the school counseling profession through service, research, innovation, advocacy and training.
Curriculum
The School Counseling Program requires 60 credit hours for completion of the Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree and is obtainable in two years if students begin their course work in the summer. This program enables graduates to become licensed school counselors in elementary, middle and secondary schools and is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). This intensive training experience meets the needs of our students as well as the school systems in which they will work by providing multiple experiential opportunities and school-focused supervision. Upon completion of the program, students receive both the Master of Education and the Educational Specialist degrees.
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