2026-2027 Academic Catalog
GradPsych3

School Psychology and Counselor Education, School Counseling Concentration, M.Ed./Ed.S.

Program Director: Michele Kielty

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.

Licensure/Certification

This program meets the educational requirements for licensure or certification in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Please refer to the JMU Professional Licensure Program Status by Jurisdiction Index to determine if this JMU program meets the educational requirements specified by the associated licensing or certification agency in the state or territory in which you are located and other states and territories. Requirements vary by state and are subject to change. The information provided is current as of the review date indicated in the table.