Professional School Counseling: Master of Arts (MA)

About

The demand for licensed school counselors in North Carolina is greater than the capacity of all of the counselor education programs in the state combined. Surveys indicate this need will likely continue to increase. Students completing Appalachian’s Master of Arts degree in Professional School Counseling are prepared to design and implement comprehensive, developmental school counseling programs and carry out the functions identified by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction in the job description of school counselor.

Appalachian’s program meets the requirements for North Carolina School Counselor Licensure (K-12) and follows guidelines and standards of the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). It is one of six in North Carolina nationally accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

The program is housed in the Department of Human Development and Psychological Counseling, which has strong emphases in expressive arts, addictions, systemic multicultural counseling and family therapy.

More Information

Professional Licensure

This is a program that can lead to licensure or certification in North Carolina. Appalachian State University cannot confirm whether this program will meet the requirements for professional licensure in other states or territories.

If this applies to you, check the Professional Licensure webpage for information on licensure requirements and licensing agencies in other states. Or, you may address questions to State Authorization at App State at stateauthorization@appstate.edu or 828-262-7559.

People

Alumnus Profile: Calvin Craig IV ’19

Craig’s experience as a student in the professional school counseling program at App State has “given me the confidence and determination to be an innovator and leader in this profession.” He is now a school counselor at Swansboro High School in Swansboro, North Carolina.
Dr. Jill Van Horne and Swathi Prabhu

Courses

Graduate Bulletin and Course Catalog
- Professional School Counseling, MA

Application Essentials

Required Entrance Exam: GRE (score must be no more than 5 years old)

Required number of references to specify in the online form: 3

Supplemental Information: Resume (Required upload for application submission); HPC Department Questionnaire (upload on the Additional Information page in the online application)

Basic Conditions for Consideration of Admission: Meeting or exceeding the conditions below does NOT guarantee admission. All applications for a given entry term will be weighed based upon the number of seats available and the quality of the complete application packages. With special permission from the Graduate School, a program may admit a limited number of students with exceptional circumstances who do not meet the graduate school minimums.

Graduate School: 3.0 GPA in the last earned degree and official scores from the appropriate admission test(s), OR 2.5 GPA in the last earned degree and official scores at the 25th percentile level from the appropriate admission test(s).

Admission to Professional School Counseling: Both qualitative and quantitative aspects of applications are reviewed in comparison to the current applicant pool.

Employers

School systems across North Carolina and the southeastern U.S.
Smoky Mountain Mental Health
Daymark Mental Health
Meridian Mental Health
RHA Mental Health

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Info

Degrees

Application Deadlines

Fall Admission
July 1, priority deadline March 15

Want to learn more?

Why Appalachian?

You can expect to complete the 60 credit hours between 2 and 3 years.
98% of graduates are hired within 3 months of graduation, with 33% hired prior to graduation.
A required practicum and a required internship in the public schools provide professional work experience before graduation.
You will be dual-license eligible (NCDPI and LPCA) upon successful completion.
The program’s cohort model is the most collaborative, cohesive, comprehensive and collegial in the state.
Applicants who already hold an earned master’s degree in a counseling profession and who want to be eligible for licensing in public schools must enroll beginning in the fall semester.
All graduate programs at Appalachian have small class sizes, providing intimate classroom interaction.
The School of Graduate Studies offers scholarships, fellowships and assistantships to support eligible, full-time, degree-seeking students.

Location

On campus

Careers

Professional School Counselor
School Based Therapist
College Preparatory Counselor/Coach
University Advisor Career Counselor
Clinical Mental Health Counselor
Camp Director / Programming Director (autism, grief, outdoor programs, leadership)

Contacts

Dr. Jill Van Horne
Program Director
vanhornejw@appstate.edu
828-262-2590

Department of Human Development and Psychological Counseling

Reich College of Education

Department of Human Development and Psychological Counseling

The Department of Human Development and Psychological Counseling in Appalachian State University’s Reich College of Education is responsible for organizing and providing instructional programs in counseling and other human development functions for public schools, colleges and universities and various agencies. The department offers Master of Arts degrees in clinical mental health counseling, professional school counseling, student affairs administration and marriage and family therapy. Learn more at https://hpc.appstate.edu.

Reich College of Education
Approximately 2,400 students
- The Reich College of Education enrolls approximately 2,400 students in its bachelor’s, master’s, education specialist and doctoral degree programs. It houses five departments: Curriculum and Instruction, Family and Child Studies, Human Development and Psychological Counseling, Leadership and Educational Studies, and Reading Education and Special Education.
Teacher preparation
- Appalachian has been training quality educators for more than 100 years and is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
- Appalachian offers the largest undergraduate teacher preparation program in North Carolina, graduating about 500 teachers a year. There is at least one RCOE graduate working in every county in North Carolina.
- The Reich College of Education is recognized consistently in the annual Institution of Higher Education Performance Report by the State Board of Education.
Close ties to public schools
- The Appalachian State University Public School Partnership – which includes 125 schools in nine surrounding districts – provides sites for student teachers and interns as well as professional development opportunities for teachers.
- The Appalachian State University Academy at Middle Fork, located in Walkertown, North Carolina, serves over 300 K-5 students. The Academy provides a balanced education through the implementation of research-based practices, state-of-the-art literacy instruction, and exemplary classroom instruction and administration.
Graduate programs
- The School of Graduate Studies’ Accelerated Admission program, in which select undergraduate students can fulfill both undergraduate and graduate course requirements in their senior year toward the completion of a graduate degree program, is offered in: higher education, reading education and special education.
- Other education-related master’s degrees, graduate certificates and specialist degrees are listed on Appalachian’s School of Graduate Studies website.