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.
People
Courses
Course titles and information can be found in the Graduate Bulletin.
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
Application Deadlines
- Spring: x
- Summer Session 1: 4/1 (3/15)
- Summer Session 2: 4/1 (3/15)
- Fall: 4/1 (3/15)
*See full deadline information below under Application Essentials.
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.
Method of Delivery
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