The MEd in School Counseling program prepares students for state certification as PreK-12 school counselors. Upon completion of the program, students also meet the educational requirements for the Licensed Behavior Specialist (LBS) and the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) credentials in Pennsylvania. Please note, Pennsylvania state law requires a total of 60 graduate credits for licensure, thus an additional 12 credits must be completed to fulfill these requirements. Students can seamlessly transition to our CAGS in Professional Counseling or CAGS in Applied Behavior Analysis programs to fulfill this requirement at a discounted rate.
Completion of the program requires 16 Core Courses, including a one semester (3 credits) practicum course and two semester (6 credits) internship. Successful completion of the program requires 48 credits.
Students can complete the program in 2 years (full-time) or 3 years (part-time). Full-time and part-time tracks include summer sessions. Full-time students take 9 credits (3 classes) per semester, while part-time students take 6 credits (2 classes) per semester.
Students must meet the requirements of Pennsylvania State Law (Chapter 354) in order to be eligible for certification. Prior to certification, Chapter 354 regulations require that candidates have an overall GPA of 3.0 or a GPA of 3.0 in the last 48 credits of graduate level academic work and the successful completion of the PRAXIS II exam.
Note: There are a reduced number of required hours for practicum and internship placements for students who hold a valid Pennsylvania Department of Education School Certification (e.g. Teacher Certification).
School Counselors are trained to provide mental health services to entire school communities. Completion of Eastern's MEd in School Counseling program also prepares you to be come a Licensed Behavior Specialist and Licensed Professional Counselor, providing many career options in behavioral health and professional counseling. See where our graduates are employed here.
