Counselor Education M.Ed. with tracks in School Counseling or Clinical Mental Health Counseling

ABOUT THIS FIELD

The Master of Education (M.Ed.) program in Counselor Education requires a total of 60 semester. Students will begin in the summer semester (only) after being admitted to the program. The faculty prepares students to become School Counselors or Clinical Mental Health Counselors. At the completion of the program, students will become scholars and practitioners that make a difference in their communities by applying their knowledge and skills with compassion.

THE VALDOSTA STATE DIFFERENCE

The VSU School Counseling Program focuses on student-centered learning and provides the skills needed to excel in various career paths related to counseling. All classes are offered fully online with virtual synchronous and asynchronous components. 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

Students in both the School Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling tracks of the Counselor Education program will learn foundational skills pertaining to each area.

Students following the School Counseling track will learn to be school leaders who provide academic, social/emotional, and career knowledge and skills for students in P-16 educational settings.

Students following the Clinical Mental Health Counseling track will develop effective counseling skills and gain broad-based expertise in order to work with different populations in a variety of settings. 

PROGRAM MISSION STATEMENT 

The mission of the Valdosta State University Counselor Education Program is to educate professionals who will be leaders in the school and clinical mental health environments and who accept responsibility for removing barriers and offering equal access to services for all students and clients. The main emphasis of the Counselor Education Program is to train School Counselors and Clinical Mental Health Counselors who function as leaders in a global society. Trained counselors utilize data, advocacy, collaboration and consultation to provide counseling and services to assist students and clients from diverse backgrounds in achieving high levels of academic success, personal success, and well-being.

SPECIALIZED TRACKS

The M.Ed. in Counselor Education allows students to focus on one of two tracks: School Counseling or Clinical Mental Health Counseling. To learn about these specialized tracks, click on the links to the right.

CAREERS FOR SCHOOL COUNSELORS

• School Counselor
• Career Counselor
• Consultant for the Department of Education
• Academic Advisor 
• Mental Health Counselor
• Social Service Manager
• Admissions Counselor

CAREERS FOR CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS

• Substance Abuse Counselor
• Military Personnel Counselors
• Rehabilitation Counselors
• Family and Relationship Therapist
• Residential Counselor
• Career Counselor
• Crisis Intervention Specialist
• Youth Counselor
• In-home Therapist
• Outpatient Clinician
• Community Mental Health Worker
• Geriatric Counselor
• School Counselor

REQUIRED CORE COURSES FOR BOTH TRACKS

The followings courses are core courses that are required for students in both the School Counselor and Clinical Mental Health Counseling Programs
EDUC 5999	Professional Orientation	0
COUN 7400	Counseling Theory and Practice	3
COUN 7800	Orientation to Counseling as a Profession	3
COUN 7820	Career Counseling	3
COUN 7450	Group Counseling	3
COUN 7470	Counseling Culturally Diverse Populations	3
COUN 7900	Counseling Skills and Techniques	3
COUN 7030	Measurement and Evaluation	3
COUN 8250	Developmental Psychology	3
RSCH 7100	Research Methodology in Education	3
Total Hours		27 hours

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

• Requirements for applying and entering the program may be found by following this link.

INTERNSHIP AND EXPERIENCE 

• Students gat hands-on experience by completing a 100 hour practicum and two 300 hour internships