Online MA in Counseling: School Counseling Specialization
Develop a Comprehensive School Counseling Program for Students
Study Texas Education Agency (TEA) and ASCA models
School Counselor Exam Preparation
No. 19 Best Online Colleges1
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- Duration 3.5 years
- Cost per Credit $981
- Credit Hours 60
Program Benefits
- Ranked one of the Top 10 Best Online Master’s In School Counseling programs for 2023 by Forbes.2
- No on-campus residency
- Follows ASCA, national model for school counseling
- Internships and practicums provide real-world settings
Lead, Mentor, and Support Students with a Master’s in School Counseling
Build on your counseling skills with specialized knowledge to step into a professional school counselor role. Help students focus on career development and academics, and promote their social and emotional development by equipping them with tools they need to develop resiliency and emotional intelligence.
OLLU’s Master of Arts in School Counseling specialization provides coursework to teach our youth how to clarify problems, set goals, explore options, and implement change. Our master’s in school counseling teaches you how to advocate, collaborate, and consult ethically.
Graduate ready to complete the TEXES (Texas Examinations for Educator Standards) examination and earn School Counselor Certification in Texas and many other states.3
Career Outlook: Rising Demand for Skilled Counselors
School counselors serving in elementary and secondary schools earn a median salary of $63,280 and can expect strong job growth of 8 percent between 2018 and 2028.1 Your skills in career development and family counseling will also prepare you for roles such as college counselor, career counselor, junior college instructor or religious counselor.
This program supports your preparation for the School Counselor Certification in Texas and other states.*
Careers in CounselingCurriculum: Foundational Knowledge and Real-World Skills
You’ll establish foundational knowledge including history, program models and school-based collaboration — and you’ll develop a contextual understanding of the school counselor’s multifaceted role in areas like family counseling and crisis management. You’ll also explore counseling practice with program creation and evaluation, curriculum design and academic development interventions.
By adding 12 more credit hours to your program, for a total of 60, you can graduate prepared for the Licensed Professional Counselor exam in many states, including Texas.**
OLLU’s School Counseling program was ranked one of the Top 10 Best Online Master’s In School Counseling programs for 2023 by Forbes.2
Course Spotlight: COUN 6323 Professional School Counseling Services: Implementation & Evaluation
Study contemporary practices of leadership, advocacy, and accountability in the counseling profession. This course includes an in-depth study of the TEA model and the ASCA National model.
See All CoursesCourse Spotlight: COUN 8355 Child and Adolescent Counseling
Learn counseling approaches and skills appropriate to children and adolescents, including strategies to help children and adolescent clients clarify problems, set goals, explore options, and implement change.
Available Specializations
Focus your counseling degree on the area you’re passionate about with one of three specializations.
Military Student Support
Our Lady of the Lake University is proud to support you as you balance your education with your personal and military service commitments. Our online programs offer the flexibility you need to conference with faculty members, study, and access course materials from wherever your busy life takes you. We also accept a variety of military education benefits to ensure the degree program you want is within reach.
Get SupportFrequently Asked Questions
If you have a question we don’t cover here, request more information or call 855-275-1082.
- the School Counseling concentration in 3.5 years
- the Clinical Mental Health Counseling and the Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling concentrations in 3–3.5 years.
Total tuition estimates are as follows and do not include the cost of books and fees:
- School Counseling specialization, $58,860
- Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling specializations, $58,860
Our program recognizes the importance and value of CACREP accreditation for counseling programs, their graduates and the counseling profession. In preparation for submitting our self-study to the CACREP Board, we are in the process of developing, modifying and evaluating our program to meet CACREP standards. We hope to submit our self-study to the CACREP Board soon which will then begin the review process of our program by CACREP. The review process is comprehensive and lengthy, and it could be a year or more after we submit our self-study before we know the results of our application and whether or not our program is eligible for CACREP accreditation.
Yes. You can choose from the Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling, and School Counseling specializations.
The program requires 600 hours of internship experience and 100 hours of practicum experience for all specializations.
*Students who do not reside in Texas and are interested in becoming school counselors need to be familiarized with their own state requirements. Please check individual state requirements.
**NOTE: Applicants seeking licensure are encouraged to review all applicable eligibility requirements related to the respective occupational license per the Texas occupations code HB 1508.
Sources:
- No. 19 Best College offering a Master’s in School Counseling according to SR Education Group’s 2019 Best Online Colleges Guide.
- Forbes.com, Top 10 Best Online Master’s In School Counseling of 2023 https://www.forbes.com/advisor/education/best-online-school-counseling-degrees.
- Please familiarize yourself with your own state requirements if you do not reside in Texas.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2019 September 4). School and Career Counselors. Occupational Employment Statistics. Retrieved October 29, 2019, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/school-and-career-counselors.htm.