Fort Valley State University

M.S.Ed in School Counselor Education

Graduates from the School Counselor Education (MSEd) program will demonstrate knowledge, skills, technical competencies, and dispositions to function proficiently as school counselors in the 21st century. The School Counselor Education program emphasizes experiences in educational settings where our graduates will be sensitive to the context of all students. Proficient school counselors work in primary, elementary, middle, and high school settings and create an atmosphere where all students can learn. The program meets all the educational requirements for the Professional School Counselor Certificate, Level 5. By taking three courses per semester, students may complete the program in almost two years, but most students will take fewer courses and extend their programs to almost three years. The program considers students’ backgrounds and adds knowledge, skills, values, and professional practices, which will allow them to be employed in Georgia schools, to build upon their interests and experiences.
Students are admitted once a year, in May.
The graduation requirement is a cumulative grade point average of not less than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, the successful completion of the Final Written Comprehensive Examination and a passing score on the GACE examination for School Counselors.
Applications for Internship should be made one semester prior to the semester in which the student anticipates participating in the internship. Late applications may be considered for the next cohort.

Classes are held evenings and Saturdaqys at the Fort Valley State University Warner Robins Center, 151 Osigian Blvd., Warner Robins, Georgia.

Admission Requirements:

Applicants must possess an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution (in a related field to meet pre-requisites) and meet the following three standards.
1. Standardized Test Scores of 44 or 395 above on the MAT and a score of 800 or above on the GRE,
2. Cumulative GPA of at least 2.70 from a regionally accredited institution,
3. Submission of three letters of reference and a writing sample.
If any standard is not met, it is possible the student may be accepted via fast-track admission based on a positive decision by the program coordinator or admission committee. However test scores for a student accepted in this way must be in before the completion of the first 9 hours of graduate classes, and the student may not earn a grade point average of lower than 3.0 or the admission will be withdrawn and financial aid will be discontinued.
Students’ writing and reading proficiency will be assessed in Graduate Studies Orientation, and students in need of greater proficiency will be retested before they reach 18 hours.

Program Requirements

The School Counselor Education Program requires a minimum of 48 semester hours. The content courses are:
Pre-Cohort Requirements (6 hours)
EDUC 5503 Fundamentals of Research Design
EDSC 5033 Career Counseling
Cohort Requirements (18 hours)
EDSC 5123 Intro to School Counseling
EDSC 5143 Counseling Theories
EDSC 5223 Comprehensive School Counseling
EDSC 5373 Group Counseling
EDSC 5233 Counseling Interventions & Prevention
EDLD 5203 Foundations of Professional Ethics and School Law
Non-cohort Requirements (12 hours)
EDSC 5013 Evaluation & Testing in Education*
EDSC 5103 Human Growth & Development*
EDSC 5303 School & Family Consultation*
EDSC 5203 Counseling Diverse Populations*
Field Experience (12 hours)
EDSC 5793 School Counseling Practicum
EDUC 5793 Applied Research Practicum
EDSC 5893 School Counseling Internship I
EDSC 5993 School Counseling Internship II
*Can be taken at any time in the program and are
preferred but not required for placement in the Field
Experience.

Important Note: If students wish to receive a clear renewable certificate for school counselors, they must complete and pass GACE, state technology competency certification, and the Introduction to Exceptional Child course (EDUC 5253). The Exceptional Child is required in addition to the course work specified on this balance sheet if the student has not previously taken a course in the identification and education of children with special needs, as required by “House Bill 671.”

Internships

Three semesters of clinical field experience totaling 700 hours are required. During practicum students observe, shadow, and perform minimum tasks (100 hours) to create a service learning project. During internship students perform the actual duties of a school counselor (600 hours) under the supervision of a practicing school counselor. Students should discuss placement with their advisor. Applications for the practicum and internship should be made the semester before practicum/internship field experience begins. Students should pick up a practicum internship handbook and become familiar with its content before application is made.

The practicum/internship must be performed in a school setting under the supervision of a certified school counselor.

To be eligible to enroll in practicum and internship, students must possess a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (B Average), and they must successfully complete the Pre-Cohort and Cohort courses. EDSC 5793 (Practicum) the semester before their placement and must have faculty approval. Students must successfully complete EDSC 5893 before they are eligible to enroll in EDSC 5993. Field
experiences also are tied to other courses.

Program Chairperson

Jerry Mobley, Ph.D.
Warner Robins Center, 204
Phone: (478) 953-7754
FAX: (478) 971-4452
Email: mobleyj1@fvsu.edu

Faculty:
Jeri Crowell, EdD, NCC, LPC
Email: crowellj@fvsu.edu

Teah Moore, Ph.D.
Email: mooret@fvsu.edu