School Counselor Education (Educational Specialist)

nurturing healthy minds FOR the FUTURE

Gain advanced knowledge, skills, technical competencies, and dispositions to function proficiently as school counselors in the 21st century.

Graduates from the School Counselor Education Specialist (Ed.S.) program refine the knowledge and skills they already possess as practicing school counselors.

The program meets all the educational requirements for the Professional School Counselor Certificate, Level 6. The program considers candidates’ backgrounds and adds knowledge, skills, values, and professional practices, allowing them to be leaders in Georgia schools and build upon their interests and experiences. The 2019-2020 Annual Report on the School Counselor Education Department can be accessed at this link.

The Ed.S. program emphasizes developing clinical skills that may be used in the school setting or applied in other community settings, such as mental health agencies or marriage and family therapy clinics. While working on clinical skills, candidates will be encouraged to pursue the associate professional counselor license. Coursework in the Ed.S. program focuses on applying knowledge in the candidates’ professional settings. Candidates will target areas for improvement and/or research in their current work settings, institute projects and plans, and summarize findings.

The program is administered through the College of Education.

Program Requirements

The School Counselor Education Specialist (Ed.S.) program requires 30 semester hours and is offered online.
An action research project is required for candidates who have not already completed an action research project for a previous graduate degree. This includes a presentation, identifying research questions, conducting research, and publishing findings in a synthesized paper. Candidates will be encouraged to submit their written projects for publication in peer-reviewed journals and to present their findings at professional conferences. Proficient school counselors work in primary, elementary, middle, and high school settings and create an atmosphere where all candidates can learn.

Course Requirements for Ed. S. Program (30 Credit Hours)

The Specialist School Counselor Education Program requires a minimum of 30 semester hours. The content courses are:

Required Courses (15 hours)

Elective Courses (15 hours)

Admission Application Requirements

• New students are admitted each year during the summer and begin with the fall semester, which begins around the first of August.
• Completed applications to the office of Graduate Studies are due by June 15. Application materials and criteria are here: Graduate Application. Please note that a School Counseling master’s degree is required for admission. Other counseling master’s degrees can utilize the FVSU master’s certification track to become eligible for S-5 certification.
• Before entering the program, students must have a renewable S-5 School Counseling Certificate in the state of Georgia.

1. A Completed Graduate Application
2. Application Processing Fee (non-refundable)
   • $20 – Domestic Applicants
   • $75 – International Applicants
3. A Professional Resume
4. A Statement of Purpose
   • The statement must be between 550-600 words. The Statement of Purpose should be in essay format and include personal characteristics/disposition, professional goals, academic background, research, work/volunteer experience and why you wish to pursue a graduate degree in the respective area.
5. Three Professional Recommendations
   • Letters of recommendation must be submitted using the FVSU Recommendation form for Graduate Admission.
6. Submit Official Transcripts from each postsecondary institution (College/University) attended showing a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75. The transcript should show all degrees and coursework, the dates awarded, and grades earned.
7. Immunization records
   • International Transcript Evaluation: Transcripts from educational institutions outside the United States must be evaluated by any current member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) (https://www.naces.org/members.html) with a course-by-course evaluation and grade point average (GPA) included. The transcript must be received directly from the evaluation service/agency.