Counselor Education (MEd)

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Master of Education - Counselor Education

The University of Virginia offers a professional training program for future counselors who will specialize in working in preK-12 schools. It is designed to prepare students with culturally competent knowledge and skills required to practice effectively and ethically as professional school counselors. The school counseling program meets the academic and internship requirements established by the Commonwealth of Virginia State Department of Education for licensure as preK-12 school counselors.

The program is committed to excellence in training with regard to culture, diversity, equity, inclusion, and advocacy for social justice. Throughout all coursework, students are challenged to focus on understanding cultural contexts in which they and their students operate and to focus on the inequities in society that may create barriers to opportunities for growth, education, and achievement. In addition to examining barriers, students learn ways in which they can become agents of change, working at a systems level as well as directly with students and families.

Required Courses

Total number of credits required

The M.Ed. program requires 58 credits of coursework at the 5000-level or higher.

Required Core Courses

All masters students in counseling are required to take the following courses. Courses marked with an asterisk represent course content related to CACREP’s eight foundational areas.

Practicum

EDHS 8290 - Counselor Education Master’s Practicum 3

Internship

EDHS 8390 - Internship in Professional School Counseling 6 (2 semesters for a total of 12 credits)

Culminating Experience

Comprehensive Portfolio

Other Specific Program Requirements

Students are required to complete a 100-hour practicum and a 600-hour Internship in public schools. Students must complete a counseling field experience in both elementary (pre-K through 6) and middle/secondary (7-12) school settings.

Public Professional Licensure Disclosure

As a member of the State Authorizations Reciprocity Agreement, the University of Virginia (UVA) is authorized to provide curriculum in a distance learning environment to students located in all states in the United States except for California. (34 CFR 668.43(a)(6)& 34 CFR 668.72(n)).

Upon completion of the Master of Education in Counselor Education at the UVA School of Education and Human Development, graduates may be eligible for initial professional licensure in another U.S. state by applying to the licensing board or agency in that state.

Please visit the University’s state authorization web pages to make an informed decision regarding which states’ educational requirements for initial licensure are met by this program. (668.43(a)(5) (v)(A) - (C))

Enrolled students who change their current (or mailing) address to a state other than Virginia should update this information immediately in the Student Information System as it may impact their ability to complete internship, practicum, or clinical hours, use Title IV funds, or meet licensure or certification requirements in the new state. (34 CFR 668.402).