College of Education and Human Services
Counseling, MA with School Counseling Certification Preparation
School Counseling Master of Arts Degree (48 credit hour program)
Master’s Degree offered in Online and Blended formats.
Earning a Master of Arts Degree in Counseling at Lindenwood University
Emotional well-being is one of the most important keys to enjoying life and living it to the fullest. You can help others achieve this goal by earning your Master of Arts degree in counseling from Lindenwood University.
Counseling is a rewarding field that allows you to bring empathy and creativity to those struggling to cope with the challenges in their lives, including conflicts, transitions, career decisions, illness, and disability. Lindenwood’s has one of the best reputations in the area for preparing students for jobs in a wide variety of schools throughout the St. Louis region.
We make it easy for you to fit graduate school into your busy schedule by offering our counseling classes in the evening at a host of convenient locations. You’ll get to know your professors one-on-one through our small class sizes, and all of our students get hands-on experience through countless internship opportunities in the fields of professional and school counseling. At Lindenwood University, your future improving the lives of countless others is within reach!
School Counseling
The school counseling degree program will offer you the tools necessary to succeed as a certified school counselor working with children and young adults in a K-12 school setting. School counselors typically assist with individual academic planning, provide student counseling in the areas of academic, social emotional and post-secondary career planning. These school leaders offer consultation for educators and collaborate with parents and teachers to ensure the emotional well-being of children and youth while building a positive school culture and climate.
The school counseling degree program includes classes in human growth and development, family and school consulting, and lifestyle and career services. This track ensures that you meet the requirements for school counselor certification in the state of Missouri.
Field Placement Requirement
Students in the school counseling track are required to complete a minimum of 400 hours of supervised field placement experience. Field Placement 1 (IPC 62100) requires a minimum of 200 clock hours. Field Placement 2 (IPC 62400) requires a minimum of 200 clock hours. All field placements must be in K-12 settings under the supervision of a certified school counselor with a minimum of 3 years full-time experience as a certified school counselor. A minimum of 100 hours must be spent at an alternative grade level building. Students must have at least a 3.0 GPA to begin Field Placement 1 or Field Placement 2 and be placed at an approved K-12 site through the Office of Field and Clinical Experiences. Students are expected to earn a grade of A or B in Field Placement (IPC 62100 and IPC 62400) in order to graduate. Students will be required to repeat the course if they earn less than a B. If students take an incomplete in IPC 62100 and are unable to complete at least half the required field placement hours, they must enroll in Field Placement 2 K-12 Extension (IPC 62101) for zero credit hours to allow them to attend field placement classes while completing the required hours. If students take an incomplete in Field Placement 2, regardless of how many hours are needed, they must enroll in IPC 62401 for zero credit hours to allow them to attend field placement classes while completing the required hours. A fee of $50 will be incurred for each extension.
Exit Requirements
In order to fulfill degree requirements, each student completes IPC 60500 (Comprehensive Examination) by passing the Praxis school counselor exam. During the program, each student will also complete all state-required assessments. In addition, each student will purchase and compile an electronic portfolio demonstrating competencies as delineated by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education standards, to be completed by the end of Field Placement 2. Further information regarding exit requirements is provided in the School Counseling Handbook.
Lindenwood University Counseling Faculty
The counseling faculty at Lindenwood University are accomplished researchers and professional counselors who are dedicated to sharing their firsthand knowledge and years of experience in the field. Their smaller class sizes enable you to form meaningful mentoring relationships with them and share your own views in insightful class discussions. With connections to a multitude of counseling agencies and organizations in the area, our faculty are great at helping you find the perfect internship and introducing you to other practitioners in the field.
Program Evaluation Post-Graduate Survey
| Academic Year | 2023* |
|---|---|
| Number of Graduates | 5 (Includes Spring, Summer, and Fall Terms) |
| Number of Respondents | 4 (80%) (Includes Spring, Summer, and Fall Terms) |
| Pass Rates on CPCE | 100% (Includes Spring, Summer, and Fall Terms) |
| Job Placement Rates | Full-Time: 75% Part-Time: 25% |
| Satisfaction with Employment | 8.75 on a 10-point scale. 10 being the highest. |
| Level of Preparedness | 9.25 on a 10-point scale. 10 being the highest. |
| Least Prepared Curricular Areas | Research |
| Most Prepared Curricular Areas | Counseling Skills, Group Work, Professional Orientation, Social & Cultural Foundations** |
*Due to low n, the first group of graduates was combined between December 2022 through December 2023.
**4-way tie at highest score of 10.