Mar 28, 2024  
2023-2024 Graduate Catalog [Current Academic Year] 
    
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School Counseling [M.A.]

Location(s): In-person/hybrid


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The School Counseling Program is a 60-semester-hour master’s degree program for teacher-certified individuals and individuals not possessing a valid Michigan teaching certificate. The program provides competencies and proficiencies for entry-level positions as school counselors in elementary, middle/junior high, secondary, and high school settings. Upon completing the graduate program, teacher-certified students can apply for the school counselor endorsement on their valid Michigan teaching certificates. Students without a valid Michigan teaching certificate can apply for K-12 school counselor licensure issued by the Michigan Department of Education. Candidates selected for this program are expected to commit to their graduate training and enroll in coursework regularly. The program includes a 600-clock-hour supervised counseling internship experience. 

This program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). This specialized accrediting body evaluates and grants accreditation to graduate-level programs in professional counseling.  The program meets the academic and internship requirements for limited licensure as a professional counselor (LLPC) in Michigan. Michigan’s academic and internship requirements for limited licensure as a professional counselor (LLPC) The Student Handbook for Counseling Programs provides information on full licensure as a professional counselor.

To be eligible for a school counseling credential from the Michigan Department of Education, the candidate must also pass the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) Test 51: School Counselor.

Program Admission


Admit Terms and Deadlines

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis; students may start the program in the Fall or Winter. See Application Deadlines.

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

For full admission, applicants must have 1) Earned a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or an equivalent degree from a non-U.S. institution, 2) a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale, or 3.0 in the last half of the undergraduate program. Conditional admission may be available to applicants not meeting minimum admission requirements.

Program Requirements

Applicants must also meet the following program requirements. Requirements may be more stringent than the minimum graduate school requirements.

  • Evidence of academic aptitude for graduate-level study that includes at least one of the following:
    • A 2.75 overall undergraduate GPA, or a 3.0 GPA in the second half of the undergraduate degree program.
    • A graduate GPA of 3.3 on a previously completed advanced degree.
    • GRE scores may be submitted as evidence of academic aptitude; scores may not be more than five years old. The student must score at the 50th percentile or above to be accepted. The applicant must meet the 2.7 minimum GPA required for graduate school admission.
    • Applicants not meeting other criteria but having acquired knowledge of the counseling field based on five years of related experience may be eligible. Students applying under this provision must contact the coordinator of advising for specific procedures before applying to the Graduate School.
  • Students without a valid Michigan teaching certificate may also be required to meet the following additional criteria:
    • Experience: Three to five years of documented work experience, most of which involves working with school‐aged (K‐12) children or adolescents. This experience may consist of paid, professional roles or structured volunteer experiences in organized work settings. Activities such as parenting, babysitting, and daycare do not qualify.
    • Previous Coursework: Nine semester hours of undergraduate social science coursework, including coursework specific to foundations of education. If this coursework has not been completed before admission to the COUN program, students must complete it within the first 12 hours of the COUN program.
  • Personal Statement A statement focusing on the applicant’s motivation and rationale for seeking admission to the specific counseling program and their background and goals related to professional studies.
  • Résumé A focused summary of program-relevant educational, career, and/or life experiences. The resume should also document all paid or unpaid work experience with school-aged youth.
  • Three Recommendations Request recommendation forms from three professional supervisors and/or supervising professors that address the applicant’s professional work quality. Applicants may request recommendation letters in addition to completing the recommendation form. Applicants are encouraged to ask recommenders to submit a recommendation letter if this could enhance their application materials. Recommendation forms and letters must come directly from your reference.

Application

Your application will be submitted using GradCAS, a Centralized Application Service (CAS) hosted by Liaison. After reviewing the admission requirements, please review the application instructions  and select the appropriate application. 

Domestic Applicants Domestic applicants are required to submit only the transcript from the institution granting their bachelor’s degree if either of the following criteria is met: 1) Lists 30 or more credit hours with an overall GPA of 3.0 or over OR 2) Lists 60 or more credit hours with an overall GPA between 2.7 and 2.99. Within the application, follow the instructions to submit an official transcript. The University may ask applicants to submit additional transcripts after applying.

International Applicants Before applying, applicants must review the international application/process deadlines at emich.edu/international as they may differ from general program requirements.

For additional information regarding the application process, please see Graduate Admissions or International Admissions.

 Admissions Process

Admission to the program is selective. The selection process is designed to assess the candidate’s suitability for graduate study and a professional career counseling career. Candidates selected are expected to make major commitments to their graduate training.

Each applicant will receive a rating on the following criteria: academic potential; the quality, extensiveness, and relevance of career/life/educational experiences relevant to the field of school counseling; professional goals/objectives; and recommendations. Based on these ratings, applicants may move to the second phase of the process.

Applicants admitted to the second phase of the admission process will be invited to campus to participate in a personal interview. They will also receive information about programs of study, faculty expectations, and related topics such as professional counselor licensure. Applicants may be asked to submit additional materials at this time. Admissions decisions will be made based on an evaluation of all materials and the interviews.

The admissions appeal procedure allows each applicant to appeal the admissions decision formally. Appeals must be based on an applicant’s perception that his/her due process rights were violated during the admissions process. The procedure is not intended for applicants who do not meet the minimum standards for admission as outlined above. An appeal must begin within five working days of the start of the semester following the admissions decision. Applicants wishing to appeal must contact the Coordinator of Advising to obtain written information regarding the appeal procedure.

Program advisors will be assigned after students have been admitted to the School Counseling Program. The advisor will assist the student in developing the program of graduate study that is required for full admission to the school counseling program. Students must meet with their advisor to develop a formal program of study before completing 12 credits toward their degree. The advisor must approve all courses and subsequent changes. Transfer credit can be used toward graduation only if it has been reviewed and accepted by the student’s advisor and is within Graduate School guidelines. The master’s degree program must be completed within a six-year period.

Department Information


Leadership & Counseling 304 Porter, 734.487.0255

Kimberly Kappler Hewitt, PhD, Department Head

Advisor Information


Devika Choudhuri, PhD, 304 Porter, 734.487.0255

Patrice Bounds, PhD, 304 Porter, 734.487.0255

Degree Requirements: 60 hours


Successful completion of the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam is required to enroll in the Counseling Practicum and to graduate from this program.

School Counseling Specialization Area: 14 hours


Cognate Course: 3 hours


With advisor approval, a student with prior Special Education experience may substitute this course with another course.

Supervised Counseling Experiences: 8 hours


Satisfy this requirement by completing four hours of practicum and four hours of internship.

Restricted Elective Courses: 2 hours


Students will select a minimum of 2 credit hours of elective coursework. Any COUN course at the 500-level or above will satisfy this requirement. 

With advisor approval, students may use courses outside of COUN courses to satisfy this requirement.

Additional Information


For more information about the program, admissions, etc., contact the department head.

Critical Graduation Information


Each graduate student is responsible for fulfilling the requirements or equivalents of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration or a subsequent catalog, including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

Master’s degree requirements must be completed within six (6) years of first enrollment in the master’s degree program.

In the event a student does not complete the master’s degree requirements within six years of the date of their original registration, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their degree in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

The following are minimum requirements for all master’s degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University. Some programs require more than the minimum in one or more areas below.

  • A master’s degree must require a minimum of 30 credit hours.
  • No more than six credits of independent study courses and no more than 12 credit hours of special topics and independent study courses combined may be applied to a graduate degree.  
  • Residency Requirement:
    • For students admitted to master’s degree programs of 36 or fewer required hours, at least 24 new graduate hours beginning the semester of acceptance and enrollment into the degree program must be earned at EMU. The remaining program requirement hours may be met through transfer or prior degree credit (EMU or elsewhere). 
    • For students admitted to master’s degree programs of 37 or more required hours, at least 30 new graduate hours beginning the semester of acceptance and enrollment into the degree program must be earned at EMU. Minimum degree hours must still be met for graduation. The remaining program requirement hours may be met through transfer or prior degree credit (EMU or elsewhere).
    • Residency and enrollment in multiple programs: Students enrolled in multiple master’s/specialist degree programs must have 24 unique credit hours in each degree program.
  • Only credits from one completed graduate certificate may be applied to a master’s or specialist degree in a relevant field of study, as determined by the Graduate School and with the approval of the degree-granting academic department, and be included in the residency hours above.
  • Students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA in all graduate-level courses taken at EMU and in their program of study to remain in good academic standing and be eligible for graduation. Students do not need to be registered for classes during the semester of graduation.
  • The Graduate School does not permit the use of undergraduate courses (499 and below) to meet degree requirements on graduate programs of study.
  • Some master’s programs require a thesis; others require a special project or internship; others require students to pass a final exam. See the Graduate School website for Thesis and Dissertation Manuals, all forms, and information about research and human subject approval. Every completed thesis or dissertation must be submitted to Digital Commons. Any form of graduate student work submitted to Digital Commons must first be approved by a faculty advisor and the Graduate School.

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