Program Overview

Florida State University's School Counseling major prepares the next generation of counselors to serve the needs of all K-12 students. The delivery modality of this major is online. This major is designed as a part-time program that can be completed over three years. School counselors are very active in the lives of students, helping them create educational and career pathways for success.

Our School Counseling candidates are prepared to create, implement, and evaluate comprehensive school counseling programs. These school counseling programs advance academic achievement strategies, college/career readiness, and healthy development. Pre-service school counselors are also prepared to use data to identify student needs, use individual group, and classroom guidance approaches to foster student development, and work with families and community stakeholders. They will also gain experience working with families and community stakeholders. Our major also teaches how to use individual, group, and classroom guidance approaches to foster student development.

Students need access to professional school counselors. Students may face challenges not just at school, but also personal issues and struggles in their home life. Moreover, students may encounter barriers to learning and development. However, graduates of our school counseling major can improve these outcomes and help close achievement and opportunity gaps.

Our School Counseling major is fully accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Graduates of Florida State’s School Counseling major will earn both a master’s and specialist degree upon completion of the major. Students in the major will enjoy close mentorship from faculty members and the resources of a major university.

Faculty

Admission Requirements

Admission to graduate study is a two-fold evaluation process. The Office of Admissions determines eligibility for admission to the University, and the academic department, program, or college determines admissibility to the degree program. University graduate admissions requirements are found at https://gradschool.fsu.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions.

In order to meet minimum University and Department admission requirements, an applicant must have:

  • A bachelor’s degree with at least a 3.0 GPA – An earned bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution, or a comparable degree from an international institution, with a minimum 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) grade point average (GPA) in all coursework attempted while registered as an upper-division undergraduate student working towards a bachelor’s degree.
  • GRE test scores – The GRE is waived for admission to the MS/EdS program.
  • Language proficiency test (international students only) – FSU accepts scores from TOEFL (minimum 80), IELTS (minimum 6.5), MELAB (minimum 77), Cambridge C1 Advanced Level (minimum 180), and Michigan Language Assessment (minimum 55).
  • Transcripts – Applicants must submit an official transcript from each college and/or university attended. Transcripts should be sent to the Office of Graduate Admissions electronically at graduateadmissions@fsu.edu or via mail in a sealed envelope:

    Florida State University
    Office of Graduate Admissions
    314 Westcott Building
    P.O. Box 3061410
    Tallahassee, FL 32306-1410

  • Applicants who studied at International Institutes: Florida State University requires a course-by-course credential evaluation for all applicants that have degrees from a non-U.S. institution. International and domestic applicants with degrees earned from international institutions must submit their official transcripts through a NACES approved evaluator for transcripts from a non-U.S. institution. SpanTran has created a custom application for Florida State University that will make sure you select the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate. See the “Transcript Requirement” section on The Graduate School website, https://gradschool.fsu.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions, for detailed information on University transcript requirements for graduate admission.

For this program, the following supporting documents must be to the Admissions Application Portal:

  • Personal Statement (1 required) – The personal statement should describe your purpose for pursuing a degree, qualifications, and long-term career goals and should be no more than 3 pages in length.
  • Letters of Recommendation (3 required)
    • Letters of recommendation should be written by persons who are in a position to comment on the likelihood of your success within the department.
  • Resume/Curriculum Vitae (1 required)
  • Unofficial Transcripts – Include transcripts from all colleges attended. Uploading a copy will expedite the review process, though you must still send official copies to the Office of Admissions.
Application Deadlines

Fall admission: March 1st

How to Apply

Apply Now

Apply Now- International Students

Course/Degree Requirements

School Counseling Plan of Study

Counseling and Human Systems Student Handbook (pending)

Counseling and Human Systems Practicum and Internship Handbook (pending)

Tuition & Aid

Information about tuition and fees at Florida State is available here. You can learn more about the scholarship and aid opportunities for Anne's College students here.

Contact(s)
Career Opportunities

There is a large demand for school counselors and many schools are looking to add more school counselor positions. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be a 12.6% growth in the school counseling field through 2026, which translates into 35,700 new jobs. School counselors across the nation make $60,160 on average. Completion of this program allows graduates to be eligible for a Florida Educator’s Professional Certificate in School Counseling. Licensure is not guaranteed in states outside of Florida. Please research licensure and requirements in other states to determine if the program meets your needs. 

Counselor Education Information

The School Counseling major at Florida State University is one of three counseling majors that are CACREP accredited. The School Counseling major is approved by the Florida Department of Education.

  • Career Counseling Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  • Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  • School Counseling

Together our three majors create our Counselor Education degree program which share a common mission and objectives in training counselors across specialized practice areas.

COUNSELOR EDUCATION MISSION AND OBJECTIVES

Mission

The mission of the Counselor Education major at Florida State University is to prepare candidates to become professional counselors. Upon completion of the major, graduates will be able to (1) integrate current research with established theoretical foundations to serve all communities; (2) demonstrate awareness, reflection, and respect for all the populations that they serve, and finally (3) demonstrate professional dispositions of ethical practice, commitment to learning, and professional growth. Graduates serve as professional counselors who lead and advocate in their communities and their practice specialization: Career Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, or School Counseling.

Program Objectives

  1. Counselor Education candidates will be grounded in counselor identity domains of wellness, development, prevention and early intervention.
  2. Counselor Education candidates will successfully demonstrate professional dispositions:
    • Ethical decision-making and professional boundaries
    • Respect for different experiences
    • Commitment to learning and professional growth
    • Apply constructive feedback
    • Appropriate interpersonal skills
    • Professionalism
  3. Counselor Education candidates will demonstrate knowledge of counseling theories, apply theories to implement evidence-based techniques, and utilize data driven approaches to evaluate their counseling program and professional practices.
  4. Counselor Education candidates will co-create goals and identify appropriate interventions in an integrated manner that is based on clients’ or students’ experiences, development, and presenting needs.
  5. Counselor Education candidates will demonstrate knowledge of mental health, career development, individual and group interventions, crisis intervention, and the ecological systems that support people reaching their goals.

Specific Program Objectives for School Counseling

  1. School Counseling candidates will develop a data-driven plan to provide systemic support and developmentally appropriate curriculum that ensures academic and decreases opportunity gaps.
  2. School Counseling graduates will review school needs and create a comprehensive school counseling program that provides prevention and early interventions that support students’ academic achievement, and career and postsecondary planning.

ACCREDITATION INFORMATION

National Counseling Examination

Examination Cycle

Number Tested Nationally

National Pass Rate

Number Tested from Florida State University Counseling Programs

Program Pass Rate
Fall 2021 1275 75% 1 100%
Fall 2022 3151 79% 1 0%
Spring 2024 3960 92% 3 100%

National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination

Examination Cycle

Number Tested Nationally

National Pass Rate

Number Tested from Florida State University Counseling Programs

Program Pass Rate
Fall 2021 1869 50% 1 100%
Spring 2023 354 77% 4 100%
Spring 2024 3960 92% 2 100%