Master of Arts in Education: School Counseling

This course will provide an introduction and overview of basic counseling skills and interpersonal relationship concepts. Students will be introduced to theory, roles, functions, and current issues of school counseling with a focus on basic introductory skills needed by today's school counselors to work with diverse populations in educational and professional settings.

This course is designed to provide educational foundations, including human growth and development, learning theory, and academic achievement. In addition to understanding human development across the lifespan as well as factors that impede development, students will be able to identify and apply pedagogical best practices, appropriate evidence-based curriculum, classroom management strategies, and classroom lessons that meet the needs of all learners.

This course is designed to teach candidates to plan, develop, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive school counseling program and serves as an introduction to implementing the ASCA model in K-12 school systems. Candidates will use data to articulate the impact of comprehensive school counseling programs and will demonstrate the ability to design, develop, and deliver prevention & intervention programs to have a positive impact on student achievement, attendance, and discipline.

This course will provide an overview of the major theories and techniques of counseling and psychotherapy as the history, prominent figures, and current application of these theories are explored. Current best practices in school counseling in diverse settings, critical examination of major theories in the guided formation of their own personal style, and approach to school counseling will also be emphasized.

This course focuses on the development, planning, implementation, and evaluation of small groups in school counseling through the lens of theory, research, case studies, and real-world, school-based practice. Candidates will model and demonstrate essential counseling skills in group counseling to address underlying issues impeding student achievement.