Positively impact student achievement as a school counselor
School counselors play a vital role in fostering personal, social, and academic growth, as well as career development for students of all ages. Earning a CACREP accredited Master of Science in School Counseling degree from Mercer University will prepare you to become a school counselor in public and private P–12 educational settings.
Mercer’s master’s degree in school counseling program offers:
- An expansive curriculum that will prepare you to be a competitive school counselor
- Relevant internship experience working in schools
- Preparation for Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and National Certified Counselor (NCC) licensure exams
School counseling master’s degree students must also complete the Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE) II Content Assessments for School Counseling for certification by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC). The National Counselor Examination (NCE) is necessary for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia.
Program graduates achieved a 95% first-time pass rate on the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE). Mercer students have also consistently averaged scores that are above the national average for other counseling programs.
The School Counseling program at Mercer University is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Visit our outcomes page to learn more.
Format: Blended (combination of online and on-campus) • Start Terms: January, May, August • Course Length: 16 weeks • Completion Time: 30-36 months |
Your Mercer school counseling master’s degree experience
Designed for busy and working adults
The school counseling master’s degree is offered on Mercer’s Atlanta campus, with some courses available in a blended or online format. School counseling degree students can enroll in January, May, or August. Classes meet one night per week, and courses are scheduled in 16-week terms.
Students may pursue the school counseling master’s degree on a part-time or full-time basis. Completion time is typically 30–36 months for a full-time student, though additional time may be necessary to satisfy fieldwork.
Gain experience in schools
As you progress through your school counseling master’s degree program, you will have opportunities to work in schools alongside practicing school counselors. You will complete nine credit hours of field experience, including a practicum of 100 clinical hours and an internship experience—totaling 600 hours of work in pre-K through 12 schools.
Explore school counseling master’s degree courses
The master’s degree in school counseling program will equip you to become a highly knowledgeable and effective school counselor. You will be able to conduct research and apply theoretical thinking to real schools to influence students’ growth and achievement.
Some of the courses you will take include:
- COUN 613 Social and Cultural Issues in Counseling
- COUN 631 Introduction to School Counseling
- COUN 605 Group Counseling and Group Work
- COUN 612 Counseling Theory
View school counseling master’s degree program requirements.
How a school counseling degree will influence your career
School counseling jobs are expected to grow faster than average over the next decade due to increasing P–12 student enrollments—according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the school counseling master’s program, you will master theories and practices in school counseling to help students of all ages and grade levels in various settings, including public and independent schools.
Upon graduation from the school counseling master’s degree program, you will have the skills and knowledge to stand out in your school and community as an expert counselor who can bridge theory and practice to improve the academic and personal lives of your students.
Learn more about our School Counseling program
Ready to take the next step?
Schedule your personalized admissions counseling appointment, or contact the Office of Graduate Admissions at 678.547.6417 or copa.admissions@mercer.edu for more information.
Learn from experienced faculty
When you earn your master’s degree in school counseling at Mercer, you will benefit from a highly supportive community of faculty and staff dedicated to ensuring every student’s academic and professional success.
We learn all of the theoretical knowledge we need for school counseling in the classroom, and it’s great to actually get into schools and spend time with practicing school counselors so we can learn what the profession is really like. We have the chance to take our knowledge into the world, practice, learn, and grow before we even finish the degree.
I chose the school counseling program at Mercer University because of its reputation as an excellent school counseling program within the area. I wanted a program that I could attend face-to-face rather than online and one that was geographically close enough to commute to regularly. Mercer provided all of these things within an incredible school counseling program.
I chose the School Counseling program at Mercer due to my interest in working in the education career field. As a school counselor, I'm able to have conversations, build rapport with students, and get to know them on a deeper level. I also chose Mercer University specifically because of its proximity to downtown Atlanta and access to the different school systems around Metro Atlanta.
The practicum and yearlong internship in my assigned schools significantly prepared me and drove everything home by placing me in the school environment working alongside professional school counselors, students, and other stakeholders. I gained knowledge not only from my professors’ experiences and teachings, but also learned in-action from those currently in the environment I was preparing to work in. Seeing the connections of advocacy, collaboration, crisis response, management, use of time, consulting, and more proved to be very beneficial in my preparation for a career in school counseling.
Professional licensure
All of Mercer’s programs that lead to licensure are designed to meet the educational requirements of regulatory authorities in the State of Georgia. If you intend to seek licensure or certification outside of Georgia, please review Mercer’s professional licensure disclosure for more information.
Ready to earn your master’s degree in school counseling and influence student success?
We’re here to answer your questions and help you through the application process. Schedule your personalized admissions counseling appointment or contact the Office of Graduate Admissions at 678.547.6417 or copa.admissions@mercer.edu.