How to Apply
Important: The button below will take you to University Admissions. Use the following advice to correctly identify your interest in this program.
- Complete the supplemental application .Send to counselingMEdApps@umsl.edu
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Request letters of reference
Provide two letters of reference. At least one of the two required letters must be from a current or former college-level instructor or from a counseling supervisor who has observed your clinical work. References should be professional acquaintances who know the candidate well. Ask your references to send a formal recommendation letter, preferably on official letterhead, directly to counselingMEdApps@umsl.edu -
Transcripts
Request that all colleges and universities you have attended send transcripts electronically to: gradadm@umsl.edu.
Application Fee: $50 for domestic applicants; $40 for international applicants
Thank you for choosing UMSL!
A 15-credit program designed for individuals who want to become professional school counselors and have already earned Master's degrees from an accredited university in other counseling specialties like clinical mental health counseling, couples and family counseling, and others.
If you already have a Master’s degree in counseling, you may be able to use your previously completed coursework and pursue school counselor certification by completing additional classes at UMSL.
This graduate certificate is designed for students who want to become professional school counselors and have already earned a Master’s degree in another counseling specialty. The goals of the Post-Graduate Certificate in School Counseling are: (a) to provide an academic program to help counselors increase their competency to design, implement, and assess comprehensive school counseling programs in K-12 settings and (b) to provide an academic pathway for counselors to pursue state school counseling certification.
The school counseling degree coordinator will act as the program director for this graduate certificate.
Admission Requirements
Requirements for admission to the Post-Graduate School Counseling Certificate program include:
- Cumulative GPA (undergraduate and graduate) of 2.75 or better on 4.0 scale and graduate GPA of 3.0 or better;
- Successful completion of a master’s degree in Counseling (e.g., Clinical Mental Health Counseling; Community Counseling; Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling; Career Counseling) from an accredited university with a minimum of 48 semester credit hours completed;
- Two letters of recommendation with at least one from a current or former college-level instructor or counseling supervisor who has observed their clinical work;
- Supplemental application with coursework review;
- Two-page personal statement explaining the applicant's personal and professional goals.
- Video role play of counseling skills with mock-client.
Certificate Requirements
Certificate students should have completed the following courses or their equivalencies from their previous counseling graduate program:
- Theories of Counseling
- Helping Relationship Skills
- Ethical and Professional Issues in Counseling
- Foundations for Multicultural Counseling
- Group Procedures in Counseling
- Career Information and Development
- Assessment and Testing
- Psychopathology or Diagnosis
- Lifespan Development
- Education Research Methods
If any of these courses were not completed, the required course will need to be completed as part of the post-graduate certificate plan of study.
Fifteen semester credit hours of graduate course work are required for the graduate certificate. Twelve of these semester credit hours must consist of the core courses. A minimum of three additional hours are to be chosen from the list of electives. All courses must be completed at UMSL.
| CORE | ||
| CNS ED 6200 | undefined | |
| CNS ED 6680 | 3 | |
| CNS ED 6280 | 1 | 3 |
| SPEC ED 6412 | 3 | |
| or ED PSY 6532 | ||
| Electives | ||
| Choose three hours from the list of courses: | 3 | |
CNS ED 6280 | ||
CNS ED 6600 | ||
CNS ED 6610 | ||
CNS ED 6630 | ||
CNS ED 6730 | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
| 1 | A 300 hour internship must be accomplished in a K-12 school site. Course-embedded Department of Elementary and Secondary Education performance assessment occurs in CNS ED 6280. Students who wish to pursue both elementary and secondary school counseling certification in Missouri will need to complete 600 hours of field experience with placements at different school levels. These students must complete another 3 credits of School Counseling Field Experience as their elective. |
Beyond completion of graduate course requirements, students will need to pass the Missouri Content Assessment (MoCA) in School Counseling and apply to the state department of education before they can be recommended by the university for elementary or secondary school counseling certification.
Emily Brown, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Emily Brown is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Education Sciences and Professional Programs. She received a BA from Wake Forest University, MA from University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and she worked as an elementary school counselor before obtaining her PhD in Counselor Education from University of Tennessee. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Nat...
Mary Edwin, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Dr. Mary Edwin is an Assistant Professor of Counselor Education in the Department of Education Sciences and Professional Programs. Prior to becoming a faculty member, Dr. Edwin served as a career counselor and an elementary and middle school counselor. Her research focuses on K-12 career development, career decision-making skills of undergraduate students, and the inf...
