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Programs of study

For a complete listing of all programs of study, please visit the Graduate College Programs of Study page.

Counseling - School Counseling, Master of Education

The Educational Psychology Department designed this plan to prepare professional school counselors. It is appropriate if you are seeking the Arizona Department of Education's K-12 Guidance Counselor Certification. We offer this program at Northern Arizona University–Flagstaff and through some of our statewide offices.

This academic plan meets the coursework requirements for National Counselor Certification of the National Board for Certified Counselors.

This program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)

This program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)

Degree Info Tab Open

To receive a master’s degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete a planned group of courses from one or more subject areas, consisting of at least 30 units of graduate-level courses. (Many master’s degree programs require more than 30 units.)

You must additionally complete:
- All requirements for your specific academic plan(s). This may include a thesis.
- All graduate work with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0.
- All work toward the master’s degree must be completed within six consecutive years. The six years begins with the semester and year of admission to the program.
Read the full policy.

In addition to University Requirements:

Complete individual plan requirements.

Candidates in this program are required to demonstrate content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and skills, professional knowledge, and professional dispositions to be eligible to enter student teaching or internship placements. Content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge or skills, professional dispositions are demonstrated through candidate performance on key assessments embedded in the following course(s):

EPS 594, EPS 634, EPS 669 - School Based Crisis, EPS 692, EPS 694

Minimum Units for Completion	60
Fieldwork Experience/Internship	Required
Arizona Endorsement	Prepares student for Arizona Endorsement.
Progression Plan Link	View Program of Study
Licensure	This program may lead to licensure.

Purpose Statement

As a student in the MEd in Counseling - School Counseling program, you will take courses, engage in fieldwork, and participate in practicum and an internship that will prepare you to be a certified school counselor.

Upon obtaining your degree, you will be prepared to provide counseling services in the following areas:

human growth and development
social and cultural foundations
career and lifestyle development
research and program evaluation
professional orientation
school emergency mangement plans, and crises, disasters, and trauma

Our School Counseling faculty are leaders in the School Counseling profession across Arizona and at the national level (See Advocacy Projects and faculty bios). Our faculty are also integrally involved with the day-to-day realities of the ever-evolving profession of school counseling. The CACREP-accredited coursework is deeply informed by the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) current edition of the ASCA National Model, which stresses the modern school counselor’s integral role in all students’ academic, career and personal/social growth and development.

Student Learning Outcomes

Outcomes align with Standards from the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

Professional orientation and ethical practice - studies that provide an understanding of all of the following aspects of professional functioning.
Social and cultural diversity - studies that provide an understanding of the cultural context of relationships, issues, and trends in a multicultural society.
Human growth and development - studies that provide an understanding of the nature and needs of persons at all developmental levels and in multicultural contexts.
Career development - studies that provide an understanding of career development and related life factors.
Helping relationships - studies that provide an understanding of the counseling process in a multicultural society.
Group work - studies that provide both theoretical and experiential understandings of group purpose, development, dynamics, theories, methods, skills, and other group approaches in a multicultural society.
Assessment - studies that provide an understanding of individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation in a multicultural society.
Research and program evaluation - studies that provide an understanding of research methods, statistical analysis, needs assessment, and program evaluation.
Foundations, contextual dimensions and practice in School Counseling.

See the full list of Student Learning Outcomes

Additional Admission Requirements

Admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.

- NAU graduate online application is required for all programs. Details on admission requirements are included in the online application.
- Undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
- Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A"), or the equivalent.
- Admission to many graduate programs is on a competitive basis, and programs may have higher standards than those established by the Graduate College.
- Transcripts.
- For details on graduate admission policies, please visit the Graduate Admissions Policy.
- International applicants have additional admission requirements. Please see the International Graduate Admissions Policy.
Individual program admission requirements include:

- GRE® revised General Test for applicants with a GPA lower than 3.0.

- 3 recommendation references

- Responses to specific essay questions

- IVP Fingerprint clearance card

- Candidate Interview

Prerequisite coursework:
- EPS 525 or upper-division undergraduate Statistics course completed within the past three years.

Master's Requirements

This Master’s degree requires 60 units distributed as follows:
- Counseling – School Counseling Course Requirements: 45 units
- Select a Career Counseling course: 3 units
- School-Based Crisis course: 3 units
- Elective Coursework selected in consultation with your advisor: 3 units
- Post-Practicum Internship: 6 units
Take the following 60 units:
- EPS 590, EPS 594, EPS 601, EPS 615, EPS 617, EPS 621, EPS 622, EPS 634, EPS 660, EPS 661, EPS 670, EPS 680, EPS 688, EPS 690, EPS 692 (45 units)
- EPS 520 or EPS 620 (3 units)
- EPS 669 as School-Based Crisis (3 units)
- EPS 694 for the post-practicum internship (6 units)
- Additional elective coursework chosen in consultation with your advisor (3 units)

Additional Information

Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also take. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.

PROGRAM FEE INFORMATION

Program fees are established by the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR). A program fee of $500 per semester has been approved for this program. Program fee is waived for internship semester.

GRE®️ revised General Test – Applicants with a cumulative GPA of less than 3.0 are required to submit official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test scores on the aptitude portion (verbal and quantitative) of the GRE taken within the past six years. Applicants with a cumulative GPA higher than 3.0 have the option to submit GRE scores, if desired. GRE scores must be received by the application deadline for admission.This program was intentionally designed to lead to certification as a Standard School Counselor, PreK-12 and licensure as a professional counselor in the state of Arizona. For information regarding how the curricular requirements for this degree program align to licensure or certification requirements in other states, see https://nau.edu/compliance-and-authorization/professional-licensure-by-state/.

What Does the Program Look Like?

This 60-hour CACREP-accredited program meets the coursework requirements for the Arizona Department of Education’s K-12 Guidance Counselor Endorsement and is designed to prepare students to become effective leaders in the process of transforming school counseling under the ASCA's National Model for School Counseling Programs. The degree and certificate are also portable to most states (for a state-by-state certificate overview, please visit the American School Counselor Association state certification requirements.) As a student in the MEd in Counseling - School Counseling program, you will take courses, engage in fieldwork, and participate in practicum and internship experience that will prepare you to be a certified school counselor. Upon obtaining your degree, you will be prepared to provide counseling services in the following areas:

human growth and development
social and cultural foundations
career and lifestyle development
research and program evaluation
professional orientation

How Will This Degree Prepare Students For the Real World?

Our School Counseling faculty are leaders in the school counseling profession across Arizona and at the national level (See Advocacy Projects and faculty bios below). Our faculty are also integrally involved with the day-to-day realities of the ever-evolving profession of school counseling. The CACREP-accredited coursework that students experience at NAU is also deeply informed by the American School Counseling Association (ASCA National Model), which stresses the modern school counselor’s integral role in all students’ academic, career and personal/social growth and development.

The mission of the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredited masters programs is to prepare professional counselors who meet national standards of the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) as well as state counseling licensure or certification in their specialty area. Our programs are designed to be comprehensive in nature and to focus on the development of evidence-based counseling practice in a variety of settings and with clients from culturally diverse backgrounds.

Program and Student Learning Objectives for School Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling Programs

Programmatic Objectives:

Our Clinical Mental Health and School Counseling Programs regularly gather and “reflect input from all persons involved in the conduct of the program, including counselor education program faculty, current and former students, and personnel in cooperating agencies.”
We seek to recruit and retain students who represent the diverse population of the Southwestern U.S.

Student Learning Objectives: Successful completion of the Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and the Master of Education in School Counseling prepares students to:

Become familiar with the requirements for being a professional counselor, including the relevant research and literature pertinent to the discipline.
Become familiar with and knowledgeable about the nature and needs of individuals at all developmental levels.
Develop a thorough understanding of knowledge and competencies related to issues and trends in a multicultural and pluralistic society, and to effectively demonstrate multicultural counseling competencies.
Demonstrate effective counseling skills.
Become familiar with studies in group dynamics and to development and related life factors, and to demonstrate effective career counseling skills.
Understand major theories of career development and related life factors, and to demonstrate effective career counseling skills.
Develop an understanding of assessment processes, and to demonstrate skills in individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation.
Become familiar with research, statistics, and program evaluation as they apply to the practice of counseling.
Develop a clear sense of professional identity in counseling, which includes professional ethics, legal responsibilities, professional preparation standards, participating in professional organizations, and obtaining necessary credentials.
Acquire knowledge about counseling supervision, and to experience peer, site supervisor and faculty supervision that allow students to integrate and apply the knowledge and skills that they have acquired to practice.
Experience continuous course-related and overall program-related feedback to enhance their professional development as they become professional counselors.
Acquire knowledge and skills related to the ways that counselors use a variety of technologies designed to assist students, clients, and the systems they work within.
Acquire knowledge related to the professional identity, roles, and functions of professional counselors.
Practice ongoing assessment of one's own skills, strengths, weaknesses, professional and personal development as related to counseling professional identity, counseling ethics, and the principles of ethics of client autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, justice, and fidelity.

The MEd in Counseling - School Counseling program at Northern Arizona University is accredited by the Counseling for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Program (CACREP). Initially accredited in November 1998, our current accreditation runs through October 31, 2024.

2021-2022 Program Statistics:

Number of graduates in the past year: 7
Completion Rate: 100%
Licensure or certification examination pass rate: 83%
Job placement rate of students/graduates: 74%

Graduates of our school counseling program fulfill Arizona Department of Education requirements for immediate endorsement of their school counseling credential. Although some of these graduates take the NCE Exam to become National Certified Counselors, no exam is required to be certified as a school counselor in Arizona.

We strongly believe that counselors are best trained and mentored via frequent live, face-to-face interactions with faculty who are leaders in the field of school counseling, and via face-to-face structured quasi-counseling interactions with peers. Our courses are highly engaging and experiential, where students are required to demonstrate a wide range of counseling skills. We believe experiential engagement is the best way to foster development of personal awareness, knowledge, and skills. Although we do offer a few online/hybrid courses in the program, the vast majority of coursework involves classroom formats that are conducive to not only cutting-edge knowledge competency development, but skill-competency development as well.

GRE ONLY if your undergraduate GPA was less than 3.0GRE Statement, effective August 2017: If you have a cumulative GPA of 3.0* or higher, you are NOT required to submit official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test scores for the MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling or the MEd Counseling-School Counseling programs. If you have a cumulative GPA of less than 3.0, you are required to submit official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test scores on the aptitude portion (verbal and quantitative) of the GRE taken within the past six years. Scores, if applicable, must be received by application deadline for admission consideration.

How do I apply, and when is the application due?

The entire application process is a one-stop process. Once you click on APPLY NOW, in above right margin, all elements of the application are handled within that link!

The primary application items we will evaluate include:

The graduate school application
GPA
Application essay questions
Three professional/academic recommendation forms
Interview
GRE General Test (ONLY if your undergraduate GPA was less than 3.0)

For credit transfer and GPA policies, please visit the Graduate College website for more information about these policies.*Please note: GPA can be evaluated over the course of the entire undergraduate degree, for the last 60-credit hours of the undergraduate degree, or can include graduate credit (if applicable) as well.

Application deadlines for Educational Psychology (EPS) programs

Program	Site	Application deadlines	Semester next cohort begins
PhD Combined Counseling/School Psychology	Flagstaff	December 1 (all applications) November 15 (for those wishing to be considered for the Presidential Fellowship)	Fall 2024
PsyD Clinical Psychology	North Valley (Phoenix)	May 15, 2023; applications received by April 15, 2023 are given priority	Fall 2023
EdS School Psychology	Flagstaff	January 1, 2024	Fall 2024
EdS School Psychology	North Valley (Phoenix)	January 1, 2024	Fall 2024
MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling	Flagstaff	January 1, 2024	Fall 2024
MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling	North Valley (Phoenix)	February 15, 2024	Fall 2024
MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling	Tucson	February 15, 2024	Fall 2024
MEd Counseling - School Counseling	Flagstaff	January 1, 2024	Fall 2024
MEd Counseling - School Counseling	North Valley (Phoenix)	February 15, 2024	Fall 2024
MEd Counseling - School Counseling	Tucson	February 15, 2024	Fall 2024
MEd Counseling-Student Affairs	Flagstaff	January 1, 2023 (priority deadline) TBD (2nd deadline if available capacity)	Fall 2023
M.Ed. Human Relations	Online & All Campuses	Rolling Admission
Applied Human Behavior	Online; Glendale Community College, Mesa Community College, South Mountain Community College	Rolling Admission

Apply Now!Please note:

Completed application files are reviewed and admission decisions are made once each year.
Applications will be reviewed and admission notifications are sent to students within approximately 30 days of the deadline.
It is your responsibility to ensure that your application file is complete. Incomplete files will not be reviewed.
In Flagstaff, many students apply for graduate assistantships (GA roles). If a student secures a GA role during grad school, they typically earn a full-tuition waiver in exchange for working 20 hours per week. For additional information, please visit the Graduate College webpage.

What do our site supervisors, recent graduates and current Interns say about our Masters in Counseling programs?
Where are our students completing their Internships?
Our graduates are successfully working in their fields of study. Find out more.

Tuition costs are updated routinely by the university and posted here.The MEd School Counseling Program has a program fee that is assessed over five semesters (fall and spring each year) at $500 per semester, totaling $2500, over the three years students are in the program. The program fee has been approved by ABOR for students at our Flagstaff, Phoenix, and Tucson Campuses.The program fee covers administrative costs associated with this professional degree program. The program fee is implemented in lieu of course fees. As such, fees are more predictable for students. Program fees can be covered with financial aid. This fee allows us to better incorporate and support technology in the curriculum, provides students with current hands-on training with appropriate protocols and instruments, and allows faculty to make required site visits. This fee will strengthen our program, keep it nationally prominent and allow our students to be competitive in this rapidly changing and demanding field.