The program of study described below is required for recommendation for certification as a school counselor in the state of Illinois.
Requirements
Core Curriculum
| IPC 51000 | Foundations of School Counseling | 3 |
| IPC 51200 | Ethics and Professional Issues | 3 |
| IPC 51300 | Principles of School Counseling | 3 |
| IPC 51302 | Foliotek Seminar, Illinois School Counseling Program (0) | 0 |
| IPC 52100 | Human Growth and Development | 3 |
| IPC 52300 | Adjustment and Learning Issues in Children and Adolescents | 3 |
| IPC 54100 | Research Methods and Program Evaluation | 3 |
| IPC 55300 | Theories of Counseling Children and Adolescents | 3 |
| IPC 56100 | Group Dynamics, Process and Counseling | 3 |
| IPC 56200 | Social and Cultural Foundations of Counseling | 3 |
| IPC 56500 | Introduction to Substance Abuse Counseling | 3 |
| IPC 57500 | Family and School Consulting | 3 |
| IPC 58100 | Appraisal of the Individual | 3 |
| IPC 58200 | Lifestyle and Career Development | 3 |
| IPC 58300 | Analysis of the Individual | 3 |
| IPC 60700 | Field Placement 1 Illinois Practitioners | 3 |
| IPC 60800 | Field Placement 2 Illinois Practitioners | 3 |
School Counseling Electives
| IPC 60701 | Field Placement 1 Extension Illinois Practitioners (0) | 0 |
| IPC 60801 | Field Placement 2 Extension Illinois Practitioners (0) | 0 |
Note: Courses are three credit hours unless otherwise indicated.
Professional Counseling Electives
Students also seeking professional licensure in addition to school counseling endorsement must take all of the courses below:
Note: Courses are three credit hours unless otherwise indicated.
Education Courses
Students seeking certification under this degree program must hold a valid Missouri teaching certificate as required to teach in public schools in Missouri or complete the following education classes to be eligible for certification:
| EDC 52100 | Classroom Teaching/Management for Counselors | 3 |
| EDC 53500 | Teaching Methods for Counselors | 3 |
| EDC 54100 | Education of the Exceptional Child for Counselors | 3 |
The Counseling Department offers a cluster of these three education courses, to be taken concurrently, which requires access to and familiarity with the internet and Canvas. If students elect to take these education courses separately (or have taken one or two equivalent education classes previously), they may take the education classes through another program or as tutorials through the Counseling Department. Undergraduate equivalent courses are accepted.
Field Placement Requirement
Students must pass the Illinois Test of Academic Proficiency or have a score of 21 or higher on an ACT or SAT plus writing no older than 10 years prior to taking Field Placement 1.** Students in the school counseling track are required to complete a minimum of 700 hours of supervised field placements over two semesters. Prior to Field Placement, students must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students are expected to earn a grade of A or B in Field Placement 1 (IPC 60700) in order to graduate. Students will be required to repeat the course if they earn less than a B. If students take an incomplete during their first semester of internship and have less than half of the required internship hours, they must enroll in IPC 60701 for zero credit hours to allow them to attend internship classes while completing the required hours. If students take an incomplete during their second internship, regardless of how many hours are needed, they must enroll in IPC 60801 for zero credit hours to allow them to attend internship classes while completing the required internship hours. A fee of $50 will be incurred for each extension.
Policy updated after publishing per the August 2018 addendum.**
Exit Requirements
In order to fulfill degree requirements, each student completes IPC 60900 Illinois School Counseling Content Exam by passing the Illinois Content Test (181). During the program, each student will also complete the Missouri Educator Profile (MEP) to assist in professional development and continuous improvement goals. In addition, each student will purchase and compile an electronic portfolio demonstrating competencies as delineated by the Illinois School Board of Education standards, to be completed by the end of Field Placement 2. Further information regarding exit requirements is provided in the School Counseling Handbook.