The program of study described below is required for recommendation for certification as a school counselor in the state of Missouri:
Requirements
Core Curriculum
Electives
Students are to choose three hours of elective credit from among the following course offerings to fulfill degree requirements:
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 in the school counseling track are required to complete a minimum of 450 hours of supervised field placement experience. Field Placement 1 requires a minimum of 150 clock hours. Field Placement 2 requires a minimum of 300 clock hours. All field placements must be in K-12 settings under the supervision of a certified school counselor. Students must have at least a 3.0 GPA to begin Field Placement 1 or Field Placement 2. Students are expected to earn a grade of A or B in Field Placement (IPC 62100 and IPC 62400) in order to graduate. Students will be required to repeat the course if they earn less than a B. If students take an incomplete in IPC 62100 and are unable to complete at least half the required field placement hours, they must enroll in IPC 62101 for zero credit hours to allow them to attend field placement classes while completing the required hours. If students take an incomplete in Field Placement 2, regardless of how many hours are needed, they must enroll in IPC 62401 for zero credit hours to allow them to attend field placement classes while completing the required hours. A fee of $50 will be incurred for each extension.
Exit Requirements
In order to fulfill degree requirements, each student completes IPC 60500 (Comprehensive Examination) by passing the Missouri Educator Gateway Assessments (MEGA): Missouri Content Assessment, test MO056 MEGA Counselor. During the program, each student will also complete all state required assessments. In addition, each student will purchase and compile an electronic portfolio demonstrating competencies as delineated by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education standards, to be completed by the end of Field Placement 2. Further information regarding exit requirements is provided in the School Counseling Handbook.