School Counseling Certificate Programs Pennsylvania

Complete your course requirements for certification as a Pre K-12 counselor.

Launch your school counseling career in elementary and/or secondary schools.

If you hold a master's degree in school counseling or a related field, California University of Pennsylvania's non-degree school counseling certification program enables you to meet all course requirements to become a Certified School Counselor Pre K-12 in Pennsylvania. The program also may prepare you to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Pennsylvania and other states.

Personalized learning creates career-ready counselors.

Get rid of guesswork: Cal U's counselor education department will evaluate your transcripts and advise which courses are required.
Receive individual on-site training through a 150-hour practicum in school counseling.
Practice and apply school counseling skills in a real-world setting through a clinical field experience course.

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PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: SCHOOL COUNSELING

Flexible Schedule: Fall, spring and summer start-dates ensure the courses you need are available when you need them. Evening classes also allow you to work full time while earning credits toward certification.

Top Accreditation: This graduate degree program is approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Cal U's education programs have also been accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) since 1954, and we are continuing with the successor organization, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). See CAEP reporting measures of program impact and outcomes.

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19:1

Cal U's 19-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio facilitates individual attention from school counseling faculty.

100^%

of counselor education faculty are licensed professional counselors.

Degree Benefits

Cal U's school counseling program has been awarded best graduate counseling program in Pennsylvania by Professional Counseling Associates and we continue to maintain these high standards. This program will help you:

Cultivate self-awareness.
Develop ethical and professional school counseling skills.
Conduct assessments and evaluations.
Understand how individuals learn and grow, and how educational systems impact personal development.
Facilitate positive change in individuals and social systems.

Graduate Outcomes

Enter the workforce with knowledge, integrity, character and experience. Certification in school counseling leads to a rewarding career helping Pre K-12 students in Pennsylvania and beyond. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth in this field is expected increase by 19% between 2010 and 2020. Cal U program alumni careers include:

School Counselor, Canaan Elementary School.
High School Guidance Counselor, Burrell High School.
School-Based Therapist, Southwestern Pennsylvania Human Services.
Therapeutic Day Treatment Counselor, Intercept Youth Services.

Curriculum, Admission Requirements and Related Programs

This 48-credit non-degree certification program teaches comprehensive best-practices in school counseling. Courses meet requirements for certification as an Elementary and/or Secondary School Counselor.

Curriculum

Course	Credits
Area I: Core Courses Required for Candidacy
CED 700 Foundations of School Counseling	3
CED 702 Counseling Theory	3
CED 710 Counseling Skills and Techniques	3
CED 724 Experiential Group Process	3

Area II: Advanced Counseling Core
CED 705 Developmental Group Counseling	3
CED 720 Cross-cultural Counseling	3
CED 786 Career Counseling	3

Area III: Field Education Course
CED 711 Practicum in Counselor Education	3
CED 712 Clinical Field Experience in Counselor Education	6
CED 787 Integration, Collaboration and Consultation	3

Area IV: Counseling and Education Courses
CED 732 Current Issues in School Counseling: Evidence Based Practices and Inclusion	3

Area V: Psychological Foundations
CED 721 Diagnosis and Counseling Children and Adolescents	3
CED 722 Assessment Procedures for Counselors	3
CED 755 Counseling Across the Life Span: Prevention and Treatment in Schools and the Community	3

Area VI: Research
CED 785 Research Methods in Counseling	3

Total	48

If you have not taken the following courses or their equivalent as either an undergraduate or graduate, they are required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and must be taken in order to receive school counseling certification:

ESP 610 Special Ed: Foundations and Collaboration (3 credits)
EDU 650 Supporting English Language Learners (3 credits)

Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements (Regular)

Certificate: Bachelor's degree with a GPA of 2.90 or higher (Students with a GPA below 2.90 may apply for conditional admission)
Official transcripts from an accredited institution
Interview may be required
One-page resume of work and education may be required
International Graduate Applicants

Conditional Admission Requirements

Conditional Admission may be granted with the following modifications of the Regular Admissions Requirements:

Certificate: Bachelor's degree with a GPA under 2.90 will be reviewed for a decision
Interview may be required
One-page resume of work and education may be required

Provisional Admission:
Applicants who have provided unofficial documentation of test scores, prerequisite courses, transcripts or lack of letter(s) of recommendation may be admitted provisionally.

This policy also applies to undergraduate students who apply for graduate admission pending bachelor degree completion. Upon receipt of all official documents, a student will be changed from Provisional Admission to either Regular Admission or Conditional Admission. Provisional Admission students may take classes for one term but will not be eligible for Federal Financial Aid.

How to Apply:

Complete the Graduate School Application Deadline- April 24
Submit the nonrefundable $35 Application Fee
Mail official transcripts to:

School of Graduate Studies and Research
California University of Pennsylvania
Box 91
250 University Ave.
California, PA 15419

For additional information:
Email: calugo@calu.edu
Phone: 1.866.595.6348

Related Programs

Master's Degree

School Counseling Pre K-12 Master of Education Degree
A master of education degree fulfilling LPC requirements for students who want to work as counselors assisting Pre K-12 students in their academic, personal and career development.

Certificates and Certifications

Counselor Education Post-Master's Certification Program
A post-master's program for students who need to obtain additional credits to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Pennsylvania and other states.

Student Success

Meet Becky S. Karluk '00. After graduating from Cal U's school counselor program, she became a guidance counselor with the Central Greene School District in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. She is now responsible for 600 students in grades 6-8, all student records, and all state and achievement testing.

Best Value in Pennsylvania

Cal U's program in school counseling offers a standout combination of affordability, quality and convenience. The program was ranked second in Pennsylvania for best value by TopCounselingSchools.org.

Faculty Spotlight

Meet school counseling professor Dr. Grafton Eliason. He was awarded a Red Cross Hero in Education Award for "going above and beyond" in his commitment to education and community service.