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School goes beyond academics to strengthening social skills and fostering each student’s socioemotional development. School counselors help establish this foundation, often with the goal of reducing bullying, instilling resilience and advocating for all students. Districts increasingly realize the importance of supporting student mental health and creating an encouraging atmosphere for all, and this pattern has since fueled demand for more school counselors — in Missouri and beyond.
Ready to make a difference in the lives of current and future students? Mizzou's online Master of Education with an emphasis in School Counseling prepares you for school counseling certification. You'll grow your understanding of socioemotional development in children and adolescents as you work toward your degree. This program blends online learning with two practicum placements, standing upon Mizzou’s decades-long legacy and mission. The flexible, online format accommodates working professionals and individuals in rural areas looking to uplift their communities.
Graduates will be certification-eligible as school counselors in the state of Missouri at both the elementary and secondary levels. Most states honor reciprocity from Missouri’s school counseling certification; check your state’s requirements.
Quick facts
Official name
Master of Education in Educational, School and Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in School Counselor, Elementary and Secondary, CertificationCampus
Program type
Master's degreeAcademic home
College of Education & Human Development | Department of Educational, School and Counseling PsychologyDelivery mode
100% onlineAccreditation
Higher Learning Commission, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)Credit hours
60Estimated cost
$36,456.00*This cost is for illustrative purposes only. Your hours and costs will differ, depending on your transfer hours, your course choices and your academic progress. See more about tuition and financial aid.
About the MEd in school counseling program
Mizzou is known for pioneering applied counseling psychology. The master’s in school counseling program is accredited by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The program is also an American Counselor Association recognized school counselor preparation program (ASCA).
This history also emerges through the program’s current format. To start, the curriculum is based around a science-practitioner method of training, in addition to a comprehensive school guidance and counseling program model — aspects established by Norm Gysbers, Ph.D., a former University of Missouri faculty member nationally and internationally recognized as “the father of modern school counseling.” This approach emphasizes applied counseling theory, research and practice. These prepare you to provide school counseling programming to support academic, career, and social and emotional development.
School counselors contribute to the development of a welcoming school environment, and provide support to help all students succeed. With these goals in mind, this online master’s in school counseling:
- Trains you to think critically and apply scientifically based counseling theories to the K-12 environment.
- Helps you become an agent of change through scholarship, counseling practice and advocacy.
- Emphasizes the importance of ethically competent school counseling.
- Highlights how school counselors advocate for students and support mental health.
- Equips you to practice in a wide variety of school settings and academic levels.
- Provides insight into the social, academic and mental health needs of children and adolescents.
- Instructs you in college and career counseling techniques to assist students in the next stage of their lives.
Career prospects
Be the force of change within your school. The online master’s in school counseling gives you the tools to foster an encouraging culture and provide K–12 students with the direction they need, whether for solving conflicts, managing difficult emotions, handling academic or social challenges or preparing for college and beyond.
If you envision yourself making this impact, the online master’s in school counseling is ideal for psychology, K–12 and community organization professionals seeking a career change or looking to expand their skill set or credentials. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 10% more roles for school counselors and advisers over the next decade.
Completion of this program makes you eligible to pursue certification as a Certified School Counselor in Missouri, including in elementary, middle and high schools and in applied settings.
Program structure
All courses in this 60-credit-hour program are fully online and typically use an eight-week format. Most classes are asynchronous, but some will meet live online at set times for real-time interaction. No on-campus visits are required. Students take one or two courses at a time to finish their degree in two to three years. All students complete two practicum placements that include supervision of counseling in both an approved elementary and secondary school.
Coursework includes
You’ll be introduced to counseling in a school setting through required courses covering:
- Child and adolescent development.
- Legal and ethical aspects of school counseling.
- Assessment strategies and program evaluation.
- Contemporary counseling theories.
- Group counseling techniques.
- School counseling programming for academic, career, and social and emotional development.
Delivery
100% onlineCalendar system
8 and 16 weeksTypical program length
3 yearsTypical course load
1 class at a timeAccreditation
The University of Missouri is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States.
The school counseling master’s program is accredited by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
This program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), and is an ASCA-Recognized School Counselor Preparation Program.
Faculty spotlight
Swank Fastenow is a teaching professor in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Missouri. Dr. Fastenow is a licensed mental health counselor, a licensed clinical social worker and a registered play therapist supervisor with experience working with children and adolescents across various settings. Her research interests include promoting the holistic development of children and adolescents using play and nature-based interventions, counselor development, assessment and international counseling.
