University of Southern Maine

In the School Counseling program, students are trained to become specialists in the planning and delivery of comprehensive developmental school counseling programs that reflect current research and validated paradigms. Upon completion of the program, students are eligible for certification from the Maine Department of Education in the area of school guidance and counseling, levels K-12. Certified graduates are qualified to become employed in elementary, middle, and secondary schools in Maine. In addition, graduates are eligible to sit for the National Counselor Examination (NCE) and prepare to be licensed as a professional counselor (LPC) in Maine. The school counseling specialty holds accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP). Suggested courses to begin with are HCE 500, HCE 604, HCE 605, HCE 620, HRD 664, and HRD 668.

Program Requirements (60 credits)

Core Courses (36 credits)
HCE 500 Orientation to the Counseling Profession
EDU 600 Research Methods and Techniques
HCE 604 Career Development
HCE 605 Psychological Measurement and Evaluation
HCE 620 Fundamentals of Counseling Theories
HCE 621 Fundamentals of Counseling Skills
HCE 626 Group Process and Procedures
HCE 627 Group Counseling
HRD 664 Culture, Tradition, and Diversity
HRD 668 Human Development
HCE 690 Individual Counseling Practicum
HCE 691 Individual Counseling Practicum Laboratory

Required Specialty Courses (15 credits)
HCE 607 School Guidance Programs and Services
HCE 609 The Practice of School Counseling
HCE 622 Counseling Children and Adolescents
HCE 686 Internship in Counselor Education (6 credits - 600 hours at a range of grade levels)

Electives (9 credits)

Click here to view the recommended sequence of courses.

Note: In order to receive certification as a school counselor in the State of Maine, students will need an exceptionalities course. This may be an undergraduate or graduate course. If you choose to take a graduate course, we recommend SED 611 Nature and Needs of Learners Who Are Exceptional.