Today's school counselors are vital members of the education team and leaders in the school community. As a school counselor, you are an educator trained to help develop students in three main areas: academic, personal/social and career exploration. Through our comprehensive degree program you will be prepared to advocate for students by working to problem solve and remove barriers to success. Part of your responsibilities may include teaching classroom lessons, facilitating small groups, providing short-term counseling services, guiding academic and career planning, leading crisis response and responding to needs. Working in collaboration with teachers, administrators, parents and other stakeholders your focus will be to promote student success. As a school counselor you will provide comprehensive programs that are preventative, research-based, objective-driven and developmentally appropriate.
Gain the training and credentials you need to be a professional, successful school counselor with Concordia University, Nebraska’s completely online master’s in school counseling program. This degree is perfect for current teachers interested in professional career development or who desire to engage and work with students and families in new ways. Track 2 is ideal if you do not have a teaching background, but desire to seek certification as a school counselor.
Our program culminates with professional PK-12 certification in the state of Nebraska. The program is 100% aligned with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) counselor competencies, so students may be prepared for practice in other states as well.
For more information regarding state-by-state requirements, click here.
Key topics include:
- Foundations of school counseling
- Ethical and legal considerations
- Diverse populations
- Child and adolescent development
- Counseling theories
- Small groups
- Comprehensive school counseling program management and delivery
- Assessment
- Mental health
- Trauma and crisis intervention
- Career development
Class Type
100% online, 8-week courses
Concordia NebraskaSchool Counseling Program Options
Our program offers two tracks and is taught by experienced school counselors and academic professionals.
Track 1: For certified teachers (50 credit hours)
Track 2: For those without a teaching license; provides additional courses required by the Nebraska Department of Education (62 credit hours)
School counselors are educators trained to help develop students in three main areas: academic, personal/social and career development. As an advocate for all students, you will provide comprehensive programs that are preventative in nature, research-based, objective and data driven and developmentally appropriate. This is accomplished through classroom lessons, small groups, and 1:1 brief individual counseling. Additional responsibilities include consulting with parents, families, teachers, administrators and other community agencies to help remove barriers and promote student success. Become a leader in your school and advocate for the profession. Every day as a school counselor provides you a unique, challenging and rewarding career.
Click here for more information about the role of a school counselor.
Our program requires the completion of a 100-hour practicum, through which you gain valuable hands-on experience in the PK–12 school setting. It also requires a total of 450 hours of internships at the PK–6 and 7–12 grade levels. Support will be provided for students needing assistance in securing practicum and internship sites and supervisors.
School counseling can be a highly rewarding career path as you help students overcome barriers and reach their full potentials. If you enjoy children and adolescents, problem-solving, listening with empathy, and positively impacting others, then a career in school counseling could be right for you. We encourage you to shadow a school counselor and ask questions!
Concordia NebraskaSchool Counseling Core Concepts
The online master’s in school counseling program from Concordia University, Nebraska gives students the skills and knowledge needed to design, implement, deliver, manage and assess comprehensive school counseling programs. We are a distinctively Lutheran, Christian university, so although you will be prepared for professional work in both the public and private school system, our courses are written and developed from the Christian world-view.
School Counseling Program Distinction
Earning a MA in school counseling through Concordia University, Nebraska provides students with a student-centered and personal experience. The faith-based, small community mission is not lost in the convenient, 100% online environment. At Concordia University, Nebraska, our graduate students benefit from highly experienced instructors who are experts in the school counseling and mental health field. Additionally, with our carousel enrollment model, students may enroll in any eight week session. Courses are frequently and consistently reviewed and updated to insure content and curriculum is current and relevant to the changing educational landscape and needs of PK-12 students. Our program is accredited at the state, regional, and national levels and we are completely aligned with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model. Concordia University, Nebraska ranks 33rd in Midwest Regional Universities in the 2020 Us News & World Report. Concordia University, Nebraska is where personal relationships, faith-based mission, and quality content instruction collide to best meet the needs of the 21st century, online graduate student.
- Small Group Field Experience: Observe and review a 6-week small group in a PK-12 school under the leadership of a professional school counselor.
- Practicum: Our school counseling degree program requires the completion of a 100-hour practicum. You will gain valuable counseling experience and skill-building the PK–12 school setting supervised by a licensed professional school counselor.
- Internships: Gain hands-on comprehensive school counseling experience through 450 hours of supervised internship. 225 hours will be completed at the PK-6 grade level and 225 hours completed at 7-12 grade level.
- Portfolio: The capstone course results in a comprehensive, digital portfolio highlighting skills, knowledge, and professional experience. The portfolio will serve you well in your search for employment.
Program Goals
Equip school counselors for the current needs of students and schools
Prepare school counselors to be leaders and advocates for the profession
Develop professionals who collaborate with teachers and administrators to improve student achievement and advocate for all students
Prepare school counselors to develop, implement, manage and assess comprehensive programs for PK–12 academic development, college and career readiness and social and emotional development
Employ techniques to implement a school counseling program complete with beliefs, benefits, vision and data-driven outcomes