Overview
The master’s degree in School Counseling is designed to provide prospective school counselors with the skills necessary to establish and conduct effective developmental guidance and counseling programs in schools, pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. Students preparing for positions in School Counseling are provided experiences qualifying them for work at all levels of school counseling. The school counseling program is 60 hours and meets accreditation criteria of The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CEAP; formally NCATE) and Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
Admission Requirements
Cohort admission decisions are made annually. Admission to pursue a master’s degree in any track within the program in Counselor Education is based upon success in admission for graduate study with the Graduate School. Statement of purpose and letters of recommendation consistent with goals of the program, entrance exam scores (300 or above on the GRE or at least the 50 percentile on the MAT), and a GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale are needed for regular admission.
Admission Deadlines
Admissions decisions are made each semester. Admission decisions may be made in the summer if openings remain after May admission decisions have been completed. Please attend to the following deadline dates to allow adequate time for your application to be reviewed:
- Fall April 1st
- Spring October 1st
- Summer March 1st
Application Process
- Complete the Application Form.
- Pay the application fee. The application fee is $65 for U.S. citizens and permanent residents and $80 for international students. Please note that application fees are non-refundable. The application fee is waived for the following groups:
- Veterans and current members of the US military (please email your DD 214 or current assignment orders to gradschool@ua.edu).
- Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program students (please email gradschool@ua.edu for more details).
- University of Alabama undergraduates applying to a graduate program in the same subject area. To qualify for this application fee waiver a student must have no time break between the undergraduate and graduate program and have an overall GPA of 3.0 or greater.
- Applicants who have previously enrolled in Graduate School at The University of Alabama.
- Within 48 hours of completing steps 1 and 2 you will receive an email with your Campus Wide Identification (CWID) number. It is VERY important that you keep this number somewhere safe.
- Submit supporting documents and check application status by selecting Manage Documents.
Program Requirements
All Counselor Education Master’s degree programs have a planned program of study. The plan follows the appropriate requirements for accreditation in that area. Once an academic advisor has been assigned for your program of study, you should make an appointment to discuss your preferences and career aspirations. The program of study that you accept when you enter the program will be the one you will follow until you graduate. If there are any changes, they need to be approved by your advisor.
- MA in Counselor Education (School Counseling) Program of Study
- Counselor Education Handbook
- BCE Academic Calendar 2021-2022
- 60 hr SC Advisement Plan of Study (Effective Spring 2022)
While the majority of your courses will be offered through the Program in Counselor Education (designated as BCE) many required courses will be offered by affiliated programs. During your academic career, you will likely enroll for courses in Educational Psychology (designated as BEP), Educational Research (designated as BER), School Psychology (designated as BSP), and other areas. These courses afford the opportunity to take advantage of the expertise of faculty in other programs in the College of Education.