The Department of Counseling and Psychological Services offers the initial certification/non-degree program in school counseling to students who have a graduate degree in counseling (such as mental health counseling, professional counseling, or community counseling) but need the courses to pursue state certification in school counseling.
Students wishing to pursue the initial certification/non-degree program in school counseling must hold a master's degree in counseling from a program accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). An applicant can contact CACREP at 1-800-347-6647 ext. 301 to see if his/her program is a CACREP program. An applicant can also review the CACREP site list at http://www.counseling.org/.
If you DO NOT have a CACREP accredited Master’s degree in counseling already, but are still interesting in school counseling, please click here for the Master’s in School Counseling Program.
If you DO have a CACREP accredited Master’s degree in counseling and are, therefore, eligible for the Initial Certification program in School Counseling, please see the information below to learn more about the Initial Certification program in School Counseling.
Students interested in the initial certification/non-degree program must submit the same application materials required by the Master of Education School Counseling program. Please see the Master of Education School Counseling program webpage for required application materials.
The application for the Initial Certification program in School Counseling is due on the same date as the application for the Master of Education School Counseling program. Please see the Master of Education School Counseling program website for application deadlines.
The Initial Certification in School Counseling program begins in summer semester only, just like the Master of Education School Counseling program. The Initial Certification program is 2 years in length, with the Initial Certification in School Counseling student taking most of their needed coursework the first year, and then completing the full-time practicum-internship experience and its associated coursework during the second year. There is no exception to this—the Initial Certification in School Counseling program is a minimum of 2 years in length, and summer semesters are required.
A student in the Initial Certification in School Counseling program MUST complete (or have completed in their former CACREP Counseling program) every course currently required for the Master of Education School Counseling program before Georgia State University will recommend him/her for certification. For a complete list of those courses, click here to see the Master of Education School Counseling program of study.
After being admitted to the program, an evaluation of the student's previous CACREP Counseling degree transcript will be completed by the school counseling program coordinator.
NOTE: The Department of Counseling and Psychological Services does not do pre-admission transcript evaluations for individuals pursuing certification in the state of Georgia. You must apply to and be accepted into our initial certification/non-degree in school counseling program for a transcript evaluation to be completed.
During this evaluation of the student's previous CACREP Counseling degree transcript, the school counseling program coordinator will look for current Master of Education School Counseling program courses that the student has already successfully completed in their former counseling program, and therefore does not need to complete for the Initial Certification in School Counseling program. Syllabi from former CACREP Counseling coursework are usually required. The school counseling program coordinator reserves the right to require an Initial Certification in School Counseling program student to complete a course at Georgia State University that the student previously completed during their former CACREP Counseling program, simply due to the course being outdated, etc.
Any coursework from the current Master of Education School Counseling program that the school counseling program coordinator determines the student has not previously completed in their former counseling program (or is outdated, etc.) will be required for the Initial Certification in School Counseling program at Georgia State University. A complete list of courses the school counseling program coordinator determines the Initial Certification in School Counseling student should complete at Georgia State University (before recommendation for certification will be given) will be furnished to the student at the new student orientation.
The Initial Certification in School Counseling student will follow the Master of Education School Counseling program student cohort, picking up the courses they need as they are offered to the Master of Education School Counseling program degree-seeking student cohort. To see when the Master of Education School Counseling program student cohort is taking courses, please refer to the Model Program in the current student handbook for the Master of Education School Counseling program.
Upon completion of first year, prerequisite coursework, all students in the Initial Certification in School Counseling program will complete (usually in the second year):
CPS 8260 Program Evaluation, Advocacy, and Leadership in School Counseling,
CPS 7550 Consultation in School Counseling,
CPS 7661 Applied Practice I: School Counseling (practicum),
CPS 7681 Internship: School Counseling.
These four courses MUST be complete at Georgia State University. The practicum/internship sequence begins only in fall semester, and no earlier than the second year of the Initial Certification in School Counseling program.
All initial certification/non-degree program in school counseling students must complete CPS 6020 (Introduction to Elementary and Middle School Counseling) or CPS 6030 (Introduction to Secondary School Counseling) with a grade of B or higher during their first semester in the Initial Certification in School Counseling program. A grade lower than B requires repetition of the course. An Initial Certification in School Counseling student may not register for any other CPS course until he or she has completed CPS 6020 or CPS 6030 with a grade of B or higher.
A school counseling student who does not already have initial certification in the State of Georgia must successfully complete EXC 2010 (Exceptional Children and Youth), and the appropriate GACE Examination in School Counseling before Georgia State University will recommend him or her for certification in school counseling.
Upon completion of the Initial Certification in School Counseling program and passing the GACE Examination in School Counseling, a recommendation for certification will be given through the Office of Academic Assistance in the College of Education. This is all that will be given, since this program is a non-degree, certification only seeking program.