HOW TO BECOME A COUNSELOR: Counseling Degrees & Careers

Schools are complex systems, an interlocking web of facilities, technological assets, curricula and personnel. Central to this integrated structure are school counselors, professionals with specialized training in fostering not just academic achievement, but also social, psychological and overall developmental growth and maturation. School counselors require a nuanced understanding of the various challenges faced by students, along with the emotional and intellectual skills necessary to address these concerns. This guide details the steps to becoming a professional school counselor, including an overview of academic programs and the skills needed to be successful in this career.

What Does a Counselor Do?

Counseling Career Basics

Student success requires more than just a well-equipped classroom and a talented and committed teacher. Another important element in the educational process is the role played by school counselors. School counselors are employed throughout the educational system, from kindergarten up through twelfth grade, in public, private and parochial schools. They fulfill a number of responsibilities, from the day-to-day assessment of individual students, to the design and implementation of broad, longer-term programs designed to cultivate a safe and healthy learning environment. School counselors help students develop study and time management skills, plan academic goals, and manage social and behavioral problems. The specific focus of a counselor's work varies depending on factors such as the type of school, its organizational structure, and the age of the students.

Counseling In-Depth

A good way to look at the role of counselors is as one of three primarily pillars that support and enhance students' educational experience. Administrators oversee the operational issues of running a school, and teachers are concerned with academic matters. Counselors fill a third niche by focusing on students' social, psychological and behavioral development and needs. Much of their work takes place in one-on-one sessions and/or small group meetings with students, during which they use their skills to assess and address specific issues, set achievement goals, and intervene proactively to stave off more serious problems. Indirectly, counselors also assist students by consulting and collaborating with parents, teachers, administrators and other educational professionals to address issues related to individual students, as well as groups of students.

Counselors generally work full-time hours during the academic year, with time off during holidays and summer. During summer break, they may consult or counsel on the side, or use that time to keep up with continuing education in the field.

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Counselor Salaries

Some view counseling as a calling, a career that's particularly suited to those who have a deep affinity for working with kids. Others may see it as a route to career stability: as long as there are children, they will need counselors. But what's the bottom line? How much can you expect to earn as a school counselor? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for educational, guidance, school and vocational counselors as of May 2014, was $53,370, with those in the 90th percentile earning as much as $86,610. Broken down by state, the top five median annual salaries in the field stack up this way:

Steps to Becoming a Counselor

Education Requiments to Becoming a Counselor

Most counselors begin their career with a bachelor's degree in counseling or psychology. From there, you'll be required to receive a graduate degree, either a master's and/or doctorate, the a specific area of counseling you'd like to specialize in.

Degree Options in Counseling

Typically, students attain a bachelor's degree not in counseling itself but in a related field, such as psychology, sociology or education. This gives them a solid foundation to apply their knowledge and skills specifically to counseling when they go on to earn a master's. The Master of Arts (MA) and Master of Science (MS) degrees in counseling are considered the gold standard for practicing in the field. A master's degree is required for licensure in most states and for most employment opportunities. Individuals with a master's may go on to earn one of three terminal degrees in the discipline: a doctorate (PhD), a doctor of psychology (PsyD), or a doctor of education (EdD).

Bachelor's Degree

Designated undergraduate degrees or majors in counseling are uncommon, but they do exist. The overall aim of such programs is to prepare students to pursue a master's degree in counseling by introducing the core behavioral science components underpinning the practice. These include normal and abnormal psychology, developmental psychology, and social science research methods. Coursework also covers social and educational policy, and trauma and crisis intervention techniques. Students planning to pursue a master's degree in counseling often integrate these classes into a bachelor's degree program in a related field such as psychology, sociology or education.

Below is a breakdown of some typical undergraduate classes offered in counseling, along with the topics and skills that are covered in each:

Master's Degree in Counseling

A master's degree is the primary means to becoming a licensed, practicing counselor. All states have licensing requirements for counselors, and in most states, holding a master's degree is one of them. A two-year master's degree program in counseling prepares students to handle a range of psychological, social and behavioral issues; assess a variety of situations; provide emotional support and offer practical guidance; and work with individual clients, families and groups.

Both Master of Arts (MA) and Master of Science (MS) degrees are available in counseling. MS degrees typically focus more on clinical experience working as a counselor, while MA degrees are geared more toward research. In addition, there are master's of education degrees in counseling available to those who want to work in school or youth counseling. In any case, the focus of a good master's degree program in counseling should be on putting the psychological, behavioral and social theories that are taught in the classroom to practical use in counseling situations. Here are some courses students generally take in a master's degree program:

Doctoral Degrees

A master's degree is almost always a requirement to enter the field on a professional level, but a doctorate is only necessary for a very specific group of jobs and careers. For example, a doctor of education (EdD) degree in counseling is helpful for counselors who want to pursue an administrative position in educational counseling. There are also PhD and PsyD — Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Psychology, respectively — degrees available in counseling. Both are useful to those who aspire to teach or conduct in-depth research at the college or university level.

EdD in Counseling Psychology

Objective

Explores research and theory in psychology and counseling to prepare students for work in educational settings and in the field of child/adolescent mental health.

Example courses

Years to complete

3-4 years

Final Project

Dissertation

Internship requirement

600 hours

PsyD in Counseling Psychology

Objective

Prepares students for clinical counseling using the medical school practitioner-scholar model, emphasizing the direct application of theory in supervised clinical settings.

Example courses

Years to complete

4-5 years

Final Project

Dissertation

Internship requirement

2000 hours

PhD in Counseling Psychology

Objective

Designed for students whose practice of counseling involves research, teaching, and/or psychological counseling, with a goal of exposing those students to the best practices and foundational knowledge in the field.

Example courses

Years to complete

4-5 years

Final Project

Dissertation

Internship requirement

2000 hours

Doctoral degrees in counseling are all highly specialized, and designed to conform to a particular student's focus in the field. As such, the kind of coursework associated with each can vary greatly. Following is a look at the general aims and requirements of each degree:

Getting a Counseling Degree Online

There are an increasingly large number of options for earning master's, and even doctoral, degrees in counseling through online colleges and universities. Such a choice makes sense for many, given that it's not uncommon for people to enroll in counseling degree programs after they've entered the workforce. For example, a teacher who is already licensed and working full- or part-time may decide to make a mid-career change by pursing a master's in counseling. The inherent flexibility of online programs can be a bonus in such situations.

That said, it's important to look closely at any online degree program in counseling to make sure that it meets your needs and standards. When searching online degrees, consider the following:

Components of a Successful Counseling Career

Counselor Skills

A good counselor must first be a good listener, someone who can actively engage, empathize and pick up on pertinent social cues. Persuasion, negotiation and creative problem-solving are particularly relevant for school counselors, who assist students when they are under stress from academic and/or social pressures, or when they are struggling with emotional issues, family problems, learning deficits or other personal difficulties. School counselors in particular must develop critical-thinking skills to help students plan academic and career goals. It's crucial to be able to balance a student's test results against psychological factors. School counselors may employ testing and social science assessment methods, but they also have to develop an intuitive sense of what works on a case-by-case basis.

Counselor Certifications

Each state has its own requirements for certification, which can be found at the relevant state agency or by consulting the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). Requirements often include completing certain coursework, passing a written exam, and obtaining work experience. The National Board for Certified Counselors and Affiliates offers the National Certified Counselor (NCC) and National Certified School Counselor (NCSC) credentials, while the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards also offers a certification in school counseling.

Tools and Technology for Counseling

The everyday tools used by counselors are common to many workplaces, including basic office equipment such as computers and tablets; digital audio and video recording and playback equipment; and word processing, spreadsheet and database software. School counselors should also be comfortable working with computerized testing, diagnostic and statistical programs, learning how to interpret and sort data to best understand results. While many of these will likely introduced in a good master's degree program in counseling, some are learned on-the-job or during internships, and others may be the focus of continuing education programs.

Counselor Job Growth and Prospects

K-12 education has been a major concern on the national agenda in recent years, but there is far from universal agreement on how to improve schools. In many states, budget constraints and tax reductions have made it problematic to increase spending on education. Nevertheless, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a fairly strong job growth of 12% up through 2022 for school and career counselors, with rising enrollment in elementary, middle and high schools being one of the main factors accounting for this trend.

Ten States Experiencing the Most Job Growth in Counseling

30.9%Georgia
26.7%Utah
25.2%New Mexico
22%Texas
21.2%Arizona
20.2%Florida
18.7%Colorado
18.1%Virginia
16.9%Washington
14.5%Mississippi

Related Careers: What You Need to Know

As the number of schoolchildren increases, so will the need for counselors and others working in fields related to education and child development. Individuals interested in pursuing a career in education or counseling may want to explore the details of similar fields. Following is information on the 2014 median salaries, projected growth through 2022, and required education and training for several related occupations:

What Do Related Careers Make?

In addition to counseling, there are other occupations that draw more heavily on one skill or another, and some individuals may choose a related career that focuses more on teaching, or perhaps emphasizes psychology. The following table shows how the salary of a school counselor compares to that of similar occupations:

Counselor and Related Job Salaries

Find a School

Use the search tool below to sift through the numerous counseling degrees currently offered by colleges and universities across the nation.

Become Team

Contributing Writer

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