Why School Counseling?
Grow your career and help students as you expand your role with a Master of Education in School Counseling. The UNT Dallas Graduate School offers an MEd in Counseling (48 hr-School Counseling and a Texas School Counseling Endorsement/Deficiency Plan for people who already have a 48 hr Masters in counseling.) The MEd in School Counseling at University of North Texas at Dallas is a well respected program in the field. It is nationally accredited through the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP), and is designed specifically for students who want to work toward certification as a school counselor in Texas.
Job Outlook
Starting salaries are comparable to starting teacher salaries for School Counselors, with most districts giving extra money for an additional master's degree. Elementary schools may have two or three counselors at one time, middle schools may have five or six, and high schools can have 12 to 15, depending on enrollment. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that school counselor employment will increase by 12 percent from 2012 to 2022. The average annual income of school counselors is $56,160 as of May 2018, with salaries tending to stretch as low as $31,850 for the bottom 10 percent and as high as $86,870 for the top 10 percent.
Texas Education Agency Standards
The MEd program is designed to comply with existing Texas Education Agency standards for professional certification. Students take the TEA Certification Exam for School Counseling during their COUN 5690 Practicum in School Counseling class. In addition, all students must take the comprehensive examination during the Supervised Internship II in School Counseling (COUN 5721)Students must be enrolled in the university when taking the comprehensive examination and when applying for graduation.
These program areas meet the educational requirement for Certification as a School Counselor in Texas; however, candidates must also have two years of teaching experience as teacher of record (not as a substitute teacher) and pass the TExES-Counselor examination to be eligible for School Counseling Certification in Texas. Individuals seeking certification in other states are urged to contact the appropriate state(s) because their requirements may differ.
Click here to learn about the value of selecting a CACREP accredited program