What Our Students
Are Saying
“My experience in the school counselor program has helped me to grow both personally and professionally. Being given the opportunity to present at the American Counseling Association’s annual conference was just one of the valuable experiences I will take away from this program.”
Paul Jones, school counseling graduate
“This experience has made me a better person both personally and professionally. I have grown exponentially in my skills as a counselor. I feel prepared to begin my career in the community counseling field due to the professors and scenarios we experienced in class and internships.”
Amy Forst, community counseling student
Curriculum
This vital combination of coursework and experience leads to the Master of Arts in Education (M.A.Ed.) in School Counseling or Master of Science (M.S.) in Community Counseling, degrees which make you eligible to get National Certified Counseling credentials, and eventually your Licensed Professional Counseling (LPC) license. These CACREP (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs) accredited programs are sixty semester hours requiring two years and two summers.
You will be taught and supervised by six full-time Ph.D. faculty whose expertise reflects professional experience in a variety of clinical settings, including public schools, university-clinics, mental health settings, and private practice. All full-time faculty engage in teaching, service, and professional involvement and are committed to providing a challenging and supportive learning environment.
Programs for Working Professionals
If you're a working professional, our programs will meet your needs. Most of our classes meet Monday through Thursday from 5 to 7:50 p.m., and courses are offered on both the Cullowhee and Asheville campuses. While full-time students can complete the program in two years (including summers), part-time students can usually complete the program in four years.
Careers in Counseling
The M.A.Ed. in School Counseling prepares you for employment as a counselor in public school settings at elementary, middle, and high school levels and leads to a recommendation for licensure (certification) by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The M.S. in Community Counseling prepares you to work in diverse settings such as mental health facilities, substance abuse centers, community and four-year college counseling, non-profit organizations, domestic violence shelters, and more as well as private practice under supervision, moving toward state licensure.
Licensure & the National Counseling Exam
Because the programs are CACREP accredited, students in both programs are eligible to take the National Counseling Exam during their final semester and may apply for credentials as National Certified Counselors upon graduation. When you successfully complete the National Counseling Exam, you may also apply upon graduation for eligibility for professional counselor licensure (LPC) in North Carolina to begin the process of post-master’s supervision as required by the North Carolina LPC Board.
Contact us with your questions about the WCU Counseling Program. We look forward to talking with you.