In this program, students will:
- Earn a school counseling degree from a school with a strong reputation among employers
- Attend weekly live online classes, complemented by dynamic self-paced coursework
- Hone skills through field experiences in or near their communities
- Prepare to earn a credential as a school counselor
Earn your Master of Education in School Counseling online. Request more information now.
Credentialing
The SC online program is officially recognized as a credentialing program that prepares students to be recommended for the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing’s Pupil Personnel Services: School Counseling (PPS-SC) Credential.
The PPS-SC Credential is required when applying to be a school counselor in California. In order to graduate, all SC online students must complete the Basic Skills Requirement prior to starting field experience.
Masters of Education in School Counseling online Curriculum
The master’s in school counseling program curriculum is informed by professional competencies and standards put forth by the American School Counselor Association’s National Model for School Counseling and by critical research in the fields of counselor education, sociology, philosophy, education, and counseling and community psychology.
Areas of Focus
Students gain theoretical and hands-on knowledge needed to become a school counselor through the lens of modern school counseling techniques, structured around three key focus areas:
- College and Career Readiness
Prepare to support all students and their futures, taking into account cultural, socioeconomic and emotional factors that influence success. - Restorative Justice
Help students overcome obstacles of institutional oppression, like poverty and racism, or individual circumstances related to mental illness, domestic violence or community barriers. - Trauma Informed Practice
Learn to support teaching, learning and interacting in ways that address the long-term toll physical and emotional trauma takes on the lives of children and adults.
Fieldwork
Students also complete fieldwork in K–12 schools where they can apply what they learn to real situations affecting children, families and school administration.
Students are required to complete a 100-hour practicum and a 600-hour internship over the course of the program. Our team of placement specialists work with students to identify sites that fit their needs.
Student Experience
The SC online program is rigorous, hands-on and collaborative. Students form meaningful relationships with peers and a worldwide community of educators — see what it means to be part of the legendary #TrojanFamily.
Your school counseling career starts here. Request information about the SC online program.
Credentialing Information
The USC Rossier School Counseling online program leads to a Master of Education in School Counseling. The designed outcome is to lead to a Pupil Personnel Services Credential within California.
The University of Southern California has regional accreditation through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The school counseling program does not have specialized programmatic accreditation. States that require a specialized accreditor may have additional requirements for licensure.
Full program completer status is provided to students that complete all requirements for a California credential, such as completing the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) and the California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET) including the basic writing test. While students may graduate without completing these examinations, those opting out of these requirements may be waiving their ability to obtain program completer status. Students are not required to apply and receive a California credential to obtain program completer status.
Career Outcomes
The Master of Education in School Counseling online (SC online) program is designed for those who aspire to become school counselors in K–12 settings. This program explores relevant challenges affecting 21st-century schools, focusing on the well-being of the whole child through support of their social, emotional and academic needs.
Your school counseling career starts here. Request more information today.
