(MA degree)
Approved by Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC)
The Master of Arts in School Counseling program is designed for men and women who desire graduate study and preparation for the school counseling profession.
To enable students to:
To enable students to:
Applicants seeking admission to the MA in School Counseling program must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. In addition, applicants must complete the following to be considered for admission to the program:
Applicants who do not hold a teaching license or cannot verify two years of full-time or four years of part-time teaching experience will be required to complete an additional 6 hours of coursework (see Track II requirements below).
Transfer of up to 18 hours credit is allowed toward the MA in School Counseling program from accredited graduate schools. Students must have earned a grade of B or better for a course to be considered for transfer. In addition, only courses taken elsewhere within 10 years of the date of matriculation to the MA in School Counseling program will be considered for transfer. Transferability of credits earned at this institution and transferred to another is at the discretion of the receiving institution. Consult the registrar's office for information on eligibility of transfer credit.
Of the 54 hours required for the MA in School Counseling program (60 for Track II students), a minimum of 36 hours (40 for Track II students) must be taken in resident study at George Fox University. All work leading to the degree must be completed within 7 years from the time of matriculation. Extension of this limit requires approval of the Graduate Department of Counseling (GDC) Faculty. However, only one such extension may be considered due to special circumstances, such as ill health. Reinstatement to the program after withdrawal requires Admissions Committee action and may subject the student to additional requirements for the program.
The MA in School Counseling program is generally 2-4 years in length with 54 semester hours of course work (60 for Track II students) required as a minimum for graduation. Of those hours, 3 are in spiritual integration coursework, 23 in prescribed school counseling core courses, and 4 clinical internship hours.
Each student must complete the program requirements based on the following verification of teaching license and prerequisite teaching experience:
Each student must complete 20 hours of personal counseling/therapy as part of the MA in School Counseling program. Additionally, an ongoing review process serves as a way to assess the student's fit for the program; fit for the profession; emotional, psychological, and intellectual ability; as well as maturity level for functioning safely as a mental health professional. GDC faculty will review students each fall and spring semester. During spring term prior to internship, students must pass a national exam before they can start their internship: the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE). Only students who pass the national exam may start their internship after having completed all prerequisites. For more specific information, please refer to the student handbook.
In order to complete the MA in School Counseling program students must:
Notes: