School and Guidance Counselor Careers, Degree Programs, Resources and More

Provide support for young people when they need it most.

Get your school counseling degree today to make a difference in the lives of students.

As a school counselor, you can play an invaluable role in the lives of students and school communities overall. Guidance counseling degrees equip you with the training you need to assist students through critical issues, offering empathy and expertise that can change lives.

Why Become a School Counselor?

If you have a passion for working with young people, it’s likely you’ve given thought to the range of job opportunities available in school settings. Many who wish to work with children and adolescents become classroom teachers, which indeed can offer a fulfilling and intellectually rigorous career path. However, for those seeking a profession more oriented around providing mental health care and other social services for young people, a school counselor role will be better suited to your goals.

The work of a school counselor is, on the one hand, more focused on individual students than the work of teachers, and on the other, more engaged with the entire school community as a whole.

From designing intervention plans to support specific students who are struggling to creating and implementing campus-wide initiatives to address community issues, school counselors get to enjoy varied responsibilities that can play to a range of strengths. This keeps day-to-day work life engaging and allows school counselors to build relationships with people throughout the school community, from students to teachers to parents. Because their work connects them to so many different people, they are often uniquely beloved members of their schools.

The Role of a School Counselor

The day-to-day responsibilities of a school counselor depend entirely on the school where you work and the specific position you are there to fill. However, broadly speaking, there is a huge range of duties guidance counselors can take on to support students. These include:

• Providing one-on-one mental health counseling for students
• Monitoring individual students as well as the overall student body to ensure that all students are safe and well-resourced
• Designing intervention plans for students facing hardships, from academic issues to social-emotional issues to health and safety concerns
• Acting as a liaison between students, teachers, and parents to guarantee holistic support for students in need
• Creating and implementing educational programs to address issues and concerns facing the school community specifically
• Helping students prepare for college and/or other professional opportunities after graduation

These are just a selection of the many ways that school counselors can impact their school communities.

Some school counselors develop special training to focus their careers on particular issues. This can include learning specific therapeutic modalities, focusing on particular communities of students (such as LGBTQ+ students and undocumented students), and more. In your master’s program, you are likely to stick to the fundamentals of school counseling education, providing a broad base of knowledge to ensure that you are equipped to meet general expectations for school counselors at any school. However, those who are motivated to focus on a specific issue or community may have the opportunity to start developing this expertise through their field internships while in school.

A Brief History of the Guidance Counseling Profession

School and Guidance Counselors began working in schools at the turn of the 20th century, at a time when there was a growing need for young Americans to have access to career information as they completed their high school education.

This development was successful in easing students’ transition from school to work. Finding their work to be effective, school and guidance counselors began incorporating other student development procedures into their job duties, from mental health support to academic mentorship. They also have taken on larger roles on campus, taking responsibility for monitoring and managing the wellness of the student body as a whole. Having previously been engaged only with “micro-level” (that is, one on one) work, they are now more involved in work at the “macro” (school-wide) level as well.

Today, school and guidance counselors play an integral role in students’ lives, facilitating personal growth, development of motivation, and building positive attitudes and confidence in students. Contributing to the evolution of the school counseling field is an exciting and engaging part of this profession, allowing individual practitioners to bring bold visions to their jobs. This is one of the most rewarding parts of being a school counselor in this day and age, paving the way for a bright future on K-12 campuses nationwide.

Your School Counseling Career Starts With Your Education

No matter where in the United States you live, you’ll need a master’s degree related to school counseling in order to qualify for school counselor licensure, which is generally required of anyone in school counselor positions. This is to ensure that all school counselors have been thoroughly trained for the complex and sensitive responsibilities they’ll take on in their work.

Fortunately, there are numerous excellent ways to get a school counselor degree online or in person, at institutions all over the country.

With so many school counseling programs online, it’s easier than ever to access quality guidance counselor degrees without upending the rest of your life to do so.

A Range of Degree Pathways to a School Counselor Career

Though a master’s degree is a widespread requirement for school counselors, a Master of School Counseling degree is just one of several degree paths to the same career track. Other options include Master of Human Service Counseling, Master of Counseling Psychology, or Master of Educational Psychology degrees with concentrations in School Counseling.

Though much of the coursework of these programs is likely to overlap, the specific department that houses your degree program will likely narrow its emphasis. This means that, for example, those who are especially keen on providing one-on-one or group therapy to students may benefit most from a Master of Counseling Psychology degree with a concentration in School Counseling, as this education is likely to foreground these skills and services.

The Master’s Program: Timelines, Formats, and Other Things to Expect

Whether you’re pursuing your school counselor degree online or on-campus, the structure of your degree program is likely to stay the same. Though it’s always worth looking into the particulars of each school on your list, broadly speaking, you can expect your master’s program to match the following guidelines:

• Time to complete: Approximately 3 years on a full-time schedule, 4 years on a part-time schedule.
• Program formats (vary by institution): On-campus, hybrid, online
• Eligibility: Those with bachelor’s degrees in any subject
• Field practicum: Typically required on-campus at local K-12 schools

Your master’s coursework will include a mix of classroom education and hands-on internship experience where you’ll receive on-the-ground training. This will leave you eligible for state licensure as well as providing you with the work experience you need to launch a thriving school counselor career.

Online Education Options Can Put Your Education in Your Own Hands

There are terrific school counseling master’s programs in every state, and now that there are many school counseling programs online, incoming students have more opportunities than ever.

Those who choose to get their school counselor degree online will often have greater flexibility in their class schedules, allowing them to maintain outside responsibilities like day jobs and childcare.

Online degree programs also eliminate logistical inconveniences like commuting to and from campus or, for those who live far from school, the obligation to relocate to be closer to school. This can be game-changing for those who wish to pursue advanced degrees but can’t afford to upend their lives in the process.

It’s worth noting that because practicum experiences are a central part of school counselor education, even those enrolled in online degree programs will be expected to complete field internships in person at local K-12 schools. You should be able to find or even create opportunities at institutions that are convenient to you, meaning you will still have the ability to shape your schedule around your existing needs.

Build Expertise to Launch a Career That Will Last

It’s no secret that enrolling in a graduate program can take no small amount of time, effort, and money. For prospective students, this means it’s critical to know at the outset of your grad school experience that your hard work will pay off in the long run – i.e., in the form of a long-lasting and remunerative career.

Good news for those considering guidance counseling degrees: there are work opportunities at schools all over the country, and they’re showing no signs of slowing down.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that schools in every state in the country employ school counselors, with California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Illinois being the states with the very highest employment rates in the field. That said, no matter what state you live in, you should be able to find work as a school counselor, in roles that are ideally served in the long term. After all, school counselors play an indispensable role at most K-12 institutions, meaning job positions will likely always be available for them. This knowledge can help reassure prospective students that the investments you make in your school counseling education will amount to a dependable and lasting career in the long run.

Become a School or Guidance Counselor

No matter where you live, it’s almost completely certain you’ll be able to find an excellent graduate program that can prepare you for the work of a school counselor. Even if you intend to pursue your degree online, you’ll want to select a program in the state where you intend to practice as a school counselor, as this will best prepare you for the state’s licensing criteria.

Pick a state and learn how you can become a school or guidance counselor: