How to Become a Maine School Counselor

Where are you on your quest to become a Maine School Counselor?

• I’m a High School Graduate…
• I have already earned a college degree…
• I’m a certified counselor from another state…

Explore the information below and learn how you can become a school counselor in Maine. Some of the information below may be subject to change. In order to make sure you have the most current information, please feel free to contact your school counseling education program advisor or contact the Maine Department of Education licensing department at (207) 624-6603.

I’m a High School Graduate…

As a high school graduate researching the Maine school counselor career, you are in a fantastic position to learn whether a career in education is right for you as well as gain the right education and experience that will secure a future career.

The following are recommended steps you can take in order to immerse yourself in environments similar to those educators experience as well as steps that will help you begin gaining the qualifications necessary for eventual Maine school counseling certification.

Step One:

Gather information from schools offering associate degree programs or bachelor degree programs in psychology, counseling or any type of program you are currently interested in. It is not imperative you enroll in a counseling program at this point. The only necessity is that you begin earning your associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree.

Step Two:

A great way to find out if you are interested in a social service type of career, like school counseling, is to find volunteering organizations who work with children or young adults. The following are links to organizations who can place you in volunteering positions across the state of Maine:

• Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Southern Maine
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine
• List of Maine School Districts with contact information
  • Use this link to find schools near you as well as each school’s contact information. Contact these schools to find out if there are any volunteer programs you may participate in.

So, you’ve begun your career research… Don’t stop now! Get involved today and learn as soon as you can whether a career in education is right for you. Begin earning your Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree and create great career options even if you do not decide to become a Maine school counselor.

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I have already earned a college degree…

The following are the steps necessary for earning your school counseling certification in Maine:

Step One:

You will need to fulfill the following educational requirements:

• • Earn a Master’s degree in School Counseling
    
    
  • Or find school counseling programs in Maine here.

• Or, Earn a Master’s in any other field and then separately, complete a school counseling program from an approved educational institution.

You can find more information on educational requirements on the Maine Department of Education’s website Ch. 115 Part II.

Step Two:

An additional educational requirement is the completion of an approved course for “Teaching Exceptional Students in the Regular Classroom”

Step Three:

Request the Maine Department of Education send you a full application packet. You can request this information on the following form.

Step Four:

You should use the information from the following link from the Maine Department of Education in order to make sure you are completing all the necessary steps.

The previous link should bring you to a webpage that provides information about fees, fingerprinting, transcripts, and examination requirements.

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I’m a certified counselor from another state…

Maine does in fact recognize school counseling certifications from other states. However, you will still need to fill out an application and have your credentials evaluated to make sure all of Maine’s school couseling requirements are met.

You can find information on the application procedure, here.

And you can request all the application materials, as well as fingerprinting information and material, on the Maine Department of Education website.

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