How to Become a Utah School Counselor

Where are you on your quest to become a Utah 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 Utah. 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 Utah Department of Education licensing department at (801) 538-7740.

I’m a High School Graduate…

As a high school graduate researching the Utah school counselor career, you are in a great position to take advantage of many opportunities. Whether you are from St. George, Provo, Salt Lake City or anywhere else across Utah, you will find many opportunities to learn more about careers in education. So, don’t stop here!

Below are recommended steps that will help you learn how to advance your current level of education as well as opportunities to help you learn more about whether a career as a Utah School Counselor is right for you!

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 Utah:

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah
• Utah School Districts and Links to their websites
  • 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.

As a final message, do not be afraid to get out there and contact mentoring services or schools. The only way to learn whether the Utah school counseling career is right for you is to jump into the educational environment and learn first-hand.

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I have already earned a college degree…

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

Step One:

Fulfill educational requirements through one of the following avenues:

1. 1. Earn a Master’s degree in School Counseling
      
      
   2. Or find more school counseling programs in Utah here.

1. Earn a Master’s degree in Counseling or a related field. Call the USOE at (801) 538-7740 to learn of any additional courses you would need to complete in order to be eligible for level 1 Utah school counselor certification. The following are schools offering Master’s level programs in counseling:
   
   • Schools offering Education programs in Utah

Step Two:

If you have not already completed two years of teaching experience prior to applying for your Utah school counselor certification, you will need to complete 600 hours of supervised field experience.

If you have already completed two years of teaching experience, you will only need to complete 400 hours of field experience.

Step Three:

Prior to applying for your certification, you will need to complete a criminal background check.

For more information about fingerprinting procedures and the background check process, click on the following USOE link.

Step Four:

In most cases, your school counseling preparation program university will assist you in the application process. However, if you wish to speak with a USOE representative in order to receive more information, call the following number: (801) 538-7740

In addition, there will be application processing fees. You can find the amounts of these fees on the following USOE webpage.

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I’m a certified counselor from another state…

The Utah State Office of Education does recognize out-of-state school counselor certifications through reciprocity agreements. However, you will still need to complete a criminal history background check as well as have your current credentials evaluated.

For more information about downloading the application, application processing fees and additional procedures, view the following USOE webpage.

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