How to Become an Idaho School Counselor

Where are you on your quest to become an Idaho 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 Idaho. 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 Idaho Department of Education licensing department at (208) 332-6880.

I’m a High School Graduate…

As an Idaho High School graduate, you are in a great place to begin doing research on the idaho school counseling career. You will have ample opportunities to explore various other careers in education while you still take steps towar fulfilling the idaho school counseling requirements.

Below are suggested next steps for learning more about whether the school counseling career is the right one for you as well as moving closer toward being qualified for the career.

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 Idaho:

• Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Southwest Idaho
• Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Southeast Idaho
• List of K-12 School Websites and Contact Info
  • 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.

Do not be afraid to get involved as soon as possible. The earlier you begin learning about careers, the sooner you will be able to make an educated decision about your future.

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I have already earned a college degree…

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

Step One:

Fulfill educational requirements through the following avenue:

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

Step Two:

You will need to have complete 700 clock hours of supervised counseling experience. You will likely complete this experience requirement as part of your school counseling education program.

Step Three:

The rest of the requirements such as the institutional recommendation, the background check, examination requirements and application procedures are explained on the Idaho Department of Education Website.

The field of school counseling in Idaho is one of growing importance. The need for more adaptable and confident high school graduates is increasingly evident in our fast paced global economy. Satisfying this need is going to happen in large part to the efforts of Idaho school counselors with the psychological expertise to shape curriculum and define the real goals of educational programs.

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I’m a certified counselor from another state…

Idaho will examine the credentials of school counselors from any state. As long as your qualifications are comparable to the idaho school counseling certification requirements, you will be awarded an Idaho school counseling certification upon completion of an application and review of your school counseling education program.

You can review Idaho’s requirements for certification here.

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