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MEd in School and Community Counseling

At the intersection of school and community life, an opportunity for you to support students and their families

Are you ready to work as a licensed professional counselor in schools or at community organizations? Our nationally recognized faculty are experts in social justice and ready to work with you to confront racism, achievement gaps, and other discrimination in our education system.

Want to learn more?

Here are answers to our Frequently Asked Questions.

Our Commitment to You

4 faculty labs dedicated to social justice-focused research, including racism, achievement gaps, immigration, and micro-aggressions

Upon graduation with an MEd in School and Community Counseling degree from Loyola, you will possess the following knowledge, skills, and professional values necessary to commence a career in counseling and consultation on personal and educational issues, as well as career development and adjustment. You'll also be eligible to apply for licensing as a professional counselor after two years of post-degree supervised experience.

Knowledge

You'll learn foundational practices in counseling in both school and community environments, with an emphasis on social justice and cultural sensitivity.

 

Skills

In addition to mastering counseling techniques for patients with a wide variety of life experiences, you'll also gain real-world experiences through your practicum and internship. With Chicago as your classroom, you'll have firsthand experiential learning opportunities at the Chicago Public Schools and level-one trauma centers, researching action-oriented projects that have an immediate impact on the community.

Professional Values

Our goal is to prepare culturally sensitive practitioners who, regardless of the setting, base their practices on scholarly inquiry. You'll be committed to social justice, and embrace the role of change agent and advocate in our education system.

Program Faculty

Our dedicated Counseling Faculty are experts in their fields who will support students throughout each stage of the program.

Check out this video to learn more about their experiences and expertise in the field.

Curriculum

Completion of the MEd degree program requires 57 semester hours of graduate study focused in two major areas: counseling core and a specialty area (school and community). This includes 700 clock hours of practicum and internship experience (taken for six semester hours of credit). Students must also take and pass comprehensive examinations during their final semester of study. Students have five years from acceptance to complete the program.

For more information about the following items, please refer to the Counseling Student Handbook 2022-2023

Program Length

Full-time students complete the program in two years, including summers. Part-time study is also available.

Continuous Enrollments
MEd students in School and Community Counseling are required to maintain the status of continuous enrollment during their program of studies. This means that during each semester of each academic year (excluding Summer Sessions), each student must enroll in at least one course. A formal leave of absence may be granted upon request and the approval of the School of Education’s Assistant Dean of Student Academic Affairs.

Degree Requirements

Undergraduate Prerequisites

Students should present transcript evidence of successful completion ("B" or better) of an introductory statistics course or its equivalent. Ideally, students will have completed this course prior to the start of the program.

Counseling Core (27 semester hours)

  • CPSY 420: Counseling Skills
  • CPSY 421: Professional Issues in Counseling
  • CPSY 423: Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy
  • CPSY 424: Career Development and Counseling
  • CPSY 425: Assessment in Counseling
  • CPSY 426: Group Counseling
  • CPSY 433: Multicultural Counseling
  • CPSY 454: Human Development
  • RMTD 400: Introduction to Research Methodology

Specialty Area: Community Counseling Practice (12 semester hours)

  • CPSY 427: Introduction to Clinical Mental Health 
    Counseling
  • CPSY 437: Addictions Counseling
  • CPSY 444: Family Therapy I
  • CPSY 528: Diagnostic Appraisal to Treatment Planning

Specialty Area: School Counseling Practice (9 semester hours)

  • CPSY 428: Foundations of Professional School 
    Counseling
  • CPSY 431: Advanced School Counseling and Consultation
  • CPSY 458: Adolescent Development and Counseling

Reading Requirement (3 semester hours)

  • CIEP 423: Advanced Literacy Instruction

Clinical Training (6 semester hours)

  • CPSY440: Practicum
  • CPSY 441: Internship

Practicum/Internship requires 700 hours of supervised experience in a setting relevant to both community counseling and school counseling practice.

Additional Education Courses

School Counseling licensure in Illinois requires a teaching certificate or additional course work in education. Students in the M.Ed. program in School and Community Counseling who do not hold teaching certificates must complete the following additional course work to be license-eligible in Illinois. These courses are:

  • The Exceptional Child
  • Instructional Strategies for Diverse Populations
  • School Administration (or equivalent)

Comprehensive Assessment

Students will complete exams in school counseling and community counseling. See program handbook for details. Comprehensive examination application deadlines are as follows (see the School of Education Calendar for comprehensive exam dates).

Licensure

The curriculum of the MEd program reflects current requirements for licensure in the State of Illinois. Licensure is handled by individual states, and portability of licensure across state lines differs according to each state. The Department of Professional Regulation in the State of Illinois has adopted the certification exam developed and administered by the National Board of Certified Counselors. Many states use this exam for licensure purposes, so scores from the exam can be transferred. Coursework, including the number of hours required, differ across states. Students interested in completing licensure or certification in another state are strongly advised to consult the professional regulation boards prior to enrolling at Loyola to determine the appropriate coursework required. Students should also stay apprised of licensure requirements throughout the program.

The school counseling licensure exam must be taken in the semester prior to beginning CPSY 441: Internship, in the spring semester. The ISBE website provides information on dates on which exams are given, fees, and registration procedures. Both examTAP and school counseling) are administered by ISBE, not Loyola, and you must register with ISBE to take them.

Admission Requirements

Interested in applying? Check out the MEd School and Community Counseling application requirements.

 

Contact

Tuition, Financial Aid and Scholarships

The School of Education and Loyola's Financial Aid Office are committed to helping students secure the necessary financial resources to make their education at Loyola affordable. You can learn more on the Financial Assistance page.

Curriculum

Completion of the MEd degree program requires 57 semester hours of graduate study focused in two major areas: counseling core and a specialty area (school and community). This includes 700 clock hours of practicum and internship experience (taken for six semester hours of credit). Students must also take and pass comprehensive examinations during their final semester of study. Students have five years from acceptance to complete the program.

For more information about the following items, please refer to the Counseling Student Handbook 2022-2023

Admission Requirements

Interested in applying? Check out the MEd School and Community Counseling application requirements.

 

Contact

Tuition, Financial Aid and Scholarships

The School of Education and Loyola's Financial Aid Office are committed to helping students secure the necessary financial resources to make their education at Loyola affordable. You can learn more on the Financial Assistance page.