School Counseling Concentration

The School Counseling concentration is designed to meet the academic and field experience requirements for those students who are seeking licensure as a Professional School Counselor (PSC) in the state of Ohio. The major purpose of the Heidelberg University School Counselor Licensure is to develop, in students, the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to provide appropriate counseling services within the school setting. To qualify for licensure as a Professional School Counselor with the Ohio Department of Education, candidates must have completed at least 48 semester hours of coursework, including 100 hours of Practicum field experience and 600 hours of Internship field experience and must successfully pass the Praxis II exam.

A school counselor in the State of Ohio must have been graduated from an approved program of preparation and have been recommended by the head of teacher education. This individual must have completed an examination prescribed by the State Board of Education and evidenced the education and experience requirements which include:

A Master’s degree and 1) two years of successful teaching experience under a provisional or professional teacher license; OR (2) three years experience
as a licensed school counselor in another state, OR (3) successful completion of a school counselor induction year.

Non-Degree Seeking School Counselor Licensure Endorsement Program (SCLE)

A graduate student who is seeking school counselor licensure but is not seeking admission to the Master of Arts in Counseling Program must apply for admission to the School Counseling Licensure Endorsement Program. The application process for students who already have a Master’s degree in counseling and who are transferring from another school will consist of:

  • An application form*
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Transcripts of graduate work in counseling
  • Personal/professional statement focused on the candidate’s desire to become a licensed school counselor

There is no fee for the application and the applications will be maintained in the Graduate Studies Office. School Counseling faculty members will review the application. The student may be required to attend an admission interview. A recommendation for admission will be made to the Director of Graduate Studies in Counseling. Students will be notified if they are admitted to the SCLE in a timely fashion. If they are not admitted, they will not be permitted to take courses and they will not, under any circumstances, be endorsed for school counselor licensure.

*The application should be filed prior to taking any coursework as a nondegree student and must be filed by the end of the first semester in which the student is enrolled as a non-degree student. Under no circumstances will a student be allowed to enroll in COU 594 (Practicum in School Counseling) and/or COU 596 (Internship in School Counseling) without having been admitted to the school counselor licensure program.

Once admitted to the Endorsement Program students will need to complete an Endorsement Plan of Study which will specify which courses they need to complete prior to receiving endorsement for licensure from Heidelberg University. The Endorsement Plan of Study is an in-house document and does not require authorization beyond the Program Director and School Counseling Coordinator.

A student who has completed his/her Master’s degree in community counseling at Heidelberg University and is seeking admission to the School Counselor Licensure Endorsement Program (SCLE) will be required to submit graduate transcripts and a personal/professional statement of desire to become a school counselor. Their application should be submitted to the School Counseling Coordinator for consideration. The student will not be required to seek full admission to the Graduate Studies Program. The School Counseling Coordinator will review the students’ paperwork
(transcripts and statement) and make a determination related to their Endorsement Plan of Study. These students will finish their coursework for the endorsement program as non-degree seeking students.

Upon finishing their courses and passing the Praxis examination, they will be recommended to the Ohio Department of Education for licensure as a school counselor. Current students in the Master of Arts in Community Counseling who wish to transfer into the School Counselor Licensure Program are required to officially notify their academic advisor of their desire to change concentrations. They will need to meet with the School Counseling Coordinator to review their transcripts and determine their Endorsement Plan of Study.