Counselor Education

Mission Statement

The mission of the School Counseling Program is to prepare professional school counselors who are equipped to serve diverse student populations within elementary and secondary school settings. Students acquire a strong foundation in the counseling core and specialized preparation in program development, consultation, intervention, counseling children and adolescents, multicultural counseling, advocacy, and individual and group appraisal. Students become competent in utilizing the Alabama State Department of Education Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance Plan and national school counseling standards to support student success.

The program is committed to recruiting, mentoring, and supporting culturally responsive and multilingual school counseling candidates who are prepared to work effectively with students, families, schools, and communities from diverse cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. The focus of the program is to prepare school counselors who can address students’ academic, career, and personal/social development needs while promoting equity, inclusion, advocacy, and access to educational opportunities for all learners. Teaching, scholarship, service, self-awareness, intellectual development, multicultural competence, and social consciousness are values demonstrated and encouraged throughout the program.

Prior to registering for ECG 593 (School Counseling Internship I) All students MUST pass the Praxis II/Subject Content Exam: School Counseling.  Dates & registration info.

All School Counseling students are required to take the Praxis II for Professional School Counselors Content. In addition, students are required to produce Praxis II exam scores in order to register for ECG 593.  

Office of Accreditation, Certification & Partnership Initiatives (OACPI) provides certification advisement for the College of Education and Professional Studies.  They will attempt to answer all questions regarding certification.  The first link will give you access to their homepage and the second link is Alabama Certification Instructions.

256-782-5054

Mission Statement

The mission of the Counselor Education Program, Clinical Mental Health Counseling Concentration, is to prepare graduate students from northeast Alabama and the surrounding region for success as they move toward: 1) counseling positions in community mental health agencies, schools, hospitals, and related institutions; 2) LPC licensure application in Alabama and Georgia; and/or 3) continued progress toward a terminal degree in Counselor Education. Qualified and experienced faculty mentor each counselor-in-training, many of whom are first-generation college students and represent diverse backgrounds and experiences.

The program is committed to recruiting, supporting, and preparing culturally responsive and multilingual counseling professionals who can effectively serve diverse and underserved populations, including multilingual communities and individuals from varied cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. The program is designed to identify, train, and assist candidates who have or gain the skills, professional dispositions, multicultural awareness, advocacy competencies, and ethical decision-making abilities needed to become capable counselors and creative leaders prepared to meet the mental health challenges of the 21st century.

Prior to graduation, students who are in the non-traditional CACREP-option track must pass the National Counselor Exam (NCE). This exam is only offered twice per year (April and October), registration deadlines are far in advance (January and July). Please schedule this exam appropriately so it will not impede your progress through the program.  To start the application process, please send the following information to the program testing coordinator, Dr. Torten Dryden, tdryden@jsu.edu - First and last name, JSU email address, phone number, degree type (MS), degree track (CMHC or School), expected graduation date.