School Counseling, M.S.

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Introduction
The master of science degree in school counseling program provides a basic preparation in school counseling that leads to certification by the State of Wisconsin for employment in the public schools.

Students who seek certification from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction must meet both elementary and secondary requirements for certification as a school counselor on a PK-12 basis.

Admission
To be admitted with full status to this program, the applicant must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college and have an overall grade point average of at least 3.0. Applicants may be admitted on probationary status if their overall grade point average is at least 2.75, but less than 3.0. These exceptions are subject to a strict limit of 10 percent of the students in the program and must be individually negotiated with the recommendation of the program director and the approval of the Graduate School. 

Both the Graduate School Application form (obtainable online at http://www.uwstout.edu/grad/prospect/apply.cfm) and a Program Application form (obtainable online at http://www.uwstout.edu/programs/mssc/apply.cfm) must be submitted by each applicant, including the documents identified on these two forms. Applicants must have presented and filed all required Graduate School documents to the Graduate School office by January 1. After committee review, personal interview for selected applicants, and completion of a background check, notification of acceptance decision will be made by April 1. Rolling admissions will be considered based on space availability.  

Students will be admitted on the basis of academic performance, admissibility to the Graduate School, recommendations and rankings of a screening committee, and successful completion of a mandatory background check. These rankings are based on: 1. Experience in a helping profession, i.e., counseling, education, social work, psychology and volunteer activities; 2. Letters of recommendation and/or references from employers, instructors and consumers of services provided by the applicant; 3. An autobiographical statement in which the applicant has outlined assets and liabilities as a potential school counselor trainee; and 4. Academic performance and potential as demonstrated by performance in undergraduate coursework, and any additional graduate coursework. A personal interview is also required. The interview is scheduled with selected applicants following review of application materials.

Requirements
The degree requires a minimum of 54 credit hours. Transfer credits may not exceed 17. An overall graduate grade point average of 3.0 or better is required. Students must also be approved for degree candidacy at the appropriate time and follow the approved program plan.
 

Note: This program is designed to meet the requirements for licensure in the State of Wisconsin. If you reside outside of Wisconsin, please note that UW-Stout cannot confirm whether this program (or course) meets requirements for professional licensure in your state. Students from other states will need to contact their state regarding licensure requirements.  

General Requirements
Master of Science Degree