Counselor education
Help others grow academically and professionally
With a Masters of Arts in counselor education, you’ll be qualified to counsel individuals and groups throughout their lifespan. Become a licensed school counselor and help students develop academically, personally/socially, and in their careers. Or work towards becoming a licensed mental health professional (LPC or LPCC) and work in a community setting. Whatever you decide, a master's in counselor education leads to a fulfilling career that allows you to do well by doing good.
Careers
- Licensed K-12 school counselor
- Higher education/college counselor
- Mental health professional in a community agency
Note: The GRE is no longer required for admission into the counselor education program.
Latest news
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Dates and deadlines
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Coursework and related licensures
Coursework
The counselor education program is a two-year, full-time program. You’ll study individual, group, and family counseling, research and evaluation, counseling theory, human growth and development, diagnostic assessment, social and cultural foundations, ethics, and career development.
Area of emphasis
Your curriculum requirements will depend on the area of emphasis you choose:
- School counseling
- Clinical mental health
Curriculum
Practicum / internship
During your second year, you’ll spend two to three full days per week at an internship site practicing your counseling skills under the supervision of an appropriately trained counselor.
Counselor Research Practicum sequence
The counselor education program offers students the opportunity to participate in the Counseling Research Practicum sequence. This unique opportunity is offered by relatively few counseling programs. Students who take this sequence develop applied research expertise consistent with their responsibilities as licensed professional counselors, licensed professional clinical counselors, school counselors, and professionals in other counseling-related fields. Courses in this sequence provide students interested in participating in a research project the opportunity to document that participation on their transcript. Class requirements are tailored to support your research participation with a research mentor and research team. Learn more.
Licenses you'll prepare for
Successful completion of the counselor education MA program prepares you to pursue the following Minnesota licensures:
Tuition
Visit the College of Education and Human Development's Finance and Funding page for information on tuition.
Funding
Scholarships
Once you enroll in the program, you will be able to apply for the Sunny Hansen BORN Free Scholarship Fund, Counselor Education Fund, or Kay Herting Wahl Fund. Awards range from $500 to $2,000, and students may begin applying in their first year.
- The Sunny Hansen BORN FREE Scholarship Fund
- Counselor Education Fund
- Kay Herting Wahl Fund
- Additional College of Education and Human Development’s Tuition, Aid and Scholarships
Financial aid
- Visit the College of Education and Human Development's Finance and Funding page for more information on funding.
- Visit OneStop Student Services for more information on available financial aid.
Diversity and inclusion
The Department of Educational Psychology is deeply committed to increasing the diversity of our undergraduate and graduate programs, of our teaching and learning, of our research and clinical practice, and of our outreach and service across fields of educational psychology. Visit our diversity and inclusion page to learn more about our commitment to diversity and resources to help all students succeed.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this program was my cohort, it is very energizing to be surrounded by people who are passionate about the same thing you are.
Marin Thuen, MA '15
School Counselor, Olson Middle School
Read more about Marin's experience
Other counselor education alumni profiles
Faculty and staff
Carolyn Berger Program coordinator
caberger@umn.edu
- Postsecondary and career readiness
- Gender identity
- Accountability practices
- Best practices for designing and evaluating research-based counseling interventions
- School-based mental health
- University and school collaborations and partnerships
Seth Christman chri2031@umn.edu
- College student mental health
- LGBTQ+ experiences of trauma and resilience
- Intersectionality, anti-oppressive practices, and healing in teaching, research, and therapy
- Supervision & mentorship in counseling and psychology
Marguerite OhrtmanMA clinical training director
mohrtman@umn.edu
- Social media and anxiety with students
- Working with at-risk students and their families
- Training of school counselors
- Resiliency and impact of school counselors
- Leadership in school counseling
- School-based mental health
- University and school collaborations and partnerships
Feven Seifufseifu@umn.edu
- Existential issues (meaning of life and death in particular)
- Impacts of death awareness on a person’s life, but more specifically on goals (intrinsic versus extrinsic), values, and sense of connectedness
- Experiences of near-death survivors
Sherri Turnerturne047@umn.edu
- Methods and factors that facilitate the career development of underrepresented and urban adolescents
- Native American STEM career development
- Counseling/counseling psychology research
- Current: Pandemic-related research