School Counseling, Ed.S.

Return to: Department of Counseling and Psychological Services  

The Ed.S. major in School Counseling (elementary, middle, or secondary) prepares certified school counselors to function at higher levels of competence in their work settings.

Evaluation of a student’s performance is continuous and involves consideration of the student’s academic performance as well as the student’s performance in laboratory, practicum, and internship classes. A student may be withdrawn from a course and/or the program if the welfare of the student’s clientele or prospective clientele or the functioning of a school or agency is, in the judgment of the Department of Counseling and Psychological Services faculty, in jeopardy as a result of the student’s behavior. Students in this program are expected to follow the latest version of the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics, and the most recent version of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Ethical Standards for School Counselors.

Educator preparation Ed.S. programs address the following objectives:

• To develop advanced theoretical and practical knowledge in the areas of human growth and development, foundations of education, curriculum development, classroom practice, and educational measurement.
• To develop and apply knowledge of theory and research in the areas of supervision and school organization to the development and assessment of staff in-service and supervision.
• To develop and apply knowledge of research methodology to the assessment of curriculum content and organization and classroom practice.

Minimum Requirements for All Specialist Degrees

• Only courses taken after admission to the Specialist in Education degree program may be used to fulfill program requirements for the Ed.S. degree.
• Students must earn a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 calculated on all graduate coursework attempted while admitted to the Ed.S. program. The formal coursework requirement is satisfied through successful completion of each course in the program of study with a grade of “C” or higher.
• Coursework in which a grade below “C” is earned may not be applied to the specialist programs.
• Some departments require a grade of “B” or higher in specific courses and program areas. Students are responsible for contacting their departments regarding specific academic requirements that exceed college-wide minimums.
• Students must complete a minimum of 27 semester hours of program coursework at Georgia State University.
• Students seeking specialist-level teacher certification must have completed three years of appropriate school experience prior to completion of the Specialist in Education degree.
• No coursework may be more than six calendar years old at the time of graduation.

Comprehensive Examination

School Counseling. Successful completion of CPS 8661 - Applied Practice II: School Counseling : School Counseling satisfies the Comprehensive Examination requirement for this program.