Master of Counseling Degree (M.Coun.) - School Counselors Pocatello Campus Only
School Counseling Program Objectives
The School Counseling specialty prepares graduates to work within PK–12 educational systems by developing comprehensive counseling programs, advocating for equitable student outcomes, and collaborating with students, families, educators, and community partners. Graduates address academic, career, and social-emotional needs through culturally responsive practices, crisis support, and interventions that promote achievement and successful transitions after high school. In addition to the CACREP common core objectives, the specialty practice area of school counseling will:
- Graduates apply culturally competent school counseling models, PK–12 career development approaches, collaboration and consultation strategies, and school-based interventions.
- Graduates design and evaluate school counseling program components, including mission statements, objectives, comprehensive curricula, lesson plans, classroom management strategies, and instructional approaches.
- Graduates demonstrate leadership and advocacy within school counseling systems.
- Graduates apply crisis response procedures, screen PK–12 students for warning signs of mental health and behavioral disorders, and use social-emotional and trauma-informed counseling practices in schools.
- Graduates consult with families, PK–12 and postsecondary personnel, and other referral sources to support students.
- Graduates analyze culturally competent and trauma-informed counseling practices to identify barriers to student success and support academic achievement and graduation.
- Graduates implement interventions that promote equity in student achievement and support successful postsecondary transitions.
For the Master of Counseling (M.Coun.) degree, the student is required to complete the equivalent of at least four full semesters of resident graduate study beyond the bachelor's degree. The minimum School Counseling program must total 60 semester hours.
The School Counseling program in the ISU Department of Counseling exceeds the requirements for school counselor endorsement in Idaho. In order to receive an institutional endorsement for school counseling from the ISU Department of Counseling, students must satisfactorily complete all curricular requirements in the School Counseling major, including 1000 hours of clinical experience. The Idaho State Board of Education requires clinical experience at each level: elementary, middle, and high school. In addition, up to 25% of clinical experiences may be performed outside the school setting. Therefore, School Counseling majors may accrue a maximum of 250 hours of the 1000 required in a non-school setting approved by the department faculty. Students interested in pursuing school counseling credentials outside of Idaho are advised to contact the State Board of Education in the particular state to understand the specific requirements for curricular and clinic experiences.
The Idaho Counselor Licensing Board requires the following for licensable hours:
“Section 150 02. Supervised Experience Requirement. One thousand (1,000) hours of supervised experience in counseling acceptable to the Board. (7-1-93)
- One thousand (1,000) hours is defined as one thousand (1,000) clock hours of experience working in a counseling setting, four hundred (400) hours of which shall be direct client contact. Supervised experience in practicum and/or internships taken at the graduate level may be utilized. The supervised experience shall include a minimum of one (1) hour of face-to-face or one-to-one (1/1) or one-to-two (1/2) supervision with the supervisor for every twenty (20) hours of job/internship experience. Face-to-face may include a face-to-face setting provided by a secure live electronic connection between the supervisor and supervisee. As stated under Subsection 150.01.a.iii. counseling practicum experienceas opposed to job or internship experience shall be supervised at a ratio of one (1) hour of supervision for every ten (10) hours in the settings. For example: (3-29-12)
- A person in a twenty (20) hour per week job/internship who is receiving one (1) hour of individual supervision each week would accumulate one thousand (1,000) supervised hours in fifty (50) weeks to equal the twenty to one (20/1) ratio. (7-1-93)
- A person in a forty (40) hour per week setting with one (1) hour of supervision per week would still require fifty (50) weeks to equal the twenty to one (20/1) ratio. (7-1-93)
- A person in a forty (40) hour per week setting with two (2) hours of supervision per week would accumulate the one thousand (1,000) hours at the twenty to one (20/1) supervision ratio in twenty-five (25) weeks. (7-1-93)
- Until July 1, 2004, the supervision must be provided by a Professional Counselor or a Clinical Professional Counselor licensed by the state of Idaho. Effective July 1, 2010, supervision must be provided by a counselor education faculty member at an accredited college or university; Professional Counselor, registered with the Board as a supervisor; a Clinical Professional Counselor, registered with the Board as a supervisor; a Marriage and Family Therapist, registered with the Board as a supervisor; a Clinical Social Worker registered as a supervisor with the Board of Social Work; a licensed Psychologist; or a licensed Psychiatrist, licensed by the state of Idaho. Supervision by a professional counseling peer, however, may be acceptable to the Board if the peer/supervisory relationship include the same controls and procedures expected in an internship setting. (See Subsection 150.02.a.) For example, the relationship should include the staffing of cases, the critiquing of counseling tapes and this supervision must be conducted in a formal, professional, consistent manner on a regularly scheduled basis.”
In the Department of Counseling, supervision by doctoral students who have received supervision training are viewed as acceptable to the Board. The Department of Counseling prefers that students seek out practicum and internship settings that have a licensed professional counselor first, before considering a site in which supervision is provided by a different mental health professional. Your development as a professional counselor occurs not only while in class at ISU but also during your clinical experiences outside of ISU. Mentoring by a professional counselor during your clinical supervision is a vital part of your emergent identity as a professional counselor.
Please note: Students are responsible for ensuring a site supervisor is registered with the IBOL prior to accepting a site for practicum or internship.
If you intend to be licensed or certified in a state other than Idaho, you are advised to:
- Review the licensing information for the program(s) below; and
- Contact the appropriate licensing agency in the U.S. states and territories where licensure is intended to ensure that you have the most up-to-date information about licensure requirements and confirm how an ISU program aligns with those requirements. Because requirements may change during the course of your program of study, we recommend that you check licensing agency requirements regularly to monitor whether any changes may impact your licensure plans.
- For more information please see the ISU license disclosure or the Department of Counseling license disclosure.
