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School Counseling - M.A.

School counselors shape the lives of their students by helping them reach their academic and personal goals. This program prepares graduate students for certification as K-12 counselors in New York State.

Why Choose School Counseling?

You know that child who walks a little taller whenever you’re around because you’ve helped grow their confidence? You feel yourself grin and you walk a little taller. What if you could feel that way nearly every day of your career?

To accomplish this and other goals, become a school counselor. Through the Manhattan College school counseling master’s degree program, you will work with students from diverse ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, and develop the tools to become a caring empathetic human service provider.

The Manhattan College master's degree in school counseling is grounded in research and shaped by the real-world needs of schools and organizations. Courses teach established methods, as well as emerging thought and practice, like our course in Hip-Hop and School Counseling, the only one of its kind in the country. 

Graduates of the program meet the requirements for certification as a school counselor in New York State, after passing a state-administered test. You will also be eligible for certification in neighboring states New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.

Students who complete the M.A. in School Counseling have the option to then complete an Advanced Certificate in Mental Health Counseling towards dual certification/license as a school counselor and mental health counselor in NYS.

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60

Minimum Credit Hours

Online Blended

In-person and online coursework

Hip-Hop & Counseling

Nation's only hip-hop counseling course

700

Internship hours

The small class sizes, rigorous curriculum, and empathic support from the professors allowed me to better understand and appreciate the work we do in guiding youth academically, emotionally, and professionally.

Rachel Bowers ’22 (M.A.), School Counseling Program Graduate

A Program That's Truly Unique. 

The Manhattan College school counseling master's program teaches culturally sustaining, anti-racist practices that support youth development. We’re the only program in the country offering a Hip-Hop and School Counseling Praxis course, which help students connect with today’s teenagers through music. After learning hip-hop-based counseling theory, students implement it directly with youth in a local Bronx high school.

Plus, all classes in the program are small providing you and your professors the opportunity to collaborate and get to know one another. We welcome students from diverse educational backgrounds and professional experiences like economics and finance, as well as humanities teachers, engineers, and others.  

  • Find Learning That Matches Your Lifestyle

    The M.A. in school counseling is designed for the working professional. This program is available in an online blended format, meaning a mix of in-person and synchronous online classes. Note: there is at least one in-person course required for this degree program. Our program includes full-time students, who typically complete the degree in two years and part-time students, who complete the degree in three years.

  • Join an Enthusiastic Community

    Our Lasallian Catholic heritage is the source of our focus on quality education for all and service to our neighbors in need. It’s also the source of our spirited, inclusive community. You’ll find yourself supported and heard by your classmates and professors. 

    As a graduate student in the school counseling master’s program, you can also join the Center for Optimal College Readiness, which places graduate counselors-in-training at several local schools. You’ll work with students, teachers, and counselors, while collaborating with a team and making a difference in the local community.

Build Valuable Skills

You will graduate with the skill sets and confidence to guide students through their development, so they can focus on academics, activities, and personal growth.

Learn to:  

  • Help students understand and overcome social or behavioral problems through classroom guidance lessons and counseling
  • Counsel individuals and small groups based on student and school needs
  • Work with students to develop organizational and time management abilities and effective study habits
  • Help students create a plan to achieve academic and career goals
  • Engage students in career and college readiness
  • Maintain the empathic mindset of a human service professional

  • Discover Professional Opportunities

    nyc internships

    As part of the program’s curriculum, you will complete a school counseling internship under the supervision of a local school counselor in a K-12 setting. There, you’ll connect with students from diverse ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. 

    Our graduates are employed across New York City and Westchester County. Many return to serve as our internship site supervisors and offer mentorship to current graduate students.

    After graduation, alumni build careers as school counselors, directors of counseling, and pursue doctoral degrees. For many, the School Counseling master’s degree offers a pathway to district-level school counseling, school building leadership, and other leadership positions. 

  • Admission Requirements
    • Applicants for master's programs must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or institution.
    • Normally, an undergraduate GPA of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale is required, although other factors may be considered in the decision for admission.
    • Ideally, applicants should have suitable preparation in the behavioral sciences. Consideration will be given for teaching experience and for other applicable experience. Applicants who possess a bachelor's degree but do not have relevant background experience may be required to take prerequisite courses for admission. 
    • Other factors will be considered for admission, such as years of professional experience, a high average in your major field, scores on required standardized tests, or academic development beyond the baccalaureate degree.

    Graduate Admission Requirements

  • Program Requirements

    Students in the 60-credit program seeking school counseling certification must take all the required courses, as well as counseling and therapy programs, and blended programs.

    See the degree requirements

Meet Our Faculty

  • Browse Department Faculty

    Professor of School Counseling program

    Led by Ian Levy, Ph.D., the faculty in this department are more than professors — they’re practitioners — from mental health and school counselors to psychologists. Their diverse training and years of job knowledge will enhance your classroom experience and accelerate your learning.

    Levy leads the School Counseling Research Team, through which you’ll have opportunities to practice and empirically evaluate creative and culturally responsive interventions.