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Master's in Guidance Counseling Degree: Requirements

Published Sep 12, 2009

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A master's degree in guidance counseling qualifies graduates to work as guidance counselors in public or private schools, particularly at the high school level. The following article describes the typical course requirements for a master's degree in guidance counseling.

Introduction to School Guidance Counseling

This course is a continuation of undergraduate counseling courses, with a specific emphasis on the job duties and responsibilities of school guidance counselors. In some colleges, a foundational guidance counseling class at the master's level includes scholarly research.

Theories of Counseling

Various theoretical approaches to counseling, such as behavioral, psychoanalytical and Jungian, are examined in this basic guidance counseling course. A course in counseling theories for guidance counselors includes a study of the effectiveness of different theories at various stages of human development.

Substance Abuse Treatment and Prevention

Students explore recent research into effective substance abuse programs and the guidance counselor's role in seeking help for students with substance abuse problems. The course also helps future guidance counselors determine how to handle students with substance abuse problems in the home.

Multicultural Counseling

A course in multicultural counseling teaches guidance counseling students the importance of developing an awareness of different cultural perspectives and how they affect a student's behavior. It also examines the impact of diversity on group dynamics in a school setting.

Developmental Psychology

Developmental psych offers an overview of the maturing process of humans from birth to old age, with an emphasis on the K-12 age group. Students examine both normal and abnormal development in such areas as physical growth, cognition, language development and social and emotional maturity.

Ethic and Legal Issues for School Counselors

Guidance counseling students who take an ethics and law course study federal and state regulations, constitutional issues, court decisions at all levels and examine liability concerns as they pertain to school settings and school-age children. The course also covers privacy and confidentiality laws, the Americans with Disabilities Act and other relevant legislation.

Practicum

Students enrolled in a master's program guidance counseling are required to complete a supervised practicum at a school or approved community agency. The number of practicum hours varies according to the college or university's requirements.

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