Provide Effective Student Care and Counseling with a Master’s in Educational Counseling Online from Liberty
Think about a person who had a great influence on the path your life took. Is there a teacher from your past who comes to mind? If you are passionate about being a positive role model in a child’s life, then becoming a school counselor might be the right career path for you. As a counselor, you will have the chance to help children navigate their often difficult and overwhelming years in school.
Liberty University’s CACREP-accredited Master of Education (M.Ed.) in School Counseling can help equip you to work as a school counselor in Christian, public, and private schools. This program is also accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). By pursuing your master’s in educational counseling online from a university with this level of accreditation, you can be confident that you’re receiving an education of the highest quality.
So, why get a Master of Education in School Counseling? Through this degree, you can gain advanced counseling and psychology skills with an emphasis on ethics, techniques, assessment, evaluation, and group counseling. This M.Ed. program provides specialized preparation for individuals seeking K-12 school counseling licensure** – so you can get the credentials you need to counsel students from many different backgrounds.
As you work toward becoming a school counselor, it’s essential that you gain both practical and theoretical knowledge to apply in real-life situations. Our online master’s in school counseling degree will train you to help students face various challenges and set realistic goals for their future. Not only can you help students apply for college, find jobs, and pursue scholarships to fund their college education – you can also help them thrive mentally and emotionally throughout their K-12 years.
Earn your school counselor degree online today and learn how to plan, develop, implement, and evaluate comprehensive school counseling programs – programs that are culturally sensitive and promote the career, personal, social, and academic development of children and adolescents.
*Some exclusions apply. Please refer to our exclusions page for more information.
**Please note: The M.Ed. in School Counseling may be used to obtain an advanced-level license for PreK-12 school personnel. Candidates residing in Virginia must have completed 2 years of successful, full-time teaching experience or 2 years of successful experience in guidance and counseling to qualify for the school counseling license. Individual state licensure requirements may vary. Please verify licensure requirements for the state in which you reside.
We are recognized by multiple institutions for our academic quality, affordability, and accessibility. Our commitment to excellence also helped us rank in the top 10% of Niche.com’s best online schools in America.
We've frozen tuition rates for the majority of our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs for the past 9 years - and counting.
Why Choose Liberty’s Online Master’s in School Counseling Program?
At Liberty, we don’t just offer an education – we offer an opportunity to impact the world. Here’s what sets us apart:
You’re Not Alone – Join Our Community of Professionals
Our Master of Education in School Counseling program online supports a learning environment that encourages collaboration. Join a culturally diverse, global student body as you seek to become a competent, responsible, ethical, and professional school counselor. With Liberty’s school counselor degree online, you can get the credentials you need to serve in public, private, and Christian schools at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
Throughout this program, you’ll have the opportunity to network with professionals from across the country while studying under industry experts. By the time you graduate, you can be better prepared to meet the needs of diverse bodies of students and support their mental, spiritual, and physical health and development. That way, you can implement a balanced approach to counseling that promotes both academic achievement and student well-being.
Develop the Tools for Success
The goal of this master’s degree in school counseling online is to equip ethically and spiritually aware counselors with the knowledge, values, and skills needed to promote the mental health of students across diverse populations. One way we do that is by offering opportunities for hands-on experience in the form of 1 full-semester practicum and 2 full-semester internships.
Your internship and practicum placements can help ensure that you gain the experience you need to pursue a career as a licensed school counselor. Work alongside seasoned professionals as you apply what you’ve learned in the classroom to real-life situations – and prepare to join the ranks of Liberty graduates who are fulfilling their calling. By pairing the rigorous curriculum of our online master’s in education counseling with practical field experience, you can graduate ready to make a difference.
What Will You Learn in Our Master’s in Education Counseling Online?
Get the tools you need to be an effective K-12 school counselor. In this master’s in school counseling degree online, you can learn how to counsel children from diverse backgrounds, conduct assessments and evaluations in educational settings, and use group counseling techniques in the school environment.
Additionally, you can:
- Examine culturally sensitive counseling practices, social justice, and advocacy approaches for use in a society with a wide range of belief systems
- Explore best practices for developing, implementing, and evaluating K-12 school counseling programs that promote access and equity for all students
- Learn how to recognize family, personal, and environmental factors that affect development processes for students of all ages
- Prepare to navigate various ethical and legal challenges in your counseling career
Our online school counseling program covers both general counseling methods and specialized topics in educational counseling. Additionally, you’ll study a mix of theoretical and practical knowledge, so you can develop a well-rounded approach to counseling that helps students grow personally and academically.
To round out your online school counseling master’s degree, you’ll complete 2 full-semester internships and 1 full-semester practicum. These internship and practicum placements will help you gain valuable, hands-on experience in your field, so you can boost your résumé and work toward meeting the requirements for school counseling licensure. You’ll also have the opportunity to visit our beautiful campus in Lynchburg, Va., to complete your 2 required intensives.
Featured Courses
What Can You Do with a Master of Education in School Counseling?
Growing enrollment at all levels of education creates a need for counselors to respond to students’ developmental and academic needs. Upon completion of Liberty’s online Master of Education in School Counseling degree, you could pursue:
- Licensed school counseling roles in public and private K-12 schools
- Continued education/requirements to become a licensed professional counselor
Online Master’s Degree in School Counseling FAQs
Here are some of the most common questions people have about online school counseling degree programs:
How long does it take to finish a master’s in educational counseling online?
Are school counselors in demand? How much do school counselors make?
Is an online master’s degree in school counseling respected?
Is a school counseling degree online the same as an online guidance counselor degree?
How much does Liberty’s online school counseling degree program cost?
Can I get a master’s in school counseling online?
Is a school counseling degree worth it?
Highlights of Our Master of Education in School Counseling Program
- We are recognized by multiple institutions for our academic quality, affordability, and accessibility. Our commitment to excellence also helped us rank in the top 10% of Niche.com’s best online schools in America. Earning your online school counseling degree from a nonprofit university with this kind of recognition can help set you apart from others in your field.
- The majority of tuition for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs has not increased in 9 years. While many other online colleges have raised tuition, Liberty has been able to keep costs low as a nonprofit university.
- You can complete this online master’s in school counseling degree program in as little as 2.5 years.
- Liberty’s Dr. Schellenberg partnered with Dr. Tyler Kimbel, Vice President for Research and Advocacy for CACREP, to develop the first and only set of spiritual and religious competencies for school counseling to be used in both public and private K-12 schools.
- Liberty University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
- Our online school counseling degree program is accredited by:
- If you’re seeking a guidance counselor degree online, our M.Ed. in School Counseling offers well-rounded training that can help you fulfill many different responsibilities – including guidance counseling.
- Are you looking for an online school counseling program with no GRE requirements? If so, we have what you need – Liberty’s school counselor master’s program online does not require GRE scores as a prerequisite to admission!
Master’s in School Counseling Online Degree Information
- This program falls under the School of Behavioral Sciences.
- Download and review the Degree Completion Plan.
- View the Graduate Behavioral Sciences Course Guides (login required).
- View our School Counseling Advising Guide.
- Students should verify any additional licensure requirements with their home state.
- This program is accredited by both CAEP and CACREP.
- This program is available online with required intensives.
- This program requires 1 full-semester practicum and 2 full-semester internships.
Military Benefits for Liberty’s Master’s in Educational Counseling Online
Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe. Whether you are a current service member, discharged or retired from service, or the spouse of a service member or veteran, we are here to support you every step of the journey.
As a thank-you for your dedication and service to our country, Liberty is honored to serve and support you in your pursuit of online education by offering the following benefits:
- Tuition discounts – $275 per credit hour for graduate courses
- Additional discount for veterans who serve in a civilian capacity as a First Responder (less than $625 per course)
- 8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences)
Admission Requirements for the School Counseling Graduate Program Online
A regionally or nationally accredited bachelor’s degree with a 2.7 or above GPA is required for admission in good standing. Please visit our admission requirements page for more detailed admissions-related information.
All applicants must submit the following:
- Admission application
- Application fee*
- Official college transcripts
- Unofficial college transcripts may be accepted with a completed official transcript request form**
- Contact information for 2 recommenders
- Personal statement
- Agreement to Mission Statement and Diversity Statement
- Proof of English proficiency (for applicants whose native language is other than English)
*There is no upfront application fee; however, a deferred $50 application fee will be assessed during Financial Check-In. This fee is waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required.
**An official transcript is needed within 60 days of acceptance or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first.
Transfer Policies
At Liberty, we want to help you make the most of your prior education by allowing you to transfer in previously earned college credit. That’s why you can transfer in up to 50% of your total credits for a master’s or doctoral program!
Some restrictions apply. Please visit our Transfer Policy page for more information.
