Online Degrees in Educational Counseling

Of all the specialties counselors can get into, Educational Counseling is the most common. Such professionals are dedicated to the emotional health, safety, and academic development of students.

Also known as Guidance Counselors, educational counselors assess students' interests and competencies through testing, observation, one-on-one counseling, and other methods. They then function as the student's advocate, connecting them to other services, agencies,... and resources that will help them reach their goals. At the elementary level, the focus is more on developmental issues or special needs while in high school and beyond the focus is more on career aspirations.

School counseling degree programs train aspiring counselors in the many methods used to evaluate and advise students. Usually, counseling jobs require at least a master's degree and professional certification is a must in all 50 states. Therefore, a School Counseling curriculum must adhere to rigorous guidelines and typically includes coursework in human development, counseling theory and methods, social and cultural foundations, data analysis, and program evaluation. Extensive fieldwork is also required.

To be effective, guidance counselors must have genuine concern for their students as well as a working familiarity with the social, developmental, and emotional issues that students regularly face.

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7 Degrees in This Area