School Counselor Endorsement

The Counseling program’s School Counseling specialty area is an Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) approved program for the School Counselor endorsement on an Illinois Professional Educator License. ISBE states the following guidelines:

Individuals seeking the School Counselor endorsement must:

1. complete an approved school counseling program at an Illinois institution
2. hold a master’s degree in school counseling; counseling or a related field; or an educational field
3. pass the School Counselor content-area tests
4. hold or be qualified to hold a teaching certificate OR complete coursework addressing required knowledge as part of an approved program   

Admission Requirement

To be eligible for the School Counselor only program, students must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. It is recommended that you have at least one year of working experience.

To apply, please submit the following materials to the Office of Graduate Admission:

• A completed application
• Online application fee
• One official transcript from each college and/or university attended
• Three letters of recommendation: one from a professor addressing your academic ability, one from an employer, and the third from either another professor or employer
• Resume
• A personal statement (see below for more information)

The admission process also may include an interview with program faculty.

Personal Statement

Please answer all of the following questions. Your entire response should not exceed 1,500 words (or approximately 300 words per question).

1. Discuss why you want to enter the counseling field. Demonstrate in your response that you have researched the field and have a basic understanding of what counseling professionals do.
2. Given what you have researched about the profession, discuss your short-term and long-term professional goals should you eventually graduate from our program. Integrate into your response why DePaul’s counseling program will help you achieve your goals.
3. Discuss why self-awareness, self reflection and self-care are important skills for counselors. Explain ways in which you would attend to all of these should you be a student in our program.
4. Explain how your personal values and ethical beliefs will be an asset to you as a future counselor and explain any challenges you may face in future practice. Provide concrete examples from your personal or professional life to help illustrate your points.
5. Discuss your understanding of “multicultural proficiency” and “social justice.” Explain how you believe these play a role in the work of counseling professionals as well as how these fit with your own beliefs and values. Provide concrete examples from your personal or professional life to help illustrate your points.  

Course Requirements

Counseling Courses: 66-70¹ Quarter Hours Required, Grade of B- or Better Required

¹

Required only for students without a teaching certificate.

Social and Cultural Studies Courses: 8 Quarter Hours Required, Grade of B- or Better Required

Clinical Experience

Students complete their Clinical Experience during the last year in the program. The Clinical Experience Courses include the Practicum, Internship in Counseling I, and Internship in Counseling II. Students are enrolled in the Practicum course Autumn Quarter; Internship in Counseling I Winter Quarter; Internship in Counseling II Spring Quarter. Students must complete a formal application process to participate in the Clinical Experience courses. This includes attending a clinical orientation a full year before beginning the Clinical Experience, submitting an initial application, and securing a placement site. Students are required to pay a one-time $200 fee for a student account in Tevera. Tevera is an online program management platform used to electronically complete evaluations and log hours for Practicum and Internship classes. Students will sign up for a Tevera student account prior to completing the internship application process. The $200 fee will post to your student account within a month of registering for a Tevera account. Consult an academic advisor for additional information on application and course enrollment process.

Clinical Experience Courses: 16 Quarter Hours Required, Grade of B or Better Required

Prerequisites: All courses with the exception of CSL 512 must be completed prior to being enrolled in the Practicum courses.

Upon completion of the School Counseling specialty area’s coursework and the additional State requirements, students must apply for their certificate. Students are to work with the College of Education’s Licensure Officer when applying for the license/endorsement. This graduate certificate program is approved as a Gainful Employment Program through the​ U.S. Department of Education and is, therefore, eligible for Federal Student Aid. 

Licensure Tests

All individuals licensed by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) are required to complete licensure tests specific to their professional license area. Requirements are subject to change per the discretion of ISBE.  

School Counseling students must complete the following tests:

• School Counseling Content Area (test #235) – assesses knowledge of student development, assessment, the school environment and the school counseling profession.  Students must pass the School Counseling Content Area (test #235) prior to CSL 555: Internship III.

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