Join the exciting world of school counseling and make a lasting impact!
Become a part of our dynamic School Counseling Profession to empower students in diverse settings. Our comprehensive counseling and counselor education program is designed to train school counselors to excel in urban, suburban, and rural K-12 educational environments. With an urban-focused approach, we address opportunity gaps based on socioeconomic background and race/ethnicity. Our program will allow you to gain exceptional skills in counseling, consultation, leadership, and outreach for success in any setting.
Join the Indiana University Indianapolis, School Counseling Graduate program!
Dr. Roberto Swazo welcomes you to the Counseling & Counselor Education program!
Special program announcement
*Attention Applicants: We are excited to announce that the 2016 CACREP Standards require programs in all specialty areas to be 60 credit hours by July 1, 2023.
Requests for LMHCA and LMHC verification documents will be taken in order they are received. Requests can be expected to be answered within 1-3 weeks.
Counselor education program stats
22 GraduatesFrom the Counselor Education Master's program in the past year, 73 active students
60%Job placement rate of graduates actively seeking employment
80%Completion rate of Counselor Education Master's students
96%INDIANA SCHOOL COUNSELOR LICENSURE EXAM PASS RATE OF STUDENTS GRADUATING FROM THE IU INDIANAPOLIS PROGRAM
Information is based on 2021-2022 data
What do school counselors do?
Welcome to our Counseling Program! School counselors play a vital role in fostering students' holistic development and well-being. As professionals dedicated to creating a positive and supportive school environment, our counselors engage in a range of tasks, including:
Providing guidance on academic planning, course selection, and career pathways to empower students in their educational journey.
Offering a listening ear and emotional support to help students navigate personal challenges, fostering resilience and mental well-being.
Counselor education program philosophy
We are committed to graduating counselors who can respond to the needs of all students.
We believe you must respect the dignity of others. To do so, you must provide leadership in issues related to social justice, diversity, inclusion, and oppression.
We teach you to function as an advocate for students and to be an agent of individual and group-level change within school and community environments. You learn to develop, implement, and sustain programs for students that enable them to effectively participate in and contribute to our diverse society.
We ensure you know how to use preventive, developmental, and remedial interventions to effectively deliver a comprehensive school counseling program that facilitates academic, personal/social, and career development.
The mission of the IU Indianapolis School Counseling Program is to prepare highly competent professional counselors for Indiana, the nation, and beyond, who can work effectively with people in school, community, mental health and related settings. We:
are committed to the training of students who represent diversity in gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, nationality, socioeconomic status, religious affiliation, and disability status;
promote a strong sense of professional identity in students;
prepare professional counselors who understand counseling and related theories and can effectively translate such theory into effective practice with diverse client populations;
prepare reflective, ethical, and highly skilled practitioners who are knowledgeable and skilled in the most current and effective methods of counseling, consultation, collaboration, leadership, and advocacy;
prepare professional counselors who are committed to helping others fulfill their human potential though the use of facilitative, consultative, and collaborative skills.
aid students to earn appropriate licensure and/or certification in their chosen area;
emphasize a commitment to the value of inquiry and best practices in the counseling field; and
work in partnership with a range of constituents to effect thoughtful change at local, national and international levels.
Graduates of the School Counseling Program:
understand the Indiana School Counselor Educator standards and the eight core content areas which comprise the Professional Counseling Identity and the foundations, contextual dimensions and skills standards of the School Counseling specialty area identified by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP);
understand the nature and needs of individuals at all developmental levels and the impact of contextual factors on development with particular emphasis on urban populations;
can design, implement and evaluate transformative school counseling programs and/or components of a transformative school counseling program;
have effective communication skills that can be utilized to advocate for student well-being at multiple ecological levels and promote counseling programs and counselor roles;
understand the process of individual counseling and are effective counselors with individuals;
understand the process of group counseling and can effectively facilitate diverse groups, both small and large;
understand the process of consultation and can effectively consult with parents, teachers, administrators, and relevant constituents;
understand individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation, including appropriate uses and !imitations of the various assessment strategies;
have knowledge of and continually demonstrate ethical and legal behaviors consistent with the counseling profession, particularly among the needs of historically marginalized groups;
stay abreast of current research and apply empirically supported interventions in counseling practice in a pluralistic society;
continue to search out avenues to increase their effectiveness through community, civic and professional involvements; and
understand theories and models of vocational and career development, counseling, and decision making in relation to preparing college and non-college bound students for employment in a global economy.
Counselor Education program highlights
The Counselor Education program requires you to complete 48 credit hours—but not all of them will be in the classroom.
You will have the opportunity to participate in a number of field experiences designed to meet your academic and career goals. Students will be placed primarily in urban settings with a talented group of licensed supervisors who work closely with program faculty and staff.
Throughout the program, you'll learn from a diverse, highly experienced faculty dedicated to improving education in urban environments.
And, of course, you'll graduate ready to take your career to new heights.
About our accreditation
The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), has granted accreditation to the School Counseling M.S.Ed. degree program, a specialty area housed in the School of Education at Indiana University Indianapolis.
Accreditation is effective immediately through March 31, 2030.
Due to accreditation site visits being delayed because of COVID-19, the CACREP Board approved additional retroactive recognition for program graduates. Retroactive recognition of graduates of the IU School of Education in Indianapolis School Counseling specialty area extends back to July 14, 2019.
The CACREP online directory of accredited programs is currently in the process of being updated and will include IU Indianapolis' program once the update is completed.
