This College of Education certificate is designed for those who already possess a master’s degree in Counseling or Psychology and now wish to pursue licensure in School Counseling. This set of a minimum of 24 hours meets the ISBE requirements for Educator License - School Counseling.
ISBE Certification
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has approved the School Counseling program to prepare candidates for the Educator License with an endorsement in School Counseling. Candidates seeking to be recommended for this credential shall either (1) hold or be qualified to hold a teaching license from a regionally accredited institution, or (2) have completed the GSU or equivalent teaching competence courses (i.e. EDAD-7801 , COUN-7620 , COUN-6622 and SPED-6101 ).
All School Counseling students must provide evidence of successful completion of the Test of Academic Proficiency or ACT or SAT prior to admission to the program. All School Counseling students must present evidence of passing the ILTS School Counselor Content Exam before they are permitted to begin internship and before they will be recommended for Educator License.
Admissions Criteria
In addition to the GSU graduate certificate requirements for admission, applicants must:
- Provide evidence of having completed a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education in counseling or psychology;
- Provide evidence of having passed the Test of Academic Proficiency of the Illinois Licensure Testing System; and
- Have a graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Student Progress
The faculty monitor and evaluate student progress continuously. The Counseling Department Faculty and Student Handbook provides a specific description of the standards used to evaluate student progress.
Conditional Continuation
The faculty may permit a student to progress conditionally. In such cases, faculty review of the applicant’s record and performance identifies evidence that the student is likely to be successful in the program. The status of all students permitted to progress conditionally is reviewed by the faculty each term, and students are informed in writing of the conditions necessary for them to be transferred to good standing status. When conditions are met, the student is transferred to good standing status. Students may not be admitted to the culminating project without achieving good standing status.
