School and Community Counseling (MEd)
At the intersection of school and community life, an opportunity for you to support students and their families. Are you ready to work as a licensed professional counselor in schools or at community organizations? Our nationally recognized faculty are experts in social justice and ready to work with you to confront racism, achievement gaps, and other discrimination in our education system.
CURRICULUM
For more information about the following items, please refer to the Counseling Student Handbook 2024-2025.
Completion of the MEd degree program requires 60 semester hours of graduate study focused in two major areas: counseling core and a specialty area (school and community). This includes 700 clock hours of practicum and internship experience (taken for six semester hours of credit). Students must also take and pass comprehensive examinations during their final semester of study. Students have five years from acceptance to complete the program.
UNDERGRADUATE PREREQUISITES
Students should present transcript evidence of successful completion ("B" or better) of an introductory statistics course or its equivalent. Ideally, students will have completed this course prior to the start of the program.
COURSEWORK
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Counseling Core | ||
| CPSY 420 | Counseling Skills | 3 |
| CPSY 421 | Professional Issues Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 423 | Theory Counseling & Psychotherapy | 3 |
| CPSY 424 | Career Development & Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 425 | Assessment in Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 426 | Group Counseling: Theory and Practice | 3 |
| CPSY 433 | Multicultural Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 454 | Human Development: Cognitive, Aff & Phys Bases | 3 |
| RMTD 400 | Introduction to Research Methodology | 3 |
| Specialty Area: Community Counseling Practice | ||
| CPSY 427 | Clinical Mental Health Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 437 | Addiction Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 444 | Family Therapy I | 3 |
| CPSY 528 | Clinical Appraisal and Treatment Planning | 3 |
| Specialty Area: School Counseling Practice | ||
| CPSY 428 | Foundations of Professional School Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 431 | Advanced School Counseling & Consultation | 3 |
| CPSY 458 | Adolescent Development and Counseling | 3 |
| Reading Requirement | ||
| CIEP 423 | Advanced Literacy Instruction in the Content Area | 3 |
| Clinical Training | ||
| CPSY 440 | Practicum | 3 |
| CPSY 441 | Internship | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 60 | |
- 1
Practicum/Internship requires 700 hours of supervised experience in a setting relevant to both community counseling and school counseling practice.
ADDITIONAL EDUCATION COURSES
School Counseling licensure in Illinois requires a teaching certificate or additional course work in education. Students in the M.Ed. program in School and Community Counseling who do not hold teaching certificates must complete the following additional course work to be license-eligible in Illinois. These courses are:
- CIEP 401 The Exceptional Child
- CIEP 414 Instructional Methods-Diverse Population
- ELPS 460 School Administration (or equivalent)
Suggested Sequence of Courses
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| CPSY 420 | Counseling Skills | 3 |
| CPSY 428 | Foundations of Professional School Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 433 | Multicultural Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 454 | Human Development: Cognitive, Aff & Phys Bases | 3 |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| CPSY 421 | Professional Issues Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 423 | Theory Counseling & Psychotherapy | 3 |
| CPSY 427 | Clinical Mental Health Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 431 | Advanced School Counseling & Consultation | 3 |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Summer I | ||
| CPSY 425 | Assessment in Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 458 | Adolescent Development and Counseling | 3 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Summer II | ||
| CPSY 444 | Family Therapy I | 3 |
| CIEP 401 | The Exceptional Child 1 | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| CPSY 424 | Career Development & Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 426 | Group Counseling: Theory and Practice | 3 |
| CPSY 440 | Practicum | 3 |
| RMTD 400 | Introduction to Research Methodology | 3 |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| CPSY 441 | Internship | 3 |
| CPSY 528 | Clinical Appraisal and Treatment Planning | 3 |
| CIEP 414 | Instructional Methods-Diverse Population 2 | 3 |
| ELPS 460 | School Administration 2 | 3 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Summer I | ||
| CPSY 437 | Addiction Counseling | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Summer II | ||
| CIEP 423 | Advanced Literacy Instruction in the Content Area | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 60 | |
- 1
Students who hold a teaching license take an elective, not CIEP 401 The Exceptional Child.
- 2
This course is only required for students who do not have a teaching license.
Program Length
Full-time students complete the program in two years, including summers. Part-time study is also available.
Comprehensive Assessment
Students will complete exams in school counseling and community counseling. See program handbook for details. Comprehensive examination application deadlines are as follows (see the School of Education Calendar for comprehensive exam dates)
Licensure
The curriculum of the MEd program reflects current requirements for licensure in the State of Illinois. Licensure is handled by individual states, and portability of licensure across state lines differs according to each state. The Department of Professional Regulation in the State of Illinois has adopted the certification exam developed and administered by the National Board of Certified Counselors. Many states use this exam for licensure purposes, so scores from the exam can be transferred. Coursework, including the number of hours required, differ across states. Students interested in completing licensure or certification in another state are strongly advised to consult the professional regulation boards prior to enrolling at Loyola to determine the appropriate coursework required. Students should also stay apprised of licensure requirements throughout the program.
The school counseling licensure exam must be taken in the semester prior to beginning CPSY 441 Internship, in the spring semester. The ISBE website provides information on dates on which exams are given, fees, and registration procedures. Both exam TAP and school counseling) are administered by ISBE, not Loyola, and you must register with ISBE to take them.
Continuous Enrollments
MEd students in School and Community Counseling are required to maintain the status of continuous enrollment during their program of studies. This means that during each semester of each academic year (excluding Summer Sessions), each student must enroll in at least one course. A formal leave of absence may be granted upon request and the approval of the School of Education’s Assistant Dean of Student Academic Affairs.
Graduate & Professional Standards and Regulations
Students in graduate and professional programs can find their Academic Policies in Graduate and Professional Academic Standards and Regulations under their school. Any additional University Policies supersede school policies.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
- In addition to mastering counseling techniques for patients with a wide
variety of life experiences, you'll also gain real-world experiences through
your practicum and internship. With Chicago as your classroom, you'll
have firsthand experiential learning opportunities at the Chicago Public
Schools and level-one trauma centers, researching action-oriented
projects that have an immediate impact on the community