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PROGRAMS

Programs Preparing School Counselors

Driving Change.
Making a Difference.

Do you want to support today’s diverse student population? Then you should consider becoming a school counselor.
The effective school counselor of the 21st century needs to be a dynamic professional well prepared to address the range of social-emotional, academic, career, and developmental needs of an increasingly complex and diverse student population.

Our CACREP-accredited school counseling programs prepare individuals to pursue leadership roles in schools as facilitators of healthy human development and advocates for change, positively impacting the success of individual students and school systems at large.
PROGRAM QUICKVIEW OUR APPROACH THE WARNER ADVANTAGE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FACULTY SCHOLARSHIPS TRY US OUT RELATED PROGRAMS TESTIMONIALS CONTACT US
For current students: INFORMATION AND RESOURCES
CACREP-Accredited Programs!

Program Quickview

The programs described below prepare students for New York State certification as school counselors (recognized also in some other states), and have been approved by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

If you are interested in other counseling or human development programs, check our Related Programs.
Information about New York State Certification in School Counseling
Most states in the United States require state certification to hold school counseling positions in K-12 public schools.  New York State has two levels of certification for school counseling, which are recognized in many other states and across the United States:
  • Provisional Certification: Requires the completion of an approved 48-credit master’s program plus passage of state exams; sufficient to obtain a school counseling position, but valid only for the first five years after graduation.

  • Permanent Certification: Requires an additional 12 credits of graduate coursework and two years of working experience; needed to hold a school counseling position beyond five years after graduation.
Prerequisites:
  • A bachelor’s degree.
  • Interests and dispositions consistent with successful practice as a school counselor.
Key Program Features:
  • CACREP Accredited: Rigorous curriculum meeting all requirements set by the world-recognized accrediting body for the field of counseling.
  • Customizable: Choice of a 48-credit option providing the shortest path to NYS provisional certification, or multiple 60-credit options meeting all coursework requirements for both NYS provisional and permanent certification.
  • Unique Internship Opportunities: The required practicum and two internship experiences can be pursued in elementary, middle, or secondary schools, depending on interest. Special internship opportunities at East High School, an urban school overseen by the University of Rochester’s Educational Partnership Organization (EPO).
  • Flexible: Program can be started in any semester and can be completed in just two years of full-time study, if starting in fall, or three to four years of part-time study.
  • Option to Add Specializations: By strategically choosing electives, you can add an Advanced Certificate in Urban Teaching and Leadership or take courses that can count toward a NYS license in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) or Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) credential.
  • For Mental Health Counselors Only: We invite you to check out our 12-credit “bridge” program option to give you maximum flexibility for practice contexts.

Warner Programs that Prepare School Counselors


All of the following options lead to NYS provisional certification for school counselors; any of the 60-credit programs also meet all the coursework requirements for NYS permanent certification:
Opportunities for Additional Specialization
  • Advanced Certificate in Urban Teaching and Leadership: Prepares you to work with highly diverse and disadvantaged students in urban settings; requires no additional credits with strategic choice of electives.
  • Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA): ABA courses can be chosen for the additional credits required for provisional certification; if interested in eventually becoming a Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) in New York State, or a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), these courses can be applied toward those programs.
  • Mental Health Counseling: The additional credits required for permanent certification can be chosen to count toward our Bridge Program from School to Mental Health (CB2), if interested in eventually also obtaining NYS license as a mental health counselor.
young counselor with a group of students
Special Bridge Program for Mental Health Counselors
If you have already completed a master’s degree leading to NYS licensure in mental health counseling, the Warner School offers an expedited way for you to meet the coursework and internship requirements for NYS provisional and permanent certification for school counselors.  This 12-credit Advanced Certificate Bridge from Mental Health to School Counseling (CB1) program requires only two school counseling courses and two internships.
adult reviews something with student on laptop

Our Approach

Helping School Counselors Drive Individual and Systemic Change.

The Warner School's programs in school counseling are designed to prepare students as school counselors providing the academic, career, and social-emotional counseling and developmental learning needed by today’s children and youth.  The programs embrace the view of the counselor as a systems change agent, as well as an individual advocate. 

Warner graduates learn how to drive and implement transformation, both among individual students and across broader educational environments. Our unique integrative approach grounds our students in the research and theory of human development and counseling, while also providing effective clinical experiences that help build essential school counseling skills.
group of students in a circle talking
Learn More About Warner's Approach to School Counseling
Warner leads the way in research-based, practice-informed instruction.  Counseling students are grounded in knowledge of human development, with a particular understanding of how environmental factors shape the developmental processes that lead to student success. The Warner approach balances theoretical knowledge and experiential learning where students develop critical skills in communication, listening, empathetic understanding, and conflict mediation, as well as other individual and group counseling skills. In addition, all school counseling students are trained in restorative practices. Clinical placements and internships prepare students for school settings and play a central educational role in these programs, helping students to bridge theory and practice while honing their counseling skills.

Coursework is informed by research, grounded in a human development framework, and takes a holistic approach to change that integrates individual developmental and systemic orientations. In addition, our students are immersed in the principles set forth by the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) National Model, which prepares them to play an important role in inter-professional school leadership teams. A diverse array of instructional methods is utilized in our counseling classrooms including: lectures, videos, discussions, and in-class and outside-class experiential activities.

Our vision for school counseling leaves behind antiquated notions of school guidance counselors primarily involved in course scheduling and other clerical duties. The program is evidence-based, designed to prepare students as school counselors who provide the academic, career, and social-emotional counseling and who provide classroom-based programing that ensures healthy development for the diversity of today’s students and families.  More broadly, Warner graduates are prepared for a role in which they are facilitators of healthy human development through a holistic approach that considers and advocates for change within school systems.

The Warner Advantage

Preparing Graduates to Innovate, Advocate, and Elevate.

Warner will give you the highest-quality preparation as an effective and cutting-edge school counselor.    
  • Be challenged to become an innovator, thought leader, and agent of personal and systemic change by learning the necessary dispositions and skills to be an effective school counselor.
  • Learn how to help create a bright future for all students.
  • Understand how to serve complex and diverse populations in order to meet the needs of all students and create more equitable educational experiences.
  • Be prepared for the 21st century through a curriculum informed by cutting-edge research.
  • Benefit from real-life practical experiences working in school settings with seasoned, gifted counseling professionals.
  • Leverage the reputation of a leading research university to give your degree even more recognition.
  • Learn from an accessible, supportive faculty of researchers and accomplished practitioners.
  • Network with the best and the brightest future school counselors.
  • Shorten your path to a doctoral degree by earning transferable credits.
  • Be confident in a nationally-accredited program by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
While rigorous, the flexible design of our school counseling programs can accommodate the work-life obligations of today’s students.
  • Benefit from scholarships that can significantly reduce tuition costs.
  • Start the program in any semester.
  • Go at your own pace, by choosing either part-time or full-time options.
  • Use your electives and one of the 60-credit options to specialize in your area of interest.
  • Are you a University of Rochester employee? Make sure you make full use of your tuition benefits.

Career Opportunities

Advancing Education and Your Career to the Next Level.

Graduates of a Warner school counseling program will have the credentials needed to hold school counseling positions at the elementary, middle school, or high school level in public schools in New York State (NYS) and other states recognizing NYS certification.

Beyond K-12 schools, our graduates will also be prepared to succeed in other educational roles and careers, including:
  • Acting as school counselors in other school settings.
  • Working in advising and career development centers in higher education.
  • Working with children and youth in community programs.
International students have found Warner’s programs in school counseling beneficial in helping them introduce the benefits of the school counseling profession to international educational settings, where school counseling is currently in its formative stages.
educator talking with student

Faculty

An Accessible, Supportive Faculty of Researchers and Accomplished Practitioners.

Scholarships

Making it Affordable to Make Warner Possible.

Many of our counseling students benefit from merit-based scholarships that significantly decrease tuition costs.

Contact admissions for more information about merit-based scholarships.

Are You a UR Employee? Inquire about your tuition benefits. If eligible, up to 95% of your tuition costs can be covered depending on your position. Contact the UR benefits office at benefitoffice@rochester.edu.

Learn More About Scholarships
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Try Us Out

A Warner Degree Opens Doors. Open Ours to See Why.

Do you want to have a taste of what Warner can offer, before committing to one of our programs?

We invite you to come and observe one of our counseling courses. Or even better, take one of the required counseling courses for a highly discounted price. 

Contact admissions to arrange for a visit or learn more about opportunities for non-matriculated students.
Counseling students at Warner in a circle in class

Testimonials

Meliora means 'Ever Better.' To our graduates, it means making a world of difference.

  • Jeremy Friedman, Research Associate, Harlem Children's Zone, New York, NY

    “When it came time to interview for jobs, it was very easy for me to talk about anything in the field, and that set me apart,” he says. “You name it, and I had at least one experience in it—largely due to Warner.”

    Jeremy Friedman, Research Associate, Harlem Children's Zone, New York, NY

  • Jody Goodman, Program Director, UMass Amherst

    “As educators, it’s our job to make sure we’re giving students the knowledge to be successful when they move on in their life….Warner was the best grad school experience I’ve ever had because it prepared me extremely well to jump into my career, and I will forever be grateful for that.”

    Jody Goodman, Program Director, UMass Amherst

  • Dawn Santiago-Marullo, Superintendent, Victor, NY

    "The most important thing I received there was the opportunity to be immersed in the study of education and leadership with very talented people, that think-tank mentality of being surrounded by the best of the best. The intellectual stimulation from both the staff and fellow classmates really did allow me to think about things differently."

    Dawn Santiago-Marullo, Superintendent, Victor, NY

  • Beatriz M. Folch-Torres, MD, Rochester, NY

    “It was more than I expected. Not only what I learned in the program, which I’ve been able to put into practice every day since, but also the connections I was able to make and the relationships I was able to form."

    Beatriz M. Folch-Torres, MD, Rochester, NY

  • Shannon Walton, Sports Performance Counselor, Rochester, NY

    “I had a very unique situation. I wasn’t going down the typical path of a Warner student, and the school was just so flexible and supportive.”

    Shannon Walton, Sports Performance Counselor, Rochester, NY

  • Laura Van Laeken, Teacher, Midlakes, NY

    "The growth I’ve realized in myself is something I will be forever grateful for. I’ve learned to question, analyze, think and create in ways I never considered. I’ve changed as an educator and as a person."

    Laura Van Laeken, Teacher, Midlakes, NY

Contact Admissions

The admissions team looks forward to assisting you as you explore graduate education at the Warner School. Please feel free to use the form below to contact us with any questions. You can also email us at admissions@warner.rochester.edu or call (585) 275-3950.


Application Deadlines

January 15
March 15
June 15
October 15


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