M.Ed. School Counseling & PA State Certification

The M.Ed. School Counseling course of study prepares students to work with individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds and developmental stages, helping them gain skills for living in a complex and culturally diverse society. Master’s candidates learn how to provide direct services and consultations as well as conduct workshops, classes and preventative programs. 

Applying what you learn in a real-world setting is an important part of the program. Many master’s candidates get that experience at the Community Voices Clinic based at two local public schools in Southside Bethlehem, where they are supervised by a Lehigh professor and doctoral-level graduate assistants, as well as at other local schools in Bethlehem and Allentown.

A low student-to-faculty ratio means master’s candidates work closely with mentors throughout the program. 

The degree requires the completion of 16 courses (48 credits) based on the standards of the Pennsylvania Department of Education. A typical course load of three or four courses in the fall, three or four in the spring, and two to four in the summer enables candidates to complete the program in two years (two falls, two springs and one summer). 

Students are expected to perform a minimum of 100 hours of field work in addition to an internship of 15-20 hours a week for two semesters. A clinical coordinator assists students with placements for practicum and the internship. 

The culminating experience is the student’s comprehensive portfolio.

Classes are offered in the afternoons and evenings to make the program more convenient for working professionals, which contributes to the degree’s high completion rate.  

Nationwide, the need for school counselors is growing. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects demand to rise by 13 percent between 2016 and 2026. 

As of January 2014, school counselors in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are certified PreK-12.  The Lehigh School Counseling Program now leads to certification at PreK-12 through the Pennsylvania Department of Education TIMS online system.