Program Information ◊ Degree Requirements

The Ed.M. is granted after successful completion of a special project and 60 points of planned, sequential study beyond the bachelor's degree, of which at least 48 points must be taken at Teachers College. Approval of transfer credits to the Ed.M. program must be conducted upon admission into the program; transfer credits will not be accepted thereafter. The Ed.M. degree could lead to the doctorate at Teachers College and elsewhere, but usually with some loss of time and credits because of differences in emphases between master's and doctoral programs. Students who apply to the program during or after taking classes at Teachers College as a non-matriculated student can transfer up to 9 points (with a maximum of 8 points in the major) if accepted as a matriculated degree student. Additional information maybe found in the Master's Student Handbook.

School counseling is one of several areas of specialization within the Ed.M. program in Psychological Counseling. It is a specialty that allows students to develop appropriate skills to deliver services that are specific to school settings, in addition to learning the essential functions generally found in the counseling profession.

A graduate of this specialization is eligible for provisional certification as a School Counselor in New York State after completing the program, including a series of specified courses. Consult the Master's Student Handbook for more information about the School Counseling Specialization. 

For permanent certification, New York State requires two years of employment as a school counselor and 30 additional credits of graduate work. The credits from the Ed.M. beyond the M.A. will be applied toward the 30. Students planning to obtain New York State Certification in School Counseling use the en passant M.A. to apply for provisional certification. The application for certification is made upon graduation from the M.A. program.
Similarly, students can become certified as Rehabilitation Counselors by completing a series of specified courses, three to four years of post-master's work experience in an appropriate setting, and successful performance on an examination sponsored by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC). Consult the Master's Student Handbook for more information about Rehabilitation counseling specialization.   

In 2005, Teachers College received approval from New York State to offer a License-Qualifying Mental Health Counseling Program. Along with completion of required coursework, students can become eligible for licensure when they complete 3000 hours of post-master's supervised experience in the practice of mental health counseling and pass a national examination. For information regarding licensure, please contact the Office of the Professions, New York State Education Department(http://www.op.nysed.gov/mhp.ht).

Required courses often are scheduled in the afternoon and evening, so it is possible for students with flexible schedules to attend on a part time basis and complete the program; however, it should be noted that at times, required courses may be offered during the day and students must be prepared to make needed accommodations. Full-time students generally complete the program in about two years. The length of program completion for part-time students varies with the number of points in which they enroll each semester.

In addition to required core courses, students will be expected to select electives from the various areas of psychology and other appropriate disciplines that will provide breadth and depth to their preparation as counselors. Consult the Master's Student Handbook for further information about Ed.M. program requirements.

A special project is required in addition to the 60 points of course work. Students should plan to complete their project in the same semester that they apply for the Ed.M. degree.

The Comprehensive Exam, which is a mandatory requirement for obtaining the en passant M.A., is generally taken in the semester in which 45 credits are completed.