Academics > Colleges and departments > College of Education > Educational Studies, Leadership & Counseling > Counseling Programs
Counseling Programs
School Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Counseling Program Coordinator
Dr. Alan Bakes
Educational Studies, Leadership, and Counseling Department
3218 Alexander Hall, Murray, KY 42071
270-809-5313
270-809-3799 (Fax)
Welcome to the Counseling Program web site, we’re glad you are here to review our program! We offer several options in the Counseling Program including a Master of Arts in School Counseling and an Education Specialist with emphases in School Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and School Psychology, as well as related school counseling and school psychology endorsements. These programs are designed for persons with an academic and/or experiential background in the helping professions such as, but not limited to, education, social work, psychology, and communication disorders. Professional Counseling is a dynamic and invaluable career in today’s world of mental health care and is a necessary and compatible companion to other mental health professions.
Master of Arts in Education: School Counseling- This 48 credit hour degree certifies students as a Kentucky School counselor. Students completing this degree are offered a clinical program that affords students with the highest quality faculty supervision through practicum and internship experiences.
Click below to download the program advising guide (2010-2012 Graduate Catalog):
Master of Arts –School Counseling 48 hour Program (Provisional School Counselor Certification P-12)
Specialist in Education in Counseling: School Counseling Option- This degree builds on the Master of Arts in School Counseling, requiring an additional 12 credit hours (60 total). Our graduates meet School Counseling certification requirements for Kentucky and the surrounding states. Upon completion of these 60 credit hours, graduates may apply for the Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (LPCA) status in the State of Kentucky.
Click below to download the program advising guide (2010-2012 Graduate Catalog):
Specialist (Ed.S.) in Education –School Counseling (60 hour Program)
Specialist in Education in Counseling: Clinical Mental Health Counseling Option- The curriculum of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Emphasis consists of 60 credit hours. Graduates of this program will be eligible to take the National Counselor Exam (NCE). In addition our graduates will also become eligible for the Licensed Professional Counselor Associate status (LPCA) in the state of Kentucky and may apply for licensure as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) after demonstrating 4,000 hours of supervised counseling as an LPCA.
Click below to download the program advising guide (2010-2012 Graduate Catalog):
Specialist (Ed.S.) in Education Clinical Mental Health Option (60-hour Program)
Post-Masters Endorsements- you can choose to pursue “certificate only” programs, which do not result in a degree, but rather result in Kentucky endorsements. The endorsements include:
• Standard Counseling Certificate
• Individual intellectual Assessment Endorsement
Click below to download the program advising guide (2010-2012 Graduate Catalog):
Endorsement: Individual Intellectual Assessment
The credit hours for these endorsements vary and may be applied toward a Kentucky Rank 1 requirement as approved by an advisor.
Career Outlook- According to the United States Department of Labor-
• “Overall employment of counselors is expected to increase by 18 percent between 2008 and 2018, which is faster than the average for all occupations. However, growth is expected to vary by specialty.”
• “Employment for educational, vocational, and school counselors is expected to grow by 14 percent…”
• “Employment of mental health counselors is expected to grow by 24 percent…”