SJSU Catalog

Education - Counselor Education, Department of

MA - Education, Concentration in Counseling and Student Personnel

The Master of Arts degree provides for the following professional specializations:

School Counseling

• Career and Education Development
• Crisis Management and Conflict Resolution
• Student Advocacy
• Alternative School Counseling
• Community Education Development
• Action-Centered Counseling and Consultation

Adult Counseling

• College and University Counseling and Student Personnel
• Career Development and Vocational Counseling
• Human Resource Development Training
• Transitions Counseling for Adults
• Psychodrama Methods and Training

The Master of Arts degree with the specialization in College and University Counseling and Student Personnel will qualify the candidate for the Community College Counseling requirements under SB 1725.

Advisement

San José State University is authorized to offer graduate programs leading to the Master of Arts in Education with a specialization in Counseling and Student Personnel and the School Counseling Specialization Credential. These programs are designed to prepare persons as counselors and/or consultants in human development services for schools and community colleges, business and industry, and community agencies and organizations.

Program flexibility permits the candidate to pursue the credential and the master's degree simultaneously in evening and weekend classes. However, the applicant needs to consider that:

• Admission to the university and selection in the Counselor Education Department are based on different criteria and require applications to the designated program and to the university.
• The master's degree and the credential areas are distinct from each other.
• The completion of the master's degree does not automatically provide a designated credential.
• It is possible to combine master's degree requirements with credential requirements. Further assistance or advisement can be obtained through the Counselor Education Department Office.

Requirements for Admission to Classified Standing

Applicants who meet the admission requirements for the Graduate Division and meet the further requirements of the area of specialization for the master's degree may be admitted to graduate classified standing.

Requirements for Admission to Conditionally Classified Standing

Applicants who meet the admission requirements for the Graduate Division but who fail to meet the requirements for classified standing in the area of specialization for the master's degree may be admitted to conditionally classified standing in the master's degree program. Individuals being admitted on this basis should contact Counselor Education for the specific prerequisites they must complete before being granted classified standing.

Requirements for Admission to Candidacy

A. Basic requirements. The student in Counselor Education must (1) see his/her advisor for any prerequisite courses that may be required and (2) complete a minimum of twelve units of Counselor Education courses, including EDCO 215, EDCO 218, EDCO 219, EDCO 227, EDCO 248, and/or other equivalent courses with a 3.0 ("B") grade point average prior to being considered for advancement to candidacy. Approval for all courses in the Counselor Education area is required.

B. Required areas. Because credential requirements are subject to legislative changes, specific course requirements may vary. However, students should complete approved course work in the following areas:

• Human Behavior and Development
• Student Development and Prevention
• Assessment and Research
• Law and Ethics
• Personal and Professional Development
• Communication and Group Relationship Dynamics
• School/Community Relations Dynamics
• Multicultural and Multiethnic Perspectives
• Career and Life-Span Transitions
• Organization Development
• Supervised Experience in Counseling

C. Requirements for master's degree candidates, including courses selected for a thirty-unit contract including:

• EDCO 221 Research Seminar in Education
• EDCO 289 Seminar in Professional Counseling
• EDCO 298 Special Studies for 3 units, or additional course work planned with approval of the advisor as necessary.
• EDCO 288 Seminar in Counseling Theory and Practice.

D. The University requires that all graduate students demonstrate competency in written English as a condition for advancement to candidacy. Please refer to the SJSU catalog section titled “Competency in Written English” for details. For graduate courses that meet the competency in written English requirement, please refer to the Graduate Studies and Research website at www.sjsu.edu/gradstudies.