ADMISSION
REQUIREMENTS FOR MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN SCHOOL COUNSELING,
PROFESSIONAL & REHABILITATION COUNSELING, AND STUDENT DEVELOPMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Admission to the School Counseling, Professional and Rehabilitation Counseling, and
Student Development in Higher Education programs are made on a competitive basis
only one time per year for fall admission. The department will begin
reviewing applications on March 1 and will schedule personal interviews
in April and May. The deadline for receiving all admissions materials,
as stipulated below, is May 1. Applications that are missing materials
after May 1 will be returned to the Admissions Department as incomplete.
Admissions decisions will be made on the basis of the following factors:
A) Grade point average for all undergraduate courses. Minimum
requirement is a 2.70 grade point average (GPA) based on a 4.00 point
scale where A is 4.00. Official transcripts must be mailed to CCSU by
the college or university the applicant attended and must be received by
May 1.
B) Three recommendations from individuals able to testify to
the student’s suitability as a prospective counselor. Copies of
the recommendation forms can be obtained by clicking on the following
link:
Recommendation Forms.
C) A 2-3 page typewritten (double spaced) essay describing the
following:
(1). Reasons for entering the counseling profession.
(2). Personal and professional experiences that influenced you to
pursue the counseling profession.
(3). Personal characteristics you believe will contribute to your
success as a counselor.
D) A personal interview by the program’s faculty admissions
committee. The committee will assess the student’s personal attributes,
maturity, and life experiences that might contribute to the student’s
potential for success as a professional counselor.
Additional Admissions Requirements for School
Counseling
1. Documentation that the applicant has successfully passed all three
parts of the Praxis I PPST Test or qualifies for a waiver.
More information about the PRAXIS I PPST tests may be obtained by
calling (609) 771-7395 or by accessing the PRAXIS web site:
http://www.teachingandlearning.org. Applications for the
PRAXIS I PPST tests and information about the waiver are usually
available outside of the Office of the Dean, School of Education and
Professional Studies in Henry Barnard Hall.
2. At least one of the following prerequisite courses completed with
a grade of B or better.
____ A course in the psychology of human development that covers
the whole life span. At CCSU PSY 236 or PSY 512 meets this
requirement. However, students interested in pursuing licensing as a
professional counselor (LPC) should take the course at the graduate
level, i.e., PSY 512.
____ A course in education of exceptional learners (either at
the undergraduate or graduate level) including material relating to the
special educational needs of students with physical and mental
disabilities, the learning disabled, and the gifted and talented (At
CCSU SPED 315 or SPED 501 meets this requirement):
____ A course in contemporary education issues at the
undergraduate or graduate level (At CCSU EDF 415, EDF 500, 510, 516,
524, 525 530, 538, or EDF 583 meets this requirement).
Students who believe that they may have taken equivalent courses may
submit copies of the course descriptions from the college catalog that
was in print at the time they took the course.
NOTE: While only one prerequisite course is needed to qualify for
admission, all three prerequisite courses must be completed for the
school counseling master’s degree.
