GSE Introduces Exec Program for Future School Counselors

Penn GSE has introduced a new executive-style master's-degree program for working educators and professionals interested in working as school counselors.

The program was created in partnership with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA).

The new master's program, called the Professional School Counseling Program, uses the executive-learning format developed at Penn's Wharton School of Business to enable students to earn their degree without giving up their current employment. The curriculum is based on the ASCA National Model, which is a framework for comprehensive, developmental school counseling programs.

"We have found that mature educators with classroom experience as well as mid-career counseling professionals are well suited to master the school counselor's skills for fostering students' academic and personal success," explains Howard Stevenson, chair of Penn GSE's Applied Psychology and Human Development division.

Candidates will study psychology, counseling, and education theory and practices to help enhance student development in school, at home, and in the community. The program will address broader issues of academic achievement, personal and social development, and career planning. The degree can be earned in two years of monthly weekend classes and one week of intensive study each summer.

Students who successfully complete this program may apply to the Pennsylvania Department of Education-approved Certification Program in School Counseling and receive the Educational Specialist-School Counselor certificate.