Professional Counseling M.Phil.Ed.

Preparing school counselors and mental health professionals for licensing, certification, and career advancement.

The M.Phil.Ed. Program in Professional Counseling prepares students to become Certified School Counselors and/or Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs). This two-year program is designed to provide the highest level of counselor preparation for work in schools, community mental health agencies, universities, and private practice. Many of our graduates elect to go on to doctoral level study in counseling or clinical psychology, human development, or a related field.

What Sets Us Apart

Students can prepare for both Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and School Counselor Certification credentials

94% pass 94% of our graduates pass the National Counselor Exam on their first attempt.

20 20 hours per week gaining practical experience in a field internship that shapes their professional development

About the Program

The Professional Counseling Program is a two-year (20 course) master’s degree program that prepares graduates to be eligible for the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) credential. In addition to the LPC, students have the option to pursue School Counseling Certification.

Application deadline

January 10

Entry term(s)

Fall

Course requirements

20 courses

Typical course load

Year 1: Fall: 4 courses; Spring: 4 Courses; Summer: 2 courses; 8-10 hours of field experience per week throughout the year.

Year 2: Summer: 2 courses; Fall: 4 courses; Spring: 4 courses; 20 hours of field experience per week throughout the year.

Practical experience componentField internship (20 hours per week)

Culminating experienceOral clinical comprehensive exam AND written report of oral exam

Schedule

Full-Time

Overview

The Professional Counseling program offers two study options: Track 1) the M.Phil.Ed. only, and Track 2) the M.Phil.Ed. + School Counseling certification. Students in Track 1 are preparing to become Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) and will be able to work in any mental health setting. Students in Track 2 are preparing to become Licensed Professional Counselors in addition to earning certification in School Counseling, which allows them to work in school settings. Track 2 requires the successful completion of national exams, internship hours, and other requirements.

LicensurePrepare graduates to be eligible for Licensure in Professional Counseling (after successful completion of the NCC Exam and all post-graduate internship hours)

Certificate offeredAfter finishing internship hours and passing the PRAXIS, students have the option of seeking certification in School Counseling

STEM OPT eligibleEligible F-1 students who finish their program of study and participate in an initial period of regular post-completion OPT (often for 12 months) have the option to apply for a STEM OPT extension (for 24 months).

Curriculum

Our school and mental health counseling coursework and training emphasize three primary themes: social justice, diversity in its many forms, and a person- or student-centered counseling orientation.

For course descriptions, visit the Professional Counseling M.Phil.Ed. program in the University Catalog.

Internships

An integral part of the learning experience is the completion of an internship in a counseling setting. The nature of the internship will vary based upon the student’s interests. The purpose of the internship is to provide the student with practical clinical experience on an ongoing basis during the course of their M.Phil.Ed. studies. The internship is arranged by mutual agreement of the student, the student’s advisor, the Professional Counseling internship course instructor, and the supervisor at the field site (who must be at least a licensed master’s-level mental health professional). Typically, students are not compensated for services rendered under the internship experience. Performance in the internship experience must be satisfactory following the first semester evaluation process, based upon the assessment of the student’s progress by the field site supervisor, the student’s academic advisor, and the Professional Counseling program faculty. Satisfactory performance in the first half of the student’s coursework is a prerequisite for the oral clinical examination for the M.Phil.Ed. degree.

Oral clinical comprehensive examination

The oral clinical comprehensive examination process for the M.Phil.Ed. program is designed to assess the student’s active, working knowledge of the three major themes of the program: (1) applied counseling/clinical services; (2) understanding of clients’ cultures and contexts; and (3) lifespan human development. The examination assesses the student’s competence in using and integrating applied skills in the setting where counselors work. The oral clinical examination uses a case presentation format to evaluate the student’s level of competency as a counselor.

Our Faculty

Michael J. Nakkula

Professor of Practice

Ed.D., Harvard Graduate School of Education

Marsha Richardson

Senior Lecturer and Director, School and Mental Health Counseling Program

Psy.D., Widener University

Kyle Schultz

Lecturer in Educational Practice and Director, Counseling and Mental Health Services Program

Psy.D., Widener University

Jeanne L. Stanley

Adjunct Professor, Penn GSE

Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania

Howard C. Stevenson

Constance Clayton Professor of Urban Education

Ph.D., Fuller Graduate School of Psychology

Ariane Thomas

Lecturer in Educational Practice and Director, Professional Counseling Program

Psy.D., Widener University

Caroline L. Watts

Senior Lecturer

Ed.D., Harvard University

Diana Wildermuth

Lecturer in Educational Practice

Ph.D., Temple University

“The most important lesson that I learned from this experience was that my work at the micro-level is connected to larger social systems and structures. I graduated from the program extremely connected to the kids at my internship, and concerned for them as people, not just students on my caseload.”

Araya Baker

Professional Counseling M.Phil.Ed, 2016

Our Graduates

Graduates of the Professional Counseling program become mental health counselors working at mental health clinics, schools, and rehabilitation centers. Some graduates enter doctoral programs.

Alumni Careers

Psychologist B, Thomas Jefferson University Narcotic Addiction Rehabilitation Program (NARP)
Outpatient Mental Health Therapist, Intercultural Family Services Inc.
School Counselor, School District of Philadelphia

Outpatient Counselor, NHS Human Services
Doctoral student, Counseling Psychology, University of Oregon
Doctoral student, Counseling Psychology, University of Miami
Doctoral student, Counseling Psychology, University of Georgia

Admissions & Financial Aid

Please visit our Admissions and Financial Aid pages for specific information on the application requirements, as well as information on tuition, fees, financial aid, scholarships, and fellowships.

Contact Information

Contact us if you have any questions about the program.

Office of Admissions and
Financial Aid

Graduate School of Education
University of Pennsylvania
3700 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 898-6415
admissions@gse.upenn.edu
finaid@gse.upenn.edu

Program Contact

Maryetta Rowan
Administrative Coordinator
(215) 573-6851
rowanm@upenn.edu

Tuition & Fees >

Please view information from our Admissions and Financial Aid Office for specific information on the cost of this program.

Financial Aid >

Penn GSE is committed to making your graduate education affordable, and we offer generous scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships.

How to Apply

Licensure & Certification Information

State Counseling Licensure & National Counseling Certification

Currently, toward the end of the Professional Counseling (Year Two) program, students sit for the National Counselor Exam (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam (NCMHCE), which the program administers at Penn GSE. Passing the NCE exam grants students the status of eligibility as a PA Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a National Certified Counselor (NCC) once their 3,000* hours of post-master’s supervised counseling work is completed. The NCC credential signals to licensing boards and employers that the program from which the student has graduated has been approved by a national credentialing board. The NBCC defines the credential as such: “National Certified Counselors (NCC) are board certified counselors who offer the highest standards of practice because they have met stringent education, examination, supervision, experience, and ethical requirements.” However, the NBCC has recently made changes to this program, so the last application cycle for our students will be the fall of 2026. Following this date, students will sit for their licensure exam after graduation but without the NCC designation.

* Each state has its own licensing requirements so please check with your state board for both the internship licensing requirements and exact number of required post-master's hours.

State School Counselor Certification: PreK-12

Toward the end of the program, students sit for the PRAXIS School Counselor Exam (5422). Students can choose from a variety of testing sites both in and out of Pennsylvania. Students who pass this exam and complete all the coursework and internship requirements are eligible for certification as an Elementary and Secondary (PK-12) School Counselor (Education Specialist I) in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and can be certified as PreK-12 school counselors. Students living outside of Pennsylvania are well positioned to earn similar certification in other states but must confirm their state’s requirements in advance of their internship field experiences.

Professional Counseling

Master of Philosophy in Education (M.Phil.Ed.)

Preparing school counselors and mental health professionals for licensing, certification, and career advancement.

What Sets Us Apart