How Long Does It Take to Obtain a Master’s Degree in School Counseling? 

How long does it take to become a school counselor? The short answer is that you can complete a Professional School Counseling master’s program in two years.

If you’re asking about school counseling master’s program length, you probably want to become a school counselor. In that case, you probably have more questions about curriculum and specializations, full-time and part-time options, and licensure and certification requirements. 

Scan the rest of this blog post for an overview of school counseling master’s programs and how different program options will affect your school counselor education timeline.

School counselors work in elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools as well as in higher education and at organizations that provide opportunities to youth. School counselors offer guidance that help everyone from children to young adults build academic and social skills and set education and career goals. 

Carla Young, who was named New York State School Counselor of the Year in 2023, teaches in Russell Sage College’s Professional School Counseling master’s program. She shared what she loves about her work as a middle school counselor: 

“School counseling is a nice combination of a lot of different things. Sometimes it’s meetings and talking to adults all day. Sometimes it’s presentations, sometimes it’s meeting individually with kids, sometimes a group of kids. You’re in a school, so there’s the fun stuff of the school plays and the clubs. I really liked the interaction with the students, and also the variety of every day being a little bit different. The role is changing! When I first started, school counselors were really not in the classroom that much, and I’m glad that it has changed to be more interactive with all the kids.”

And school counseling is a stable career path: The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook handbook projects that employment opportunities for school counselors and career counselors will grow 4 percent from 2023 to 2033. 

How long it takes to obtain a master’s degree in school counseling varies depending on the academic background you have, what specializations (if any) you pursue, what type of licensure you want to earn, and whether you attend your school counseling graduate program full time or part time. 

Common undergraduate backgrounds for school counseling graduate programs include psychology, social work, criminal justice, sociology, expressive arts in mental health, and education. However, you can pursue a master’s degree in school counseling with almost any bachelor’s degree. You might have to take some prerequisite courses, although prerequisite requirements usually do not add substantially to your master’s in school counseling duration.

Now, let’s look at the curriculum for a master’s in school counseling and how specializations can affect your school counselor education timeline. 

School counseling graduate programs include core courses that everyone takes and, if desired, additional courses specific to your interests. 

Russell Sage’s 48-credit Professional School Counseling master’s program consists of 11 core courses plus a practicum and internship. The 48-credit program leads to initial licensure and can be completed in two years by taking approximately three classes a semester during fall, spring, and summer semesters. 

The core curriculum for school counseling master’s degrees include classes like Theories of Counseling, which introduces counseling approaches and their application in school settings, and Career Counseling, which explores the use of career resources and development theories to support long-term goal setting.

Other core courses focus on culturally competent practices, research and evaluation, and best practices from the American School Counseling Association. All students also complete a practicum and internship.

At Russell Sage College, every Professional School Counseling student takes a course in Positive Education. The option to earn a microbadge in Positive Education in conjunction with an M.S. in Professional School Counseling is forthcoming. 

School counseling master’s programs include hands-on experience via a practicum and an internship. Practicums are short-term placements in a professional setting, consisting of observation and some direct work with students under close supervision. 

Internships are longer-term experiences in a professional setting with more responsibility, also under the guidance of an experienced school counselor. 

Supervised fieldwork and internships are scheduled during the two-year timeframe of your degree and do not add time to your master’s in school counseling duration. 

School Counseling master’s programs may offer the opportunity to specialize in a specific area. For example, Russell Sage College’s 60-credit Professional School Counseling master’s program offers the following opportunities: 

The 60-credit master’s in Professional School Counseling at Russell Sage takes about three years, so it will add about a year to your school counselor education timeline. The benefit of the 60-credit program is that it includes all the educational requirements for professional — or lifetime — licensure, as opposed to the 48-credit program which leads to initial certification only. (Individuals with initial certification have to complete additional coursework within five years to earn professional licensure, adding to their school counselor education timeline.)   

The most influential factor in determining how long it will take to obtain a master’s degree in school counseling is the number of credits you take each semester. You are usually able to adjust your course load to adjust your school counseling master’s program length. 

While some financial aid programs require a minimum of 12 credits per semester, many colleges and universities consider nine credit hours to be full time in graduate school. Nine credit hours is often three classes. 

You can complete Russell Sage’s 48-credit Professional School Counseling master’s program leading to initial licensure in New York state in two years by taking three classes a semester during fall, spring, and summer semesters. Classes are generally in-person, in the late afternoon or evening. 

Russell Sage College also offers a 60-credit Professional School Counseling master’s program for individuals who want to earn initial and professional licensure. The 60-credit program takes about three years. 

Skip ahead for an explanation of the different types of licenses associated with Russell Sage’s 48-credit and 60-credit school counseling master’s programs. 

Many students at Russell Sage College appreciate that the scheduling and pacing of the full time, 48-credit master’s in school counseling allows them to balance work and other priorities while still completing their master’s in two years. Still, some students choose to complete their degree over a longer timeline for a variety of reasons.  

The duration of a master’s in school counseling varies when you attend part time by enrolling in fewer than nine credits a semester. A graduate admission counselor or faculty advisor can help you explore options. 

You must meet specific standards for licensure and certification as a school counselor, and licensing requirements vary by state. The American School Counselor Association has a helpful guide, and we talk more about licensure and certification for school counselors in New York state below. 

In New York, school counselors must have at least initial licensure (also sometimes called provisional licensure.) Initial licensure is valid for five years. School counselors who begin their careers with initial or provisional licensure must complete additional coursework — known as a Certificate of Advanced Study or by the acronym “CAS” — within five years to be eligible for professional licensure. Professional licensure is valid for life unless revoked.

If you would prefer to complete all the educational requirements for initial and professional licensure at one time, the school counseling master’s program at Russell Sage makes it possible. 

Russell Sage allows students to choose from the following school counseling master’s programs:

The actual duration of your master’s in school counseling will vary depending on the program track you choose and the number of credits you enroll in each semester. 

(Candidates for licensure and certification as a school counselor in New York State have to meet requirements in addition to a graduate program with a practicum and internship, including a passing score on the school counselor content specialty test; a Child Abuse Identification workshop, Dignity For All Students Act workshop, and School Violence Intervention and Prevention workshop; and fingerprint clearance. Your school counseling graduate program will guide you on fulfilling these requirements.)

To recap, many students at Russell Sage College appreciate that the scheduling and pacing of the 48-credit master’s in school counseling allows them to balance work and other priorities while still completing their master’s in two years.

Other students prefer to complete all the educational requirements for initial and professional licensure at one time by enrolling in the 60-credit school counseling master’s program, which takes about three years. 

The school counseling program at Russell Sage lets you choose a path — and a school counseling master’s program length — that’s just right.   

If you’d like to learn more about the master’s in school counseling at Russell Sage College, reach out to a graduate admission counselor. You can also apply today.