Sixth Year Professional Certificate in School Counseling prepares K–12 counselors through coursework, fieldwork, and meets the CT 068 certification.
This advanced certificate provides course requirements and supervised fieldwork to prepare for the State of Connecticut Certification (068) as a K-12 School Counselor.
Candidates for this certificate program must hold a Master’s Degree in education or a related helping profession. In addition, candidates must complete the program prerequisite course in special education required for Connecticut State Department of Education certification. The certificate requires 41 credits of coursework and fieldwork experience. Candidates must complete a 100-hour supervised practicum and a 700-hour, 10-month supervised internship placement within a school setting. Candidates with 30 months of approved certified teaching experience may waive 50 percent of the internship.
Students are trained to provide preventive and responsive counseling services that meet the guidelines of the American School Counselor Association's (ASCA) National Model, as well as the Connecticut Comprehensive School Counseling Framework (CCSCF). Students interested in pursuing licensure as a professional counselor (LPC) in the State of Connecticut must hold a master’s degree in Counseling or a related mental health field.
No comprehensive exam or thesis is required.
- The 60-credit program is available in full or part-time study.
- Evening classes are offered for the working professional.
- Class format includes online and in-person meetings.
- The SYC program includes two supervised field experiences in school settings: a practicum and an internship. Both fieldwork experiences are completed under the supervision of a certified school counselor.
- Practicum: Practicum offers students the opportunity to develop, sharpen, and demonstrate individual and group counseling skills. In this first field experience, students are required to spend a minimum of 100 hours over the course of one semester within a school setting.
- Internship: The internship is an intensive, diversified experience that exposes students to a full range of school counselor responsibilities appropriate to the setting. In line with Connecticut certification requirements, the internship consists of a 10-month-long, 700-hour minimum counseling experience in a school setting.
Graduates will:
Professional Counseling Orientation & Ethical Practice
Demonstrate ethical, collaborative, and advocacy-driven practices by accurately identifying professional roles, credentialing requirements, relevant legislation, and counseling supervision models, and by applying self-awareness, professional engagement, and informed leadership to promote access, equity, and excellence across diverse service delivery settings.
Social & Cultural Identities & Experiences
Apply multicultural, social justice, and advocacy frameworks by identifying systemic barriers, and analyzing the influence of cultural identities and intersectionality and the impact of historical trauma, discrimination, marginalization, and income disparities on the people they serve. They will implement inclusive strategies that promote empowerment, wellness, and equitable access to services.
Career Development
Apply ethical, culturally sustaining, and developmentally responsive career counseling strategies by conducting career assessments, interpreting labor market data, identifying systemic barriers, and developing individualized career and education plans that support diverse clients in achieving meaningful vocational and life-work goals.
Counseling Practice & Relationships
Demonstrate competence in culturally sustaining and evidence-based practices by effectively conceptualizing cases, developing and implementing prevention and intervention plans, responding to crises, building ethical counseling relationships, and engaging in collaborative decision-making to support diverse student needs across practice settings.
Group Counseling & Group Work
Demonstrate the ability to ethically design, facilitate, and evaluate group counseling sessions by applying evidence-based, culturally sustaining, and developmentally responsive strategies, and by analyzing group dynamics, leadership roles, and therapeutic factors across diverse settings and delivery modalities.
Assessment & Diagnostic Processes
Demonstrate the ability to ethically select, administer, and interpret a variety of assessments by applying knowledge of developmental, cultural, and legal considerations to accurately inform case conceptualization, goal setting, service planning, and referral decisions across academic, career, personal, and clinical contexts.
Research & Program Evaluation
Demonstrate competency in research and program evaluation by designing ethically sound studies, selecting appropriate methodologies, analyzing and interpreting data, and applying culturally responsive, evidence-based findings to inform counseling programming and the counseling profession, evaluate outcomes, and support professional advocacy efforts.
School Counseling Specialized Practice
Demonstrate the ability to design and lead equitable, data-informed PK–12 programs that promote academic success, social-emotional development, and career readiness through advocacy, collaboration, culturally sustaining practices, trauma-informed care, and comprehensive school-based interventions and consultation.
Design, implement, and evaluate career development programming that expands access and helps close equity gaps across learner populations.
Careers
School counselors are employed primarily in K-12 educational settings. They use their counseling knowledge, insight, and skills to promote student well-being and educational success.
Key Responsibilities of School Counselors:
- Provide a program of services for students in the school to promote academic, social-emotional, and career development in a proactive and preventive manner.
- Provide individual and group counseling for students identified in need.
- Consult with teachers, faculty, and administrators concerning student academic, social-emotional, and career success.
- Communicate and collaborate with parents/families to support students.
- Provide a liaison with community agencies based on student needs.
- Implement a comprehensive program that focuses on the uniqueness of all students based on data-informed decision making, closing achievement and opportunity gaps, and results in improved student outcomes.
Typical Job Titles
- School Counselor
For more information about school counseling, see the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) and the Connecticut School Counselor Association (CSCA).
Accreditation
The SYC program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). This program is not accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
School / College
College of Education
Department
Counselor Education
Contact
Dr. Jennifer Parzych
schoolcounselinggrad@southernct.edu
From our Alumni
I gained insight into what it takes to become an effective school counselor and assist students in many different aspects of their development. Not only did Southern help me in becoming a school counselor, but it also brought me lifelong friends, camaraderie, and amazing professors who have supported me along the way. Go Owls!
Victoria Ray,
MS-School Counseling alumni, ‘25
MS-School Counseling alumni, ‘25
Southern’s School Counseling Program is a true community where students and professors support and uplift each other throughout every challenge. The program builds empathy, collaboration, and confidence, fully preparing students to thrive as counselors after graduation. Joining this program was the best decision I made and an unforgettable experience!
Claire Doheny,
MS-School Counseling alumni, ‘25
MS-School Counseling alumni, ‘25