School Counseling M.S.

School Counseling will prepare you to help all students reach their maximum level of development. You'll learn in a program that embraces a multicultural and developmental philosophy in preparing students to provide counseling and related services in a democratic and pluralistic society. Completing this program will give you the education needed to seek K-12 licensure as a school counselor in Minnesota and give you the foundation needed to pursue licensure in other states.

Select from a master's degree or graduate certificate in School Counseling. The School Counseling MS program requires a minimum of 61 credits to complete, meeting CACREP standards.

Pipeline Grant

We are proud to announce this program has been awarded a Minnesota Department of Education Pipeline Grant. This grant is designed to support the recruitment, retention, and graduation of outstanding school counselors who will serve students across Minnesota with a focus on recruitment of students from underrepresented backgrounds.

Tuition assistance is available at the rate of up to $400 per credit (up to 27 credits) for courses taken in Summer or Fall 2026 and Spring 2027.

Question about this grant may be directed to Dr. Bill Lepkowski at wjlepkowski@stcloudstate.edu

Apply for the Pipeline Grant
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The St. Cloud State Advantage

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Admission Requirements and Details

  • Strong candidates will be interviewed.
  • Complete a personal interview with representatives of the profession, advanced students in the program and the counseling faculty. An interview is required and is scheduled for mid to late March.
  • For specific interview dates and an appointment, contact the departmental secretary. If attendance at an interview is totally impractical, the graduate director may designate an alternate method. 
  • Admission decisions are made after review of applications and the group interviews are completed. 
  • Applicants can enhance their chance for an admission offer by having all application materials in by the deadline and demonstrating clear and compelling responses to the interview questions in the group interviews.
  • When considering applicants, careful attention is paid to previous work experience, academic background, scholarship, emotional maturity, interpersonal skills and commitment to the counseling profession as demonstrated through application materials and interview responses.
  • Previous experience working with children and adolescents and previous school experience is heavily weighted in the admission process as well. You are also advised to visit with several school counselors prior to admission to verify that this profession is a good fit for you and to be able to show a genuine interest in the field.
  • Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Wait list
Competition for limited places in the School Counseling program requires the necessity of a wait list. Wait list decisions are made four weeks after the completion of interviews. 

Application Deadlines

U.S. Citizens International
Outside U.S.
International
Inside U.S.
Fall December 1 (Priority)
January 5 (Preferred)
February 2 (Standard)
June 8 (Final)
December 1 (Priority)
January 5 (Preferred)
February 2 (Standard)
June 8 (Final)
December 1 (Priority)
January 5 (Preferred)
February 2 (Standard)
June 8 (Final)
Spring N/A N/A N/A
Summer N/A N/A N/A

Graduate Director: Dr. William Lepkowski

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Additional Resources

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