Counselor Education (MA)

Make a Substantial Difference in the Lives of Others

The MA in Counselor Education program at UCF prepares you to practice as a licensed and/or credentialed professional counselor to work with clients of all ages and backgrounds. You will gain the knowledge and skills needed to empower individuals, couples and families to make positive, healthy changes in their lives.

The Counselor Education program emphasizes a wellness, multicultural and humanistic approach to the application of evidence-based brief therapies and prevention measures. Nationally recognized faculty with real world experience provide students with the knowledge and self-awareness necessary to excel in this industry. Additionally, you benefit from direct clinical training in our campus-based Community Counseling and Research Center ” an award-winning, state-of-the-art clinical training facility that offers free individual, couple and family counseling sessions to members of the Central Florida community.

Along with being ranked as one of the top counseling programs in the nation, the master™s in counselor education is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Our graduates go directly into the mental health counseling or school counseling fields ” engaging with clients and students at all levels of care and education. Many also hold leadership positions within their field, including local, state and national organizations.

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Track
This track prepares you to practice in agencies, private practice and other settings with clients presenting with the full range of mental health and behavioral health concerns. During the program, you complete clinical experiences in the UCF Community Counseling and Research Center and field-based experiences in clinical settings throughout the community. Graduates of the program will have met all requirements as outlined by the Florida Department of Medical Quality Assurance for licensure as a mental health counselor.

School Counseling Track
This track prepares you to work in pre-K through postsecondary school settings with students on academic achievement, personal and social development, and career and college planning. During the program, you complete clinical experiences in the UCF Community Counseling and Research Center and field-based experiences in elementary, middle, or high school settings throughout the community. Graduates of this Florida state-approved teacher preparation program will have met all requirements as outlined by the Florida Department of Education for certification as a school counselor.

Related Programs:

• Marriage, Couple and Family Therapy, MA
• Counselor Education, School Counseling Track, MEd
• Education, School Counseling Track, EdS
• Education, Counselor Education Track, PhD

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution recognized by UCF or its equivalent from a foreign institution AND a GPA of 3.0 or more (on a 4.0 maximum) in all work attempted while registered as an undergraduate student OR while registered as an upper-division undergraduate student (normally based on the last sixty attempted semester hours); OR, a graduate degree or professional degree or equivalent from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or its equivalent from a foreign institution in a field related to the discipline of the program to which the student is applying.
• Students applying to doctoral programs should refer to the graduate catalog requirements for their program.
• Students applying to doctoral programs must also submit three letters of recommendation, a resume or curriculum vitae, and a written essay.
• International students must demonstrate their proficiency in the English language. International students, except those who are from countries where English is the only official language, those who have earned a degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, or those who have earned a degree from a country where English is the only official language or from a university at which English is the only official language of instruction, are required to submit a score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or IELTS before they can be admitted to the university. A computer-based TOEFL score of 220 or 80 on the internet-based TOEFL (or equivalent score on the paper-based test) or 6.5 on the IELTS is required unless otherwise specified by the program.
• International students applying to master’s or doctoral programs that do not require a GRE (or GMAT), except those that have earned or will earn a Masters or Doctoral degree from an accredited U.S. institution recognized by UCF, must submit a course-by-course evaluation of their official transcripts from a credential evaluation service recommended by UCF. This course-by-course evaluation must show a GPA that is equivalent to a 3.0 from an earned degree that is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree.
• UCF now accepts scanned copies of official transcripts as part of your application materials. You will have the ability to upload these materials during the application process. After you have been offered admission to a graduate program and prior to the beginning of the semester term, you will be required to submit your official transcripts. When obtaining official transcripts, be sure to request that the transcripts show the degrees you have earned.

• those who are from countries where English is the only official language;
• those who have earned a degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university;
• those who have earned a degree from a country where English is the only official language;
• those who have earned a degree from a university at which English is the only official language of instruction; or
• those who have successfully completed UCF English Language Institute Level 8 or higher with a grade of “B” or better at UCF Global.