Master of Counselor Education at East Carolina University

East Carolina University offers the Master of Counselor Education as a full-time degree delivered on campus at its main campus in Greenville , United States of America. Taught in English and completed over 2 years, the program equips students with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills required for counselor education and related professional fields. The next available intake begins on August 21, 2027.

About Master of Counselor Education

Do you have a desire to work in a helping relationship? Are you interested in helping others improve the quality of their lives as they learn to effectively deal with a variety of issues through a collaborative relationship?

East Carolina University's counselor education program allows students to work closely with faculty as they learn and grow as professional counselors. The counselor education program places strong emphasis on students' development of professional identity as counselors, providing academic learning opportunities in core curriculum including theory, techniques and assessment and specialty training in three professional specialization areas: professional school counseling, student affairs and college counseling, and clinical mental health counseling. The program offers graduate students who come from varied undergraduate backgrounds, an opportunity to explore and develop their own personal styles and approaches to professional counseling.

Students will attend courses completely online. Students will engage in a variety of learning experiences as they seek to apply content to practice through a variety of courses, assignments, and experiential learning opportunities. In addition, students will gain leadership, collaboration, and helping skills as they become immersed in the field. In addition to a student's coursework experiences, he or she is encouraged to become an active member in the profession through professional association involvement (i.e, presentations, publications, etc.) and leadership positions.

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Program Coordinator: JaneÃ© Avent Harris (225-A Ragsdale Hall; 252-737-1255; [email protected])

Students majoring in the Counselor Education, MS must complete a minimum of 60 s.h., including 45 s.h. of core research, theory and practical courses, and 15 s.h. of electives from education, psychology, sociology, human environmental sciences, or health according to the student's needs as approved by the advisor. The program includes common core curricular experiences in eight areas: professional orientation and ethical practice, social and cultural diversity, human growth and development, career development, helping relationships, group work, assessment and research and program evaluation. Additionally, students choose a professional specialization: clinical mental health counseling, school counseling or student affairs and college counseling. Individualized programs of course work will be designed to promote the competencies required of counselors in the professional specialization chosen by students. The program also includes clinical practicum and internship experiences to promote professional development. A departmental interview will be required for admission.

Required courses:

COAD 6400 - Introduction to Counseling and Human Services
COAD 6401 - Analysis of the Individual
COAD 6402 - Career Development and Counseling
COAD 6404 - Counseling Theory and Techniques
COAD 6405 - Group Procedures
COAD 6407 - Social and Cultural Issues in Counseling
COAD 6409 - Counseling Skills and Techniques
COAD 6412 - Developmental Counseling and Learning: A Life-Span Approach
COAD 6414 - Family Approaches in Professional Counseling
COAD 6482 - Supervised Counseling Practicum
COAD 6991 - Counseling Internship I
COAD 6992 - Counseling Internship II
COAD 7408 - Professional, Legal, and Ethical Issues in Counseling
COAD 7480 - Research Methods and Design in Counseling (EDUC 6480 or ADED 6491 may be substituted for 7480)

Choose one professional specialization course from:

COAD 6406 - Counseling in Schools
COAD 6411 - Student Affairs and College Counseling
COAD 6415 - Clinical Mental Health Counseling

For more information about this degree visit the university's academic catalogs.

Requirements and Admission Criteria for Master of Counselor Education at East Carolina University

Entry Requirements

In order to be considered for admission, international graduate applicants follow the same steps as a U.S. applicant with a few exceptions as identified in Red font. Step by step instructions are identified below:

Complete the ECU Online Graduate School Application: One application fee and one set of supporting documents should be submitted for each program of study applying to.
Pay the Application Fee: Payment will be made through the self-service portal prior to submission of the application. The payment portal accepts debit or credit card only.
Provide Foreign Transcript Evaluation:

An official course by course credential evaluation of all foreign transcripts indicating that, at minimum, the US equivalent of a bachelor’s degree has been awarded by an accredited college or university is required.

Provide Official Transcript(s) & Diploma Copy: A copy of your transcript(s) and diplomas showing a full education history issued in your native language as well as a notarized or certified copy in English must be uploaded to your application.
Provide Evidence of English Proficiency: If English is not your native language and you have not completed at least one year of education (minimum of 18 credit hours) at a United States school, you are required to take a standardized English language exam or complete the ECU Language Academy (ECULA).
- Language Exam Options: The Graduate School accepts either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), the Duolingo English Test or Pearson Test of English (PTE) and scores must be forwarded to the Graduate School by the testing service. The paper- or computer-based TOEFL exam is accepted by request only.
ECU Language Academy: You may choose to attend the ECU Language Academy instead of taking the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE. Also, if you do not obtain the required score on the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE, at least one session of the ECU Language Academy may be required prior to the start of your program. Successful completion of all levels of the ECU Language Academy is required for admission without TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE scores. More information on the ECU Language Academy, including the ECULA application, is available on the Intensive English Program website. Individual programs may have higher minimum requirements.
Provide Official Standardized Admissions Test Results: If required by the program you’re applying to, please arrange for an official score report to be sent directly to the Graduate School by the testing service (GRE or GMAT). ECU’s institutional code is 5180. ECU does not have departmental codes.
Upload Statement of Purpose: If required by the program you’re applying to, please upload a copy of your personal statement (why you believe you would be a good candidate for the program) to your application. You may want to use resources to help you write a personal statement in English such as this webinar.
Provide Letters of recommendation: If required by the program you’re applying to, please arrange to have LOR’s submitted electronically with the online application. Review your program’s application requirements to determine the number of letters, if any, that they require.
Upload Resume: If required by the program you’re applying to, please upload a copy of your most recent resume to your online application.
Provide Financial information: If/when you are admitted to a graduate program at ECU you will be required to provide certified evidence of financial resources adequate to cover educational costs and living expenses. Documents only need submitted if/when an offer of admission is extended.

English Requirements

PTEMin 65
IELTSMin 6.5
TOEFLMin 78

Career Opportunities after Completing Master of Counselor Education

Graduates with this degree are successful in many fields and careers, including the following:

Careers not found.

Career Opportunities

ECU has developed resources to help you learn more about career opportunities and job market outlook. In addition, the websites below provide specific information on careers in the various majors from which students may choose:

NC Tower

This website provides graphs and tables of in-depth information on employment rates, wages and ongoing higher education enrollment of graduates from the North Carolina Community College System and from the University of North Carolina system schools. NC Tower includes data on former UNC students who are working in roughly 90% of all jobs in North Carolina. This database excludes information for graduates who are:

Self-employed;
Work for the federal government, including the military: or
Work outside of North Carolina.

US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook

This website also provides in-depth information regarding pay, projected new jobs, required education, growth rate and on-the-job training information on various occupations.

Degree-specific internships

For information on internship information for specific majors, go to the home page of the department in which the major is located and, as available, find the link to the information on internships in that major.

Tuition and Fee Information for Master of Counselor Education at East Carolina University

Application Fee 75

How to Apply for Master of Counselor Education at East Carolina University

Thank you for your interest in a graduate program at East Carolina University!

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Master of Counselor Education at East Carolina University

East Carolina University

United States of America, Greenville