ME in School Counseling

Program Highlights

Learn how to support the well-being of the whole child through support of their social, emotional and academic needs

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Support Students In and Out of School

The USC Rossier School of Education offers a Master of Education in School Counseling is designed for those who aspire to become school counselors in K–12 settings.

The program explores relevant challenges affecting today’s schools, focusing on the well-being of the whole child through support of their social, emotional and academic needs.

This program will prepare you to:

• Provide academic and guidance counseling to students in K–12 settings.
• Support the whole child: socially, emotionally and academically.
• Coordinate school counseling goals to meet the needs of the students and organization.
• Employ decision-making and problem-solving for implementation and evaluation.
• Develop approaches to foster greater college access.

Relevant Curriculum

Gain the knowledge and skills to meet the unique needs of students in your community through a curriculum that addresses today’s challenges, including childhood trauma, assessment, and substance abuse.

Elevate the Academic Experience

Change the status quo by learning to advance higher-ed programs and elevate the student experience for all.

Immersive Experiences

Learn through a combination of fieldwork and coursework, including classroom clinical exercises and a 100-hour practicum, from faculty who have backgrounds in school counseling, are active in the field, and are trained to teach.

Unparalleled Trojan Experience

Earn a degree from a world-renowned institution that will open doors, connect you to a thriving alumni network, and provide value throughout your career.

Student Perspectives

Real students. Real stories.

Follow our student ambassadors through a typical day at USC Rossier — from morning classes to study sessions, campus life, and everything in between. Their stories give you an inside look at what it means to be part of this program and our community.

Curious about life at USC Rossier? Talk to current student to see what it’s like to be part of our community.

Talk to a Student

Watch videoTalk to a Student

Curriculum

Champion student success as a school counselor.

Become an ally for K–12 students with a program focused on college and career readiness, restorative justice and trauma-informed practice.

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The Counseling Process

EDUC 500 | 3 Units

The Counseling Process

EDUC 500 | 3 Units

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the counseling process. In class, students will master basic counseling skills, such as active listening, reflected feelings, empathizing, summarizing and clarifying the issues and concerns of the individuals seeking assistance. Upon completion, students will be prepared to work with actual clients under close clinical supervision or to pursue further advanced clinical training to work with college students.

Legal & Ethical Issues in Counseling

EDCO 503 | 3 Units

Legal & Ethical Issues in Counseling

EDCO 503 | 3 Units

This course addresses the field of professional ethics and related professional conduct issues and explores legal issues in the fields of counseling and applied psychology. The combination of lectures, seminar discussion, and problem-solving exercises prepares students to develop and maintain a school counseling program by developing in them a professional identity and giving them an understanding of the scope of their responsibilities. School counselors have a responsibility to uphold the standards of their profession, including adherence to ethical standards and practices to protect their clients, and this course helps students fulfill that responsibility.

Learning & Individual Differences

EDPT 502 | 3 Units

Learning & Individual Differences

EDPT 502 | 3 Units

This course explores the nature of learning and motivation in schools. Students study the theoretical foundations of these concepts and learn to apply them to solve common challenges in high-need school settings. They participate in a three-part process to improve learning and motivational issues in schools: identifying and assessing problems, applying research-based interventions and evaluating their effectiveness. With these tools, students become more effective leaders and problem solvers in educational contexts.

Cross Cultural Counseling

EDUC 638 | 3 Units

Cross Cultural Counseling

EDUC 638 | 3 Units

The purpose of this course is to examine the cultural, socioeconomic, and language factors that may affect culturally differentiated populations and alternative cross-cultural counseling approaches.

The growing need for school counselors: how you can make an impact

Today’s students face numerous challenges, from shifting federal legislation and school violence to online abuse and financial barriers that create uncertainty, fear, and anxiety.

Read this story

Faculty

Meet some of our experts.

Melanie Brady

Master Lecturer of Education

Meet Professor Brady

Marsha Boveja Riggio

Associate Professor of Teaching

Meet Professor Riggio

“My experience in this program has been a foundational, humbling one. I began this program expecting to master counseling standards, theories and mindsets, however the opportunity in class discussion and in fieldwork to deconstruct bias and privilege within myself and others is this program’s unexpected and beautiful challenge. I am convinced there is so much story in people, and my time at USC has opened my heart to both hear it and tell it in my profession. I am so thankful for this graduate program.”

Jeremy Garcia, ME ’21

Elementary Counselor, Hollyvale Innovation Academy