Preparation for School Counselor Certification

Completion of the required courses will enable the student to apply for official certification. This certification authorizes the holder to serve as a counselor in any accredited school in Oklahoma.

General Guidelines

The applicant must satisfy all requirements related to formal admission to the Jackson College of Graduate Studies at the University of Central Oklahoma. Applications may be completed online at http://www.uco.edu/graduate/admissions.html.
The applicant shall hold a valid classroom teaching certificate.
The applicant must satisfactorily complete the state curriculum examination for School Counselor Certificate.
All course work must be completed at the graduate level.
For recommendation by the University of Central Oklahoma, the last nine semester hours of course work must be completed at the University of Central Oklahoma.
For standard certification the applicant must hold a Master’s degree granted by an institution accredited by a regional accrediting association.
For certificate recommendation, the applicant shall have completed the approved program for certification as a school counselor as outlined in the graduate catalog.
For recommendation for certification applicants must not have more than six (6) hours of ‘C’ in specialized coursework.
Applicants must successfully complete all portfolio requirements as designated by the program.

School Counselor Required Course Work: 33 hrs

*200 Total Hours: 100 hours in Counselor Education Clinic, 100 hours in an accredited school site

Individuals who hold teacher certification via the State Department of Education’s Alternative Certification method will need to be recommended for adding advanced certification area(s) by UCO. However, the individual will remain part of the State Department of Education’s Alternative Certification Placement Program.