Welcome to the LSU Counselor Education program. Our program is a 60-hour master's program in counseling with two distinct concentrations: School Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling. This website is designed to help prospective students and current students gain information and access resources about our program.
Our Mission
The LSU Counselor Education program prepares students to meet the mental health needs of diverse clients in Louisiana and nationally through a focus on evidence-based practices, advocacy and social justice, and wellness across the lifespan.
We adhere to the ACA Code of Ethics.
Our Strengths
- Excellent student-faculty ratio
- Nationally accredited program through CACREP
- Hands-on clinical training
- Training in individual, group, couples and family counseling
- Training in career and college readiness counseling
- Emphasis on skills for working with clients from diverse cultural backgrounds
- Strong grounding in counseling best practices
- Opportunities for specialized training in: girls' and women's mental health, crisis and trauma, grief and loss
- Nationally recognized faculty
Instructional Methods
The counselor education faculty provides students with an in-person program using methods such as didactic instruction, group work, service learning, experiential activities, and clinical experiences in real-world settings. Our instruction is based on evidence and sound counseling research.
Admission Deadlines
Clinical Mental Health Counseling — January 31, 2025
School Counseling — Rolling Admission (to be considered for the Fall 2024 semester,
please submit by January 31, 2025)
Interview Date: March 7, 2025
Programs
Master of Education in Counseling with a Concentration in School Counseling
The LSU School Counseling Program recruits and trains self-motivated counselors who are educational leaders and serve as advocates for all students in elementary, middle, and secondary schools. Through engaging caregivers and community partnerships, students demonstrate how school counselors work to promote academic success for all students, serve as multi-systemic leaders and change agents to improve educational practices, and demonstrate counseling effectiveness in removing barriers to success for all students through ongoing outcome research and program evaluation. Students will gain knowledge, experience, and skills training in order to:
- Facilitate human development and adjustment throughout the lifespan.
- Respect cultural influences on human development and adjustment.
- Develop and maintain a comprehensive, developmental school counseling program which promotes students’ academic, career, and personal-social development.
- Use outcome research to demonstrate the effectiveness of school counseling programs.
- Practice consistent with the ethical and professional standards of the counseling profession.
The LSU School Counseling program is 60 hours and is nationally accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and meets the standards of the Louisiana Department of Education for certification as a school counselor.
Program of Study: School Counseling Required Courses (60 hours)
Master of Education in Counseling with a Concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
The LSU Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program provides professional level training to graduate students interested in working in community agency and mental health settings. The program is designed to prepare students to become Licensed Professional Counselors in the state of Louisiana. Students will receive knowledge, experience, and skills training in order to:
- Facilitate human development and adjustment throughout the life span
- Prevent, diagnose, and treat mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders and associated distresses which interfere with mental health
- Conduct assessments and diagnoses for the purpose of establishing treatment goals and objectives
- Plan, implement, and evaluate treatment plans using counseling treatment interventions and practices consistent with the ethical and professional standards of the counseling profession.
The LSU Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is 60 hours and is nationally accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and meets the educational requirements to become a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Louisiana.
Program of Study: Clinical Mental Health Counseling Required Courses (60 hours)
With a Specialization in Counseling
The Specialist Certificate with a Concentration in Counseling provides advanced counseling training for those who have already earned a Master’s degree in School or Clinical Mental Health Counseling. The program of study provides specialized training in a particular area of counseling such as school counseling (e.g., completing requirements for certification), special populations (e.g., children, substance abusers), or clinical mental health counseling (e.g., completing coursework needed for licensure as an LPC). Graduates receive a Specialist Certificate (EdS).
Additional Specialist Certification in Education Information