School Counseling

Graduate Information Handbook & Application Materials

The school counselor is a certified/licensed educator trained in school counseling with qualifications and skills to address all students' academic, personal/social and career development needs. Professional school counselors serve a vital role in maximizing student achievement.

Program Information

Master of Education

The School Counseling Program requires 33 hours of coursework, and leads to the Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree. There are no electives. At this time, many classes can be completed online. Please see pages 63 – 65 of the SWOSU Graduate Degree Catalog for a listing of required courses.

Many of our students in the school counseling program are working full-time and have families so we strive to provide a practical, yet, challenging program that is also student friendly. All of our courses are available in the evenings or on weekends.

Admission to SWOSU

If you have not previously attended SWOSU, the first step is admittance to the University. Click here to apply.

Admission to the School Counseling Program

1. Bachelor's degree from a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association is required.
2. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
   
   OR

3. A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.5 – 2.99 on a 4.0 scale (overall undergraduate Ret/Grad GPA, (or) GPA on the last 60 semester hours) with a satisfactory minimum score with respect to the following equation of GPA and GRE scores: GPA x 100 + GRE = 530
   (The GRE score will be a sum of the scores on the verbal and quantitative tests).
4. University Application for Admission or Readmission should be completed, either online or on paper and sent to the Academic Records's Office.

Apply to the Program - Step-by-Step Process

The following steps should be completed and forms sent to the Graduate Office via e-mail to graduatestudies@swosu.edu or 100 Campus Dr., Weatherford, OK 73096:

1. Complete and submit the Application for Graduate Admission
2. Complete and submit the Transfer of Credits Form (The Nine-Hour Policy Agreement)
3. Submit official transcript(s) of all credit earned
4. Complete and submit two Master of Education Recommendation Forms. The forms must be completed by two individuals who will recommend you to the program.
   1. These recommendations should be completed by individuals who are in a position to rate academic aptitude, motivational, and character/disposition factors.
   2. Forms should be sent directly from the reference to the Graduate Office
5. Complete and submit the OSBI background check dated within one year of the application. Click here to access the background check form. We only need the Name search, not the fingerprints; therefore, the total cost is $15. Please return the OSBI background check to the Program Director, Dawn Keller via the following avenues:
   
   Fax
   580.774.7154
   
   Mail
   Attn: Dawn Keller
   100 Campus Drive
   Weatherford, OK 73096
6. All prospective students in the M.Ed. and M.S. Education Programs must submit an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) record check.
7. Students must submit an OSBI record check to the Department of Education by the application deadline. Submit the ORIGINAL OSBI Check – no alterations to the sheet(s) will be accepted. If you mail in the application it will take three to four weeks. If you go in person, the OSBI check takes approximately 15 minutes.
8. Students can send completed application to
   Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation
   Criminal History Reporting Unit
   6600 N. Harvey, Building# 140
   Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73116
9. Or can go in person to
   OSBI (close to 63^rd and Broadway Ext.)
   From 63^rd turn north on Robinson (One block West of Broadway Ext.)
   And go to sign saying Building #6
   Enter door on south side of OSBI building
   Go to window and fill out application

Deadlines

The deadlines for application for the M.Ed. program in School Counseling are June 1^st for the Fall Semester and November 1^st for the Spring Semester.

Acceptance

Acceptance will require completing an on-campus face-to-face interview. The interviews are typically scheduled for June for Fall applicants and November for Spring applicants. Applicants will be notified about interview information through the e-mail address provided on the application. Interview information will not be sent out until the application deadline has passed (Notification of interview will be sent after June 1^st for the Fall semester and after November 1^st for the Spring Semester).

Upon acceptance into any of these graduate programs, the candidate must successfully complete a Plan of Study with his/her advisor.

Placement into the practicum and internship courses requires approval from the Departmental Internship/Practicum Approval Committee (IPAC).

Note: Meeting the minimum standards does not guarantee acceptance into the program.

Certification Requirements for School Counseling

1. Completion of master’s degree
2. Successful passage of the appropriate Oklahoma Subject Area Examination
3. Hold an appropriate/valid teaching certificate 

Upon Completion of All Requirements

1. If candidates are adding this as an additional area to their current teaching certificates, candidates will process their applications online with the Oklahoma State Department of Education Single Sign On System
2. If candidates are pursuing initial teacher certifications with this area, candidates notify the SWOSU Department of Education Certification Coordinator by completing the online Recommendation Request for Teacher Certification form. Candidates will be notified by e-mail when their recommendation is made at which time candidates will process their applications online with the Oklahoma State Department of Education Single Sign On System.

Note: Completion of the Master of Education degree in School Counseling is applicable toward academic eligibility requirements for the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) act. See the LPC Curriculum Program for information regarding application and LPC coursework requirements.

Tuition Waiver

The College of Professional and Graduate Studies offers the opportunity for a tuition waiver. To apply for the waiver, you must have been admitted to the graduate program, have completed coursework at SWOSU, be currently enrolled in a minimum of six graduate hours, have a minimum of a 3.50 GPA and must be an Oklahoma Resident. We encourage you to apply for the tuition waiver for every semester after your first if you qualify. Click here for the application form.

Advisor

Dawn Keller, M.Ed., serves as the graduate advisor for all School Counseling students. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact her at 580.774.3033 or dawn.keller@swosu.edu.

As outlined in the Transfer of Credit form, you are permitted to take up to nine hours of coursework prior to full admission. If you wish to do so, you must contact Dawn Keller at dawn.keller@swosu.edu to create a plan of study.

For more information, contact:

Dawn Keller, M.Ed., Director
dawn.keller@swosu.edu
580.774.3033

Application Materials

• Application Checklist
• Degree Program Catalog Listing (pages 63 –  65)
• Application for Graduate Admission
• Transfer of Credit
• OSBI Background Check
• Tuition Waiver Application