Master of Arts in School Counseling
Marquette University’s Master of Arts in School Counseling program prepares school counselors to support students from diverse backgrounds in developing their full social, academic and career potential. Whether practicing in an elementary, middle or high school, our graduates are trained to advocate for those in need, serve as a connector for students and their families, and thrive as a relationship-builder. Our program is approved by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
Why school counseling at Marquette?
- Students are trained to develop and deliver a comprehensive school counseling program that is aligned with the principles outlined in the American School Counselor Association National Model.
- Our program focuses on human development, psychopathology, research, assessment, theories of counseling, and ethical and legal issues, as well as individual, group and other school counseling interventions.
- We prepare our students for licensing through the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and will assist with the licensing application process after graduation.
- Our accomplished faculty are nationally recognized as leading experts in their fields and are past presidents of the American School Counselor Association and the Wisconsin School Counselor Association.
- We have strong community partnerships that offer students diverse practicum and internship training experiences, which provide comprehensive preparation for professional practice as a school counselor.
- As an institution founded on Jesuit principles, our program encourages our students to stand up for the dignity of all and build communities in which everyone can thrive and belong.
- Our reputation for thoroughly preparing our students will have you standing out as a Marquette graduate and will equip you to truly serve the greater good, no matter where your career takes you.
- Our programs have high retention rates and low student-to-faculty ratios.
- Our location in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, offers you the amenities of a big city with the friendliness and ease of a smaller city.
100%
employment rate
120 days
postgraduation
100%
pass rate on
PRAXIS II exam since 2010
100%
program completion rate since 2004
Ready to Apply?
Visit our Graduate School website.
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Program facts
FT
Full-time, part-time options
* 3, if part time
Program learning objectives
1. Apply knowledge of bio-psycho-social-cultural foundations of behavior and evidence-based counseling approaches to diverse individuals and groups.
2. Apply professional, ethical and legal standards in their counseling practices.
3. Assume advocacy roles for the mental health care of underserved individuals and groups in urban settings.
4. Integrate self-awareness, counseling roles and reflective practices into a professional counseling identity.
5. Lead the development and implementation of critical interventions of a Comprehensive School Counseling Program in culturally diverse, urban PK-12 schools.
Our commitment to diversity and social justice
Our program faculty, staff and students believe it is our responsibility to actively engage in creating a more equitable, diverse and inclusive world. We value and embrace diversity across all forms of identity. We acknowledge the complexity of diversity as it relates to privilege and the disparities of racial and social power impacting our society. It is our duty to dismantle discriminatory systems, and we are committed to doing so through our research, practice and service. As members of an academic community, we believe that diversity enriches our educational and professional growth, as well as our communities. We dedicate ourselves to increasing self-awareness, growth, collaboration, relationship-building and ongoing education. In our quest for racial and social justice, we advocate with, and for, those in our communities whose voices deserve to be heard. We are committed to taking personal and group responsibility for racial and social justice, and to hold one another accountable.
Who should apply to our program?
Students with a bachelor's degree who wish to pursue a license-eligible degree in the field of counseling or who anticipate pursuing a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology should apply to this program.
Students with a variety of backgrounds are admitted to our programs. Some enter with a bachelor's degree, others have completed some graduate courses, others have a master's degree in a mental health field, and a few have even had doctoral degrees in another field but wish to retrain as counselors and counseling psychologists. All applicants must have at least attained a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
