Master of Education in Counseling and Development

We cannot tell you whether or not you should take the exam again, that is solely up to you.  But what we can tell you is that we look at the entire package of the application and couple that with an interview, if invited.  Our admissions committee is committed to providing an equal opportunity to enter into our program.

We encourage you to apply and the committee will look at all of your application materials.

Our students typically find it difficult to work full time while being in the program.  Some students are able to work in the first three semesters but find it nearly impossible once entering into internships.  Internships average about 20-25 hours a week on top of 12 hour course loads.  Please consider this when applying for the program.

A Master's in Education means that our department is within the College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences with a concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.  As a CACREP accredited program, you will sit for the Licensed Professional Counselor exam in order to obtain a LPC license once all supervised hours are completed.

Winthrop University is committed to finding ways to make graduate education affordable.  If you reside in a surrounding county in North Carolina, you are awarded in-state tuition for attending Winthrop.  If you are an out of state student, we have Graduate Scholarships that award you in-state tuition as soon as the first or second semester of your coursework!  Winthrop also offers awards such as Graduate Assistantships, Graduate Associateships, and Research Assistant positions for a number of our students.  Please call Graduate Studies for more details.

The Winthrop Community Counseling Clinic is an on-site clinic that is directed by Ms. Britney Monroe as an avenue for students to get hands-on experience under direct supervision.  The clinic serves not only the students of Winthrop but also people within the Rock Hill and surrounding areas, FREE of charge to provide mental health needs of the community. 

Completing this program gives students the ability to apply for provisional licensure/certification in most states.

To become a licensed professional counselor you must complete a 60 hour program, pass the National Counselor Exam, and practice under a licensed professional counselor supervisor for a minimum of two years post masters. If you do not secure a position that offers supervision it is your responsibility to pay for supervision during your provisional licensure status. South Carolina requires 150 hours of supervision over a two year period.

Students satisfactorily completing the School Counseling concentration requirements and receiving a passing score on the PRAXIS specialty examination will be eligible for certification in the state of South Caroline or licensure in the state of North Carolina as a qualified school counselor.

CACREP (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and other Related Educational Programs) is an accreditation that provides a standard for programs to adhere to.  It is the standard that many states are moving toward for licensure eligibility.

This is a full time program that is completed in 2 years; 5-6 semesters.  If a student begins in the summer cohort, the program can be completed in 6 semesters but if the student begins in the fall cohort, the program can be completed in 5 semesters by taking an extra class per semester. 

We are not admitting part-time students at this time.  Classes are only offered once a year based on a strict schedule in order to fit in all the required classes and therefore skipping a class or semesters will inevitably push graduation out additional semesters.

Unfortunately the answer is no. We are a small program that is structured very tightly. You must start either in summer or fall in order to complete the proper courses at the appropriate time to graduate in two years. You must be a student in our program to take classes with the exception of those who already hold a counseling degree and need a few classes to obtain licensure in South Carolina. You would need to speak to the program director personally to determine eligibility for this provision.

It is a program for people who have already completed a degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling to come back and get the courses required and the internship hours to become a school counselor. Note this is only available to those who already hold a master's degree in clinical mental health counseling.

Students must complete 2000+ direct hours after graduation in order to be fully licensed - hours collected during the program are NOT contributed to these hours.  Therefore, graduating from this program will allow students to apply for an LPC-I (SC) or an LPC-A (NC), a provisional license.  Students will be able to work in facilities that have job openings in which they will accept a provisional licensed counselor.  These job openings are common and many facilities hold Winthrop grads and support our counseling graduates.    

A program of study will be designed based on an individual review of each applicant's graduate transcript(s) and selected program. A minimum of 12 credit hours is required. The completion of this program, in addition to passing the PRAXIS II Specialty Area Test for School Counselors will qualify students to become licensed school counselors.

CSDV 613 Foundations and Ethical Issues in School Counseling (Offered Online Summer/Spring)
CSDV 615S School Counseling Program Planning, Consultation & Supervision (Offered Online Summer/Fall)
CSDV 611 School Counseling Internship I (Offered Online Fall/Spring)
CSDV 612 School Counseling Internship II (Offered Online Fall/Spring)

Any additional school-focused elective(s) or coursework as needed

A master's degree in counseling

A graduate application

An application processing fee

A statement of purpose

Letters of recommendation (3)

Official transcripts from all institutions attended

* Before admission into the program you must complete a background check through SR&I at your expense. 

**The Department of Education has approved this program for federal financial aid.