Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS): School Counselor

Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling and Special Education

Department phone number: (607) 436-3554

Website: http://www.oneonta.edu/academics/ed/edpsych2

Faculty: Brian Beitzel, Chair of Educational Psychology, Counseling and Special Education, Joanne Curran, Nathan Gonyea, Dawn Hamlin, Nithya Iyer, Ronald La France, Daqi Li, Anuradhaa Shastri, Ying Tang

Program purposes and philosophy: The CAS provides post-Master’s study which, when combined with the College at Oneonta Master of Science in Education degree (School Counselor), satisfies the 60 s.h. academic requirement (Master’s degree + CAS or related course work) of New York State for Permanent Certification in School Counseling. Two full years of professional experience as a school counselor are also required for permanent certification by New York State.

This program can be completed through part-time study. The College allows a maximum of six calendar years to complete all requirements for the program. Since the NYS Provisional Certificate is valid for 5 years, students are encouraged to complete their CAS within this time period.

National Counselor’s Exam: Courses offered in the CAS program (school counselor) may be used to fulfill part of the eligibility requirements for the National Counselor’s Exam.

In general, any students who wish to transfer credit from another college following admission must have written prior approval from their faculty advisor. Courses must be relevant to the field of school counseling, must be from an accredited college, must appear on a college transcript as a "B" or better, must include a minimum of 37.5 hours. No more than 9 s.h. may be transferred into this program. Transfer credits must meet specific guidelines. Check with advisor or department chair.

At least half of the s.h. toward the CAS program must be taken following admission to the program. For this reason students are encouraged to apply to the program in a timely fashion.

Application materials (application form, transcripts, provisional certificate) for summer and fall admission must be filed with the Graduate Office by February 1st and by November 1st for the spring Semester.

Decisions on admission to the program are made based on all of the following information plus the admissions committee’s judgement about the applicant’s potential for success in the profession. Admission is competitive and meeting the minimum admission’s criteria does not guarantee acceptance.

Admission Requirements

All students applying for admission to this program are required to:

Submit a completed application and the non-refundable fee.
Submit an official transcript of an earned Master’s degree from a regionally accredited college.
Submit a copy of their NYS Provisional Certificate in School Counseling or notify us that it exists on their TEACH account.
At the Department’s discretion, have a personal interview with members of the Counselor Education faculty.
Submit two professional letters of recommendation (not required for M.S. Ed. Oneonta graduates).

Program Requirements: CAS School Counselor

1. At least 21 s.h. of approved courses beyond the Master’s degree including:

CNED 604 Developmental Counseling Services	3 s.h.
CNED 563 Teaching Pro Social Skills	3 s.h.
CNED 655 Brief Approaches to Counseling	3 s.h.
CNED 602 Consultation in Educational Settings	3 s.h.
CNED 695 Internship in School Counseling*	6 s.h.
An Approved Elective	3 s.h.
	Total 21 s.h.

2. Minimum GPA of 3.0.

3. Students must complete all program requirements within six years and complete a minimum of 12 s.h. in residence.

*A minimum grade of "B" is required in this course. With departmental approval this course may be replaced by electives for students who have completed a minimum of 2 years of full-time employment as a school counselor.

All College policies and procedures found in this Graduate Catalog will apply to students enrolled in this program.

Required courses in this program with the exception of Internship, are offered as on-line classes. Occasional on campus meetings may be required by the instructor.