Georgia school counselor certification is issued by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC). Georgia offers several qualification routes, including an approved school counseling preparation program or certain counseling master’s degrees combined with specified credentials. Most applicants also need to pass the GACE School Counseling assessment, complete a special education course with a B or better, and clear a background check.
Georgia certifies school counselors through GaPSC, and the certificate you start with depends on your master’s degree. School counseling graduates usually apply for the Standard Professional Certificate, while people with a related counseling or social work master’s often start on a Provisional Certificate. For the degree and fieldwork steps that come before any of this, see the Becoming a School Counselor in Georgia page.
Two common initial pathways are the Standard Professional and Provisional certificates, and other certificate types may apply in specific situations. The Standard Professional Certificate is the full, renewable credential most people who complete a school counseling master’s program apply for. The Provisional Certificate bridges the gap for people with a master’s in a related field, like clinical mental health counseling or social work, who need to complete school counseling preparation while they work. Georgia also issues Non-Renewable Professional certificates in certain circumstances, including for some already-certified educators with counseling master’s degrees.
Step 1: Meet the Education Requirements
Standard Professional Certificate
You can qualify for the Standard Professional Certificate in School Counseling through one of three routes:
Complete a state-approved school counseling preparation program at the master’s level or higher
Hold a master’s or higher in a counseling area plus a valid National Certified School Counselor (NCSC) credential from the National Board for Certified Counselors
Hold a master’s or higher in a counseling area plus a valid Georgia Professional Counselor license from the Professional Licensing Boards Division of the Secretary of State’s office
Where your program is located matters. Georgia-based programs are approved by GaPSC directly. If you already hold a Georgia educator certificate and want to add school counseling, GaPSC Rule 505-2-.144 requires a GaPSC-approved or CACREP-accredited program, and out-of-state programs without CACREP accreditation don’t qualify on that route unless you enrolled before April 15, 2017. GaPSC evaluates new applicants from out-of-state programs under its out-of-state rules, and requirements depend on your program and credentials. Either way, confirm how your program will be treated before you enroll. You’ll also need a GaPSC-accepted course in identifying and educating children with special needs, passed with a B or better. Some programs build this into the degree. If yours didn’t, you can take the course separately. If you hold National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification, it may satisfy some requirements depending on your certificate area, so confirm with GaPSC.
Provisional Certificate
If your master’s is in a related field rather than school counseling, the Provisional Certificate lets you start working in a Georgia school while you finish the required preparation. You’re eligible with one of the following:
A master’s or higher in any counseling area from a GaPSC-accepted institution
A Master of Social Work (MSW)
A valid Georgia Clinical Social Work license from the Professional Licensing Boards Division of the Secretary of State’s office
You must pass the GACE School Counseling assessment before the Provisional Certificate is issued, and the Georgia school system that hires you typically requests it. It’s issued for one year at first and can be extended by two additional years once GaPSC verifies you’re enrolled in a qualifying preparation program. You’ll need to convert it to the Standard Professional Certificate to keep working as a school counselor long term. The callout below walks through how that timeline usually plays out. For the full rule text, see the GaPSC Rule 505-2-.144 PDF.
Step 2: Complete the Criminal Background Check
Once a Georgia Local Unit of Administration (LUA), meaning a school district or similar employer, hires you, you’ll complete fingerprinting and a criminal background check through that employer. Clearing it results in a Clearance Certificate, which confirms you meet the requirement for employment. The GaPSC Clearance Certificate rule has the full details.
Step 3: Pass the GACE School Counseling Assessment
Georgia’s content exam for school counselors is the Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE) School Counseling assessment, test code 722. Evaluation Systems, Pearson has run the GACE program since July 1, 2025, and the exam is split into three testlets:
Knowledge of Learners and Foundations of School Counseling (301)
The Comprehensive School Counseling Program (302)
Roles and Responsibilities of the School Counseling Profession (303)
You can take all three in one sitting or schedule them separately, and you can retake an individual testlet instead of the whole exam. Passing takes an overall score of at least 220, with each testlet meeting its minimum. As of now, the full assessment costs $263, and a single testlet costs $88. Check the GACE program website for current scores, fees and prep materials. If you’re working from older study guides, the ETS version of this exam was split into Test I (103) and Test II (104). You may be exempt from the GACE if you’ve worked full-time as a school counselor for at least five years, passed a comparable content exam in another state to earn your current certificate, or hold valid NBPTS certification in school counseling. Confirm your exemption with GaPSC before you skip the test.
Step 4: Gather Your Application Materials
You’ll submit your application through the MyPSC portal. Plan to have these ready:
Completed GaPSC initial certification application (in MyPSC)
Official transcripts from every college or university you attended, including transfer credit that counted toward a degree
Verification of Lawful Presence affidavit and a copy of an acceptable ID (see the GaPSC VLP page for the list)
GACE School Counseling scores
Certification processing fee
GaPSC keeps a full list of required materials on its website. What you need can vary by the type of transaction you’re submitting.
Step 5: Pay the Fee
GaPSC charges a $20 certification transaction processing fee for an initial application. Fees depend on the transaction type and can change, so confirm the amount in MyPSC. You can pay online by credit or debit card when you submit.
Step 6: Submit Your Application
Submit your application and supporting documents electronically through the MyPSC portal. GaPSC directs applicants to upload documents there instead of mailing a paper package. Processing times depend on volume and on whether your file is complete, and you can track status in MyPSC. For help, call the GaPSC Certification Call Center at 404-232-2500 (toll-free 800-869-7775). The call center is open Monday and Wednesday, 8 to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 4:30 p.m., excluding state holidays. Hours can change, so check the GaPSC site before you call. You can also email [email protected]. GaPSC’s mailing address is: Georgia Professional Standards Commission
200 Piedmont Avenue SE
Suite 1716, West Tower
Atlanta, GA 30334-9032
Already have a counseling master’s? How Georgia’s provisional route works Under GaPSC Rule 505-2-.144, a Provisional Certificate in school counseling is issued for one year, then extended for two additional years once GaPSC verifies you’re enrolled in a qualifying preparation program. The GACE comes first, before the Provisional is issued. Picture Danielle, who has an MSW and three years at a community mental health agency. She passes the GACE School Counseling assessment, a Georgia district hires her as a school counselor, and the district requests her Provisional Certificate. That fall she enrolls in a post-master’s school counseling certification program, which opens the two-year extension. She uses that window to finish the coursework and school-based internship, then converts to the Standard Professional Certificate. Certificate-only programs vary in length and format, so the Becoming a School Counselor in Georgia page is the place to compare options.
Georgia School Counselor Certification Renewal
The Standard Professional Certificate is valid for five years. How you renew depends mostly on whether you’re working for a Georgia school system when renewal comes around.
If You’re Employed by a Georgia LUA
Your employer submits the renewal electronically. You’ll typically need to meet your district’s professional learning requirements, which are often tied to the professional learning goals in your annual evaluation, and keep your personal affirmation current in MyPSC. Georgia also requires a Georgia criminal history check every five years for renewal. That isn’t the same as a new FBI fingerprint check, which isn’t automatically required at each renewal if you’ve already completed one with your current school system. If you have less than one year of experience in a Georgia LUA, your employer has to request the renewal for you.
If You’re Not Employed by a Georgia LUA
You’ll apply directly through MyPSC and document any combination of the following, earned during your validity period:
Six semester hours of college coursework with a B or better
Ten Georgia Professional Learning Units (PLUs)
Ten Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
100 clock hours of Bright From the Start (BFTS)-approved training
Alternative Renewal Routes
Some qualifying credentials can stand in for the coursework or professional learning route. For school counseling, a valid NCSC credential or a valid Georgia Professional Counselor license may satisfy renewal, and NBPTS certification may count depending on your area. Confirm with GaPSC which option applies to you before you rely on it. A processing fee may apply. The GaPSC renewal page lays out the full rules. If you’re employed, your district’s HR or certification contact is the fastest source of answers, and GaPSC (404-232-2500 or [email protected]) can help either way.
Georgia School Counselor Certification Through Reciprocity
If you hold a current, valid school counselor certificate from another U.S. state, the District of Columbia or the Department of Defense Education Activity, you may be eligible for Georgia certification through reciprocity. It isn’t automatic. GaPSC evaluates each applicant under Georgia’s out-of-state certification requirements, and the GaPSC out-of-state educators page lists commonly accepted certificates and what’s required. Reciprocity covers your first Georgia certificate. After that, you’ll renew under Georgia’s rules like everyone else. Whether you need the GACE, and which other Special Georgia Requirements apply, depends on your credentials and experience. Applicants who’ve worked full-time as a school counselor for at least five years, passed a comparable content exam in their previous state, or hold valid NBPTS certification in school counseling may be exempt from the GACE. Experienced out-of-state educators may also be able to exempt other Special Georgia Requirements, though the standards of conduct always apply. If you’re not sure where you stand, confirm with GaPSC before you apply. The GaPSC special requirements page has the details, and the call center and email listed above handle reciprocity questions too.
Georgia School Counseling Certification Resources
For continuing education and career development resources:
Can I become a school counselor in Georgia with an MSW?
Yes. A Master of Social Work makes you eligible for Georgia’s Provisional Certificate in school counseling once you pass the GACE School Counseling assessment, and a hiring school system typically requests it. The Provisional lasts one year and can be extended two more once you’re enrolled in a qualifying school counseling preparation program, which you’ll complete to convert to the Standard Professional Certificate.
Can I use an out-of-state or online program for Georgia certification?
It depends on your route. If you already hold a Georgia certificate and are adding school counseling, an out-of-state program must be CACREP-accredited unless you enrolled before April 15, 2017. New applicants from out-of-state programs, including online programs run by universities in other states, are evaluated under GaPSC’s out-of-state rules. Confirm with GaPSC how your program will be treated before you enroll.
What is the GACE School Counseling assessment?
It’s Georgia’s content knowledge exam for school counselors, test code 722, now administered by Evaluation Systems, Pearson. It has three testlets (301, 302 and 303) that you can take together or separately, and passing takes an overall score of at least 220 with each testlet meeting its minimum. Check the GACE program website for current fees and prep materials.
How do I renew my Georgia school counselor certification?
The Standard Professional Certificate lasts five years. If you work for a Georgia school system, your employer submits the renewal after you meet district professional learning requirements and a Georgia criminal history check. If you don’t, you’ll apply through MyPSC with six semester hours, ten PLUs, ten CEUs or 100 BFTS hours. Some credentials, like a valid NCSC or Georgia Professional Counselor license, may also satisfy renewal.
Can I use my out-of-state school counselor certificate in Georgia?
Possibly, but it isn’t automatic. If your certificate is valid and was issued by another U.S. state, DC or the Department of Defense Education Activity, GaPSC evaluates you under Georgia’s out-of-state certification requirements. Whether you need the GACE or other Special Georgia Requirements depends on your credentials and experience, so confirm with GaPSC before you apply.
Key Takeaways
Several routes to certification. A state-approved school counseling program is the most common, but certain counseling master’s degrees combined with the NCSC or a Georgia Professional Counselor license also qualify.
Provisional starts with the GACE. Related master’s holders, including MSWs, pass the GACE first, then get one year on a Provisional Certificate plus two more once they’re enrolled in a qualifying program.
The GACE is now test 722. Pearson administers it as three testlets you can take together or separately, and most applicants need it unless they qualify for an exemption.
Out-of-state programs need a closer look. CACREP accreditation is required for the add-a-field route, and GaPSC evaluates other out-of-state applicants on a case-by-case basis.
Renewal runs every five years. Your employer handles it if you work for a Georgia school system. Otherwise you’ll document coursework, professional learning or a qualifying credential yourself.
Comparing school counseling programs? If the program is based outside Georgia, including online programs from out-of-state universities, confirm with GaPSC how it will be evaluated before you enroll. CACREP accreditation is required on some Georgia routes, so it’s worth checking first. Explore Master’s Programs in School Counseling
School-Counselor.org Editorial Staff
School-Counselor.org covers school counseling careers, licensing and graduate programs. Program accreditation is checked directly against the CACREP register, licensing requirements against state departments of education and licensing boards, and salary figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics with the data period stated. Our editorial team drafts and updates articles with help from AI tools, and every article is fact-checked by a person before it’s published. Our fact-checker, Scott Wilson, checks each page against those sources. Licensing rules change often, so confirm current requirements with your state before enrolling. Read our editorial standards.
