How to Become a School Counselor in Louisiana
To become a school counselor in Louisiana, you’ll need a master’s degree from a CACREP-accredited counseling program, a 100-hour practicum, a 600-hour school internship, and a Praxis School Counselor (5422) score of at least 159. Non-teachers earn the Ancillary School Counselor (K-12) certificate. Teachers with an eligible Louisiana professional certificate add an endorsement instead.
Louisiana Links
Louisiana projects about 400 openings a year for school and career counselors, based on state long-term occupational projections for 2024-2034. Most of those openings come from counselors retiring or moving on, not from new positions. For more on the career itself, see the Louisiana school counselor overview page. Getting into one of those jobs takes a graduate degree, extensive supervised experience in schools, and one of two state certificates. Here’s the path from wherever you’re starting.
I’m a High School Graduate…
You don’t need to have everything figured out right now. Plenty of school counselors started with a bachelor’s in psychology, education, sociology, or something else entirely. Louisiana doesn’t require a specific undergraduate major. What matters is where you end up in graduate school.
Here’s how to use your undergrad years well.
Step 1: Earn a bachelor’s degree.
Choose a program that interests you. Psychology, education, social work, and human development are common starting points, but they’re not required. What you’re really doing at this stage is building the foundation you’ll need to get into a graduate school counseling program later.
Step 2: Get experience working with young people.
Graduate programs want to see that you’ve spent real time with students or youth before committing to this field, and honestly, so should you. Volunteering is one of the best ways to test whether this work is actually for you.
A few options in Louisiana:
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Louisiana
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana Louisiana
- Volunteer Louisiana
- List of Louisiana School Districts. Contact districts directly to ask about volunteer or observer opportunities.
Step 3: Apply to a CACREP-accredited master’s program.
Louisiana requires your master’s degree to come from a counseling program accredited by CACREP, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. That’s not a preference. It’s a certification requirement. As of September 2026, nine Louisiana universities offer CACREP-accredited school counseling programs, including LSU, UL Lafayette and Southeastern Louisiana University. Each includes a practicum and internship in the degree. Check the CACREP directory for current status before you apply.
I Already Have a College Degree…
If you’ve finished your bachelor’s, you’re ready for the most direct route. One question shapes the paperwork at the end: do you already hold a Louisiana teaching certificate?
Take Danielle, who teaches seventh-grade science in Lafayette Parish. Students find her at lunch when something’s wrong, and she wants that to be her actual job. Because she holds an eligible, valid Louisiana professional teaching certificate, she’ll add a School Counselor (K-12) endorsement to it once she finishes her degree and passes the Praxis. Her classmate Marcus spent eight years in human resources and has never taught. He’ll complete the same program but apply for the Ancillary School Counselor (K-12) certificate instead. Same training, different paperwork.
Step 1: Complete a graduate counseling program approved by CACREP.
Louisiana requires a CACREP-approved graduate counseling program. Most applicants choose a CACREP-accredited school counseling program. If yours is in another concentration, such as clinical mental health, you’ll need six credit hours of school counseling coursework from a CACREP-accredited program before you can be certified.
As of September 2026, all nine of Louisiana’s CACREP-accredited school counseling programs list 60 credit hours, but check each program’s current requirements. Your coursework will typically cover counseling theory, human development, group counseling, career development, assessment, and how to run a school counseling program.
CACREP status is the first thing to check, not the last. After that, ask each program two questions. Does it require an exit exam, such as the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE)? LSU does, so you may face that test before the Praxis. And how does it arrange internship placements? Even programs with online coursework still require you to be physically in a school for those hours.
Step 2: Complete your supervised fieldwork.
Louisiana spells out both pieces. You’ll complete a practicum of 100 contact hours and an internship of 600 contact hours in a school setting, both through a CACREP-accredited program. How much of your week the internship takes depends on your program and placement schedule, but it can take up much of the school week. If you’re working while in your program, this is the stage to plan around.
Step 3: Pass the Praxis School Counselor exam (5422).
You’ll need a score of at least 159 on the Praxis School Counselor exam (test code 5422), Louisiana’s published qualifying score. It’s a national test built around the American School Counselor Association’s professional standards. Confirm the current requirement before you register. See the Louisiana school counselor certification page for exam details and renewal.
Step 4: Gather your official transcripts.
Get official transcripts for any coursework the DOE doesn’t already have on file. Louisiana lets you upload them with your application, following the DOE’s instructions.
Step 5: Apply through the Louisiana Educator Portal.
Before you apply, complete Louisiana’s fingerprint-based criminal background check and get clearance through the Louisiana Department of Education. That’s been required since January 2025.
Louisiana handles certification through the Louisiana Educator Certification (LEC) system, part of the Louisiana Educator Portal (LEP). You’ll sign in with a MyLa account. Applicants with an eligible, valid Louisiana professional teaching certificate request the School Counselor (K-12) endorsement. Applicants without one submit the Ancillary Teaching packet for the Ancillary School Counselor (K-12) certificate.
Here’s the part that surprises people. If you aren’t working for a Louisiana school system yet, you may receive an eligibility letter instead of the certificate. You can use that letter to show districts you qualify. Once you’re hired, your district can request the Ancillary certificate for you. The initial certificate is valid for five years.
Questions along the way? Use the Teacher Certification Help Portal on the Louisiana Educator Certification site.
I’m Certified in Another State…
Louisiana reviews out-of-state applicants through its certification process. If your qualifications don’t match Louisiana’s requirements, the DOE may ask for more documentation or coursework. It’ll assess your credentials and tell you what, if anything, needs to be addressed before approval.
Start in the Louisiana Educator Portal. If you have questions about your credentials before you apply, use the Teacher Certification Help Portal on the same site. Full reciprocity details are on the Louisiana school counselor certification page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to become a school counselor in Louisiana?
Most people take six to eight years: four for a bachelor’s, then two to three years for a master’s of about 60 credit hours, plus time for the Praxis and your application. Part-time students often take longer. If you already have a bachelor’s degree, plan on roughly two to three years of full-time study before you’re eligible.
Does my master’s program have to be CACREP-accredited?
Yes. Louisiana requires a CACREP-approved graduate counseling program. If your degree is in a different counseling concentration, you’ll also need six credit hours of school counseling coursework from a CACREP-accredited program. Confirm a program’s status on the CACREP directory before you enroll.
How many internship hours are required in Louisiana?
Louisiana requires a 600-contact-hour internship in a school setting. You’ll also complete a separate 100-contact-hour practicum, and both must come through a CACREP-accredited program. The internship length depends on your program and placement schedule, so ask how each program structures it.
Can I work while completing my school counseling program?
Many students work during coursework, especially in the early semesters. The challenge is the internship, which happens on-site during the school day. How many hours a week it takes depends on your program and placement. Some programs offer hybrid coursework, so ask programs how they schedule the internship before you enroll.
Do I need a teaching certificate to be a school counselor in Louisiana?
No. Applicants without an eligible teaching certificate who meet the degree, fieldwork, and Praxis requirements can pursue the Ancillary School Counselor (K-12) certificate. If you hold an eligible, valid Louisiana professional teaching certificate, you’d add a School Counselor (K-12) endorsement to it instead. The training is the same either way.
- CACREP accreditation is required: Your graduate counseling program must be CACREP-accredited. Other counseling concentrations need six extra credit hours of school counseling coursework.
- Plan for 700 supervised hours: That’s a 100-hour practicum plus a 600-hour internship in a school. Ask each program how it schedules the internship.
- There are two certificate routes: Teachers with an eligible Louisiana professional certificate add a School Counselor (K-12) endorsement. Others apply for the Ancillary School Counselor (K-12) certificate.
- The exam is the Praxis School Counselor (5422): Louisiana’s published qualifying score is 159. Confirm it before you register.
- You can job-hunt before you’re certified: Applicants without a Louisiana school job may receive an eligibility letter. Once you’re hired, your district can request the certificate.
Comparing master’s programs? Start with CACREP accreditation, then ask each program how it schedules the 600-hour internship.
