FIND SCHOOLS
1
2
3
4

Arkansas Links

How to Become an Arkansas School Counselor

Where are you on your quest to become an Arkansas School Counselor?

Explore the information below and learn how you can become a school counselor in Arkansas. Some of the information below may be subject to change. In order to make sure you have the most current information, please feel free to contact your school counseling education program advisor or contact the Arkansas Department of Education licensing department at (501) 682-4342.

Featured Programs:
  • Top Picks

  • Featured Universities with School Counseling Programs

  • #1
    Walden University

    MS in School Counseling - General Program. Click here to contact Walden University and request information about their programs.

  • #2
    Grand Canyon University

    M. Ed in School Counseling (leads to initial Licensure) Click here to contact Grand Canyon University and request information about their programs.

  • #3
    New York University (NYU)

    NYU Steinhardt's accredited master of arts program in Counseling and Guidance: School and Bilingual School Counseling. Through this online program, you will gain the skills you need to become a professional Pre-K-12 school counselor, working with children and families in your community to foster academic achievement and success. Click here to contact New York University and request information about their programs.

  • #4
    University of Denver

    Earn a Master's degree in School Counseling online from the University of Denver. Learn from doctoral-level faculty in live classes and gain experience through mock counseling and in-field training. No GRE required. Click here to contact University of Denver and request information about their programs.

I’m a High School Graduate…

High school grads are at the starting point in their postsecondary educational journey. However, now is a fantastic time to learn more about careers in education and about the philosophies behind school counseling.

Step One:

Gather information from schools offering associate degree programs or bachelor degree programs in psychology, counseling, or any type of program you are currently interested in. It is not imperative you enroll in a counseling program at this point; instead, focus on earning your undergraduate degree.

FIND SCHOOLS
Sponsored Content

Step Two:

Volunteering is a great way to explore your interest in a career in the social services. There are many organizations that work with children or young adults:

Lastly, do not be afraid to explore various career options in the field of education. Whether you end up as a counselor, a teacher, an administrator, or school psychologist, you’ll be part of an honorable field.

Back to the top

I have already earned a college degree…

The following are the steps necessary for earning your school counseling certification in Arkansas:

Step One:

Fulfill educational requirements through the following avenue:

Step Two:

At some point during your school counseling education, you will need to complete a practicum experience of nine semester hours in individual and group counseling.

Step Three:

You’ll need to satisfy experience requirements by completing one of the following:

  • One year of full-time teaching while holding a valid teaching certification
  • A supervised school counseling internship that includes all regular activities of a professional school counselor.

Step Four:

You must successfully pass the Praxis II School Guidance and Counseling Test #0420. Find more information about the test on the Praxis website.

Step Five:

You will need to request official transcripts from all post-secondary programs to be sent to the Arkansas Department of Education.

Step Six:

You must successfully complete the Arkansas criminal background check. You can complete the application process here.

You must then complete the fingerprinting process at a Live Scan location near you.

Step Seven:

You must apply for certification through the Arkansas Educator Licensure System. You may also request a paper application by contacting the Office of Educator Licensure at [email protected].

Back to the top

I’m a teacher in Arkansas and wish to become a school counselor…

If you are already a teacher in Arkansas, you’ve already completed most of the work needed to become a school counselor. Provided you’ve complete at least one year of successful teaching experience, you won’t need to complete a practicum.

But you will need to earn an approved master’s degree program in school counseling.

Contact an Arkansas Department of Education certification representative at (501) 682-4342 with any questions.

Back to the top

I’m a certified counselor from another state…

The Arkansas Department of Education does accept and review certification and transcripts from teachers and counselors from other states.

Apart from completing an application, you will need to fulfill a few other requirements.

Learn more about licensure through reciprocity here.

FIND SCHOOLS
Sponsored Content

Back to the top