How to Become a Delaware School Counselor
To become a school counselor in Delaware, you’ll need a master’s degree in school counseling, 700 hours of supervised clinical experience in a school, and a passing Praxis score. Then apply to the Delaware Department of Education for an educator license and an Elementary or Secondary School Counselor certificate. Most people need six to eight years in total.
Delaware writes its own rules for school counselors, and a couple of them surprise people. A first certificate takes 700 supervised hours, more than the common 600, plus a required family counseling course. The Delaware Department of Education sets those rules, along with the educator license and school counselor certificate you’ll need. If you searched for “counselor” more broadly, note that private-practice counselors are licensed separately. Delaware’s Division of Professional Regulation handles that, and this page doesn’t cover it.
Delaware Links
I’m a High School Graduate
You don’t need to lock in a career direction right now, but the choices you make in the next few years will matter. Start by earning a bachelor’s degree. School counseling programs don’t require a specific undergraduate major, but psychology, social work, education, or human development will all give you a solid foundation.
Use your undergrad years to find out if this work actually fits you. Volunteering with young people is one of the best ways to do that. A few options in Delaware:
- State of Delaware Student Mentoring Program
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Delaware
- List of Delaware Schools and Districts (contact schools directly about volunteer opportunities)
One honest note: you’re a long way from the master’s degree you’ll need to practice as a school counselor in Delaware. That’s fine. This is a good time to explore, build experience, and make sure the work feels right before you commit to a graduate program.
I Have a College Degree
This is where the formal path begins. To work as a school counselor in a Delaware public school, you’ll need two credentials: an educator license and a school counselor certificate. The Delaware Department of Education issues both, and you apply for them at the same time.
Delaware’s long-term occupational projections show about 200 openings a year from 2024 to 2034, with employment growing 15.3%. Those figures cover educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors. That’s a broader group than school counselors alone, so read it as a picture of the field rather than a count of school jobs.
Step 1: Choose your certificate level
Delaware issues two school counselor certificates. The Elementary School Counselor certificate is required for grades K-5, and the Secondary School Counselor certificate is required for grades 9-12. Both are also valid in grades 6-8 at a middle school, so a middle school counselor can hold either one.
Your clinical placement can sit in a wider band than the certificate covers. You can complete elementary hours in grades K-8 and secondary hours in grades 6-12. This choice shapes your fieldwork, so make it before you pick a program. The Delaware Department of Education’s specialist certification page lists the documentation for each level.
Step 2: Meet Delaware’s education requirement
Delaware’s rule gives you more than one way to qualify. These routes are specific to Delaware, and other states set their own.
- A regionally accredited master’s with at least 30 semester hours of school counseling coursework at your level, from a CACREP-accredited or state-approved program
- A school counseling preparation program approved by the Delaware Department of Education
- A master’s degree in any field plus 39 specific graduate credits related to school counseling (covered in the next section)
- National Board certification in School Counseling, if you already hold it
CACREP accreditation helps a program meet Delaware’s first route, but it doesn’t establish eligibility everywhere. Each state decides what it accepts, and a CACREP program can still miss a Delaware requirement, such as the family counseling course.
No school counseling program based in Delaware holds CACREP accreditation, according to the CACREP register as of our last verification on September 30, 2026. Delaware doesn’t require CACREP, so a Delaware-approved program still qualifies. Many Delaware candidates also look at programs in neighboring states or online ones.
Whatever you choose, check it against Delaware’s rules before you enroll, not after. Ask any program three questions. Does it include the clinical hours Delaware requires for your certificate? Can those hours be placed in a Delaware school, under a Delaware-certified counselor? And does it include a family counseling course? An out-of-state program built around another state’s 600-hour standard can leave you short.
Step 3: Complete your supervised clinical hours
For your first Delaware school counselor certificate, you’ll complete 700 hours of supervised clinical experience as part of your graduate program. Your supervisor has to be a practicing school counselor certified at your level. Elementary hours go in grades K-8, and secondary hours in grades 6-12.
If you’re seeking both certificates at once, you’ll complete 350 hours in an elementary setting and 350 in a secondary setting. Hours in grades 6-8 can count toward only one of the two. Counselors who already hold one Delaware school counselor certificate and add the other later complete 350 additional hours at the new level.
Plan for the schedule. You complete your hours when students are in the building, usually during the school day. That’s the part of the program that’s hardest to fit around a full-time job.
Step 4: Pass the Praxis
Delaware accepts either of two Praxis scores. You’ll need 159 or higher on the Praxis School Counselor exam (5422), or 156 or higher on the older Professional School Counselor exam (5421). These cutoffs are set by Delaware, so don’t assume another state uses the same ones. ETS retired 5421 in 2023, so if you’re testing now, you’ll register for 5422 through ETS. The rule still recognizes a qualifying 5421 score, which matters if you took that exam before it was retired. Test details and registration tips are on our Delaware school counselor certification page.
Step 5: Plan for the background check
You’ll disclose any criminal conviction history on your license application. Delaware public schools also require a fingerprint-based background check before you can work. Start it early, since it can take time to clear. The certification page walks through the process.
Step 6: Apply for your license and certificate
You apply through DEEDS, the Delaware Department of Education’s online educator system. You’ll submit the following:
- your license application and certificate application together
- your official transcripts, sent electronically by your school or employer, or as sealed paper copies (photocopies aren’t accepted)
- your Praxis score
- the Department’s form verifying your clinical hours
For questions, contact the DDOE licensure and certification office at (302) 857-3388.
I Have a Master’s Degree in Another Field
You don’t necessarily need a second master’s. Delaware accepts a master’s degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution, plus 39 credits of graduate coursework in specific school counseling areas. The list covers school counseling theory, child development, ethics, college and career readiness, testing, consultation, special education law, and group counseling. It also requires 6 credits in individual counseling skills, 3 credits in family counseling, and 6 credits in running a school counseling program.
Picture Tasha, who has a master’s in social work and five years at a youth nonprofit. Some of her MSW courses may line up with Delaware’s list, since the credits can come from inside or outside a degree. The Department makes that call on transcript review. She’d take whatever’s missing as graduate coursework. Since this would be her first school counselor certificate, she’d also complete 700 clinical hours at one level and pass the Praxis.
If that sounds like you, get your transcripts reviewed early. It’s the fastest way to find out whether you’re one semester away or two years away.
I’m a Teacher in Delaware
You already hold a Delaware educator license, so you won’t apply for a new one. You’ll add a school counselor certificate to your existing license. You’ll still need to meet the education requirement, through a qualifying master’s or the 39-credit route, and pass the Praxis.
This would be your first school counselor certificate, so the clinical requirement matches any first certificate. That’s 700 hours at one level, or 350 at each if you want both. Delaware’s current rule doesn’t reduce those hours for teaching experience. The rule does let a school district or charter school ask the Secretary of Education to review an individual applicant whose effectiveness it documents. That’s an exception the employer requests, not a route you can plan around.
The hard part for most teachers is the clinical hours, since they happen during the school day you’re already teaching. Some teachers arrange hours within their district, while others take a leave or reduce their load for a semester. Talk with your program and your district about what’s realistic before you enroll.
I Hold Certification from Another State
If you hold a full, current school counselor certificate from another state, the Delaware Department of Education may issue its certificate based on that credential. You’ll also need to meet Delaware’s educator license requirements. Temporary, emergency, conditional, and expired certificates don’t count. Our Delaware certification guide covers what transfers and what you’ll need to submit, and the Department’s certification team can confirm the details for your situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to become a school counselor in Delaware?
Most people take six to eight years in total. That’s typically four years for a bachelor’s degree and two to three years for a master’s program, including the clinical hours. If you already have a master’s in another field, the 39-credit route can be shorter, depending on how much of your coursework Delaware accepts.
Do I need to choose elementary or secondary certification before applying to a program?
Yes, because it determines where you complete your clinical hours. The elementary certificate is required for K-5 and the secondary for 9-12, and both are valid in middle school. Clinical placements run wider: K-8 for elementary hours and 6-12 for secondary. If you want both, confirm the program can place you for 350 hours at each level before you enroll.
How many fieldwork hours does Delaware require for school counselors?
For a first certificate, Delaware requires 700 hours of supervised clinical experience within your graduate program. Elementary hours are in grades K-8, and secondary hours are in grades 6-12. If you’re earning both certificates at once, it’s 350 hours at each level. Adding the second certificate later takes 350 additional hours. That’s more than the 600-hour internship many programs are built around, so check before you enroll.
Can I keep working while I complete my program?
Coursework is often scheduled around a job, but the clinical hours usually aren’t, because they happen when students are in school. Many candidates work as paraprofessionals or school aides during the coursework years, then shift their schedule for the clinical phase. Generally, candidates must hold the appropriate Delaware educator license and school counselor certificate to work in a regular public-school counseling position. Delaware also provides limited emergency certification pathways for eligible applicants.
Are there CACREP-accredited school counseling programs in Delaware?
No, according to the CACREP register as of our last verification on September 30, 2026. Delaware doesn’t require CACREP accreditation, so a Delaware-approved program qualifies. Many candidates also consider programs in neighboring states or online. Whichever you choose, confirm it meets Delaware’s clinical-hour and family counseling requirements before you enroll.
- Two certificate levels: Elementary is required for K-5 and Secondary for 9-12, and both are valid in middle school. Clinical placements run K-8 and 6-12.
- 700 clinical hours for a first certificate: That’s more than the common 600. Dual certification splits it 350 and 350, and adding a second certificate later takes 350 more.
- Delaware-specific education routes: A school counseling master’s is standard, but a master’s in another field plus 39 specific credits also qualifies.
- No in-state CACREP program: None held accreditation when we checked the register on September 30, 2026. Delaware doesn’t require it, but check any program against Delaware’s rules.
- Steady openings: Delaware’s state projections show about 200 openings a year and 15.3% growth from 2024 to 2034, for the broader counselor and advisor occupation.
No school counseling program in Delaware held CACREP accreditation when we checked the register on September 30, 2026. Most candidates compare Delaware-approved options with programs in neighboring states and online. Whichever you choose, check it against Delaware’s clinical-hour and coursework rules before you enroll.
