How to Become a School Counselor in Idaho
The standard route to becoming a school counselor in Idaho takes two to three years: a master’s from an approved 60-credit school counseling program, 700 supervised fieldwork hours with at least 525 in K-12 schools, a background check, and a Pupil Service Staff certificate. You don’t need a teaching license. Out-of-state and Idaho-licensed counselors have other routes.
Idaho Links
Idaho doesn’t require school counselors to hold a teaching certificate, so people can enter the job from almost any undergraduate background. The state does require a few specific things: an approved master’s program, fieldwork at every grade level, and a paper application to the Idaho Department of Education. Here’s how each stage works, depending on where you’re starting.
I’m a High School Graduate…
If you’re starting from scratch, your first step is a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. That’s the prerequisite for admission to graduate programs.
Step 1: Earn a Bachelor’s Degree
School counseling doesn’t require a specific undergraduate major. Psychology, sociology, education and social work are common choices, but plenty of counselors studied something else entirely. If you can, take courses in human development, abnormal psychology or research methods. They’ll give you a head start in graduate school. Keep your GPA competitive, too, since master’s programs in this field admit a limited number of students each year.
Step 2: Gain Experience Working with Young People
Direct experience with kids and teens strengthens any graduate application. Volunteering is one of the easiest ways to get it:
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Idaho
- List of Idaho public school districts
- Contact schools near you to ask about volunteer opportunities.
Starting early also helps you decide whether this work fits you. The emotional demands are real, and time with students gives you an honest read before you commit to a graduate program.
I Have Already Earned a College Degree…
Dana has a psychology degree and works as a para-educator at an elementary school in Twin Falls. She’s watched the school counselor run lunch groups for kids who are struggling to make friends, and she wants that job. She assumed she’d need a teaching license first. In Idaho, she doesn’t. Her path looks like this.
Step 1: Complete a Master’s Degree in School Counseling
The standard Idaho route requires a master’s degree and an approved program of graduate study in school counseling that includes 60 semester credits. When you finish, the program sends an institutional recommendation to the state. If you’re enrolling in Idaho, confirm the program is state-approved and will issue that recommendation.
If you earn your degree in another state, Idaho accepts school counseling programs accredited by CACREP, CAEP or AAQEP. Out-of-state applicants aren’t measured against a single Idaho program model. Before you apply, ask the Department of Education how it will evaluate your coursework.
Idaho has three CACREP-accredited school counseling programs. CACREP accreditation signals that a program meets national preparation standards, but it isn’t the only accreditation Idaho recognizes, and it isn’t the same thing as state approval.
- Boise State University (Boise), M.A. in Counseling with a school counseling cognate. CACREP-accredited through October 31, 2033.
- Idaho State University (Pocatello), Master of Counseling, offered on the Pocatello campus only. CACREP lists its status as Accredited (Reaffirmation in Process), and its current accreditation cycle ends October 31, 2027.
- Northwest Nazarene University (Nampa), M.S. in Counseling, School Counseling major. CACREP lists its status as Accredited (Progress Report Required), with accreditation through October 31, 2033. The university offers evening classes and also runs the school counseling track at the College of Southern Idaho campus in Twin Falls.
For a wider look at the profession in the state, see the Idaho school counselor overview.
Step 2: Complete Your Supervised Fieldwork
Your program will include a practicum and internship totaling at least 700 clock hours. At least 75% of those hours, or 525, have to take place in a K-12 school setting, and you’ll need time at the elementary (K-5), middle (6-8), and high school (9-12) levels. Expect placements in more than one school.
That 700 is the state minimum. Many programs ask for more. Boise State’s course sequence adds up to at least 800 clinical hours, and Idaho State and Northwest Nazarene each require 1,000. Plan around your program’s number, not the state’s.
Most of this happens during the school day. If you’re working while you study, talk to your program advisor early about how students schedule fieldwork alongside a job.
Step 3: Complete a Background Investigation Check
Idaho requires a state and FBI fingerprint background check for certificate applicants. If you’ve completed a background check through the Idaho Department of Education in the past six months, for employment or certification, you won’t need a new one. You’ll submit the Background Investigation Check (BIC) form instead.
If you need a new check, you’ll fingerprint on an Idaho Department of Education card and submit it with the BIC form. The processing fee is $37 as of October 1, 2026. Allow several weeks for results.
Step 4: Apply for Your Pupil Service Staff Certificate
After you finish your degree and fieldwork, apply to the Idaho Department of Education for a Pupil Service Staff certificate with a School Counselor endorsement. The application is a paper packet, and you must submit everything together. You’ll need:
- A completed and signed Idaho Educator Certification Application
- An official transcript showing your master’s degree
- An institutional recommendation from your program verifying your fieldwork hours and grade levels
- Your background check packet or BIC form
- A $75 application fee, which is non-refundable and separate from the background check fee
You can mail the packet with a check or money order payable to the Idaho Department of Education. Card payments are accepted only for walk-in applications. Mail it to: Idaho Department of Education, Teacher Certification, PO Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720-0027. The certificate is valid for five years and is renewable.
Apply for a Pupil Service Staff Certificate
Other Routes into the Job
Idaho offers two alternatives to the standard route, each with its own conditions.
The School Counselor-Basic endorsement is an Idaho-specific route for licensed clinicians. You’ll need a master’s degree and a valid Idaho license as a licensed professional counselor (LPC), licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) or social worker. It’s tied to that clinical license rather than to a school counseling program. You don’t need an LPC or LCPC license for the standard route. The Basic endorsement simply gives already-licensed clinicians another way in.
Alternative Authorization requires a sponsor. A school district or charter school must request it, and only for a Pupil Service Staff position it can’t fill otherwise. You’ll need a bachelor’s degree, proof of enrollment in an approved school counseling program, and a signed plan from the program’s college of education. If approved, you receive a three-year, nonrenewable interim certificate. The application fee is $100, plus the background check fee. Under Idaho rule, you’ll need to complete at least nine credits a year to keep the interim certificate. Because it can’t be renewed, ask your program whether its plan fits inside those three years.
One thing to keep straight: school counselor certification comes from the Idaho Department of Education. LPC licensure is a separate credential issued by the state’s counselor licensing board.
I’m a Certified Counselor from Another State…
Idaho doesn’t have blanket reciprocity, but it does evaluate out-of-state credentials. A completed school counseling program accredited by CACREP, CAEP or AAQEP is accepted, and a current, valid school counselor certificate from another state can take the place of the institutional recommendation. For the standard five-year credential, you’ll still need to show K-12 experience at all three grade levels. One year of certificated school counseling experience across elementary, middle, and high school can stand in for the 700-hour practicum.
There’s one more option for current out-of-state certificate holders. If your practicum came in under 700 hours or skipped a grade level, you can receive a three-year, nonrenewable interim certificate. Counseling experience you gain while holding it can make up the missing practicum. It isn’t available to graduates who haven’t been certified anywhere yet.
For the full out-of-state process, see the Idaho Department of Education Pupil Service Staff page or the Idaho school counselor certification page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to become a school counselor in Idaho?
On the standard route, most people finish in two to three years after their bachelor’s degree. Idaho programs run 60 credits, and a part-time schedule can stretch that toward three years. Northwest Nazarene, for example, says its program takes an average of 33 months. Add several weeks for the background check and application processing. Starting from high school, plan on roughly six to seven years in total.
Do I need to be a teacher to become a school counselor in Idaho?
No. Idaho doesn’t require school counselors to be certified teachers, so applicants come from many different undergraduate majors. On the standard route, you need an approved master’s program in school counseling, required fieldwork, and the Pupil Service Staff certificate.
What should I look for in an Idaho school counseling master’s program?
If you’re studying in Idaho, confirm the program is state-approved and will issue an institutional recommendation. If you’re studying elsewhere, Idaho accepts programs accredited by CACREP, CAEP or AAQEP, so CACREP isn’t the only option. Then ask how many fieldwork hours the program requires, since many go well past the state’s 700. Ask too how it arranges placements across elementary, middle and high school. Find out how working students fit fieldwork around their jobs.
Can I complete my fieldwork while working full-time?
It’s difficult, and it depends on the program. Coursework can sometimes move to evenings, but most fieldwork hours happen during the school day. With programs requiring anywhere from 700 to 1,000 hours, many students cut back their work schedule during internship semesters. Ask your advisor for a realistic picture before you enroll.
Is there a different route if I’m already a licensed counselor or social worker?
Yes, in Idaho. If you hold a master’s degree and a valid Idaho license as an LPC, LCPC or social worker, you can apply for the School Counselor-Basic endorsement without completing a separate school counseling program. That’s an Idaho-specific option for already-licensed clinicians. Most school counselors take the standard route, which doesn’t require any clinical license.
- No teaching license required: Idaho school counselors don’t need to be certified teachers, so career changers from many fields qualify.
- A 60-credit master’s is the standard route: Idaho-approved programs follow that model. Graduates of out-of-state CACREP, CAEP or AAQEP programs and current certificate holders are evaluated on their own terms.
- Fieldwork spans every grade level: The standard route requires at least 700 hours, with 525 in K-12 schools at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Many programs require more.
- Plan for two to three years: That covers a standard master’s program, plus several weeks for the background check and application.
- There’s more than one way in: Idaho-licensed clinicians, district-sponsored hires, and out-of-state counselors each have their own route and conditions.
Comparing programs? Ask each one three questions: how many fieldwork hours it requires, how it places students across elementary, middle, and high school, and whether its schedule works with your job. In Idaho, those answers shape your timeline more than anything else.
