The 48 credit hour program of study at Lindenwood University required for recommendation for certification as a school counselor in the state of Missouri is as follows:
Requirements
Core Curriculum
| IPC 51000 | Foundations of School Counseling | 3 |
| IPC 51200 | Ethics and Professional Issues | 3 |
| IPC 51300 | Principles of School Counseling | 3 |
| IPC 52100 | Human Growth and Development | 3 |
| IPC 52300 | Adjustment and Learning Issues in Children and Adolescents | 3 |
| IPC 54100 | Research Methods and Program Evaluation | 3 |
| IPC 55300 | Theories of Counseling Children and Adolescents | 3 |
| IPC 56100 | Group Dynamics, Process and Counseling | 3 |
| IPC 56200 | Social and Cultural Foundations of Counseling | 3 |
| IPC 57500 | Family and School Consulting | 3 |
| IPC 58100 | Appraisal of the Individual | 3 |
| IPC 58200 | Lifestyle and Career Development | 3 |
| IPC 58300 | Analysis of the Individual | 3 |
| IPC 62100 | Field Placement 1 | 3 |
One of the following:
Electives
Students are to choose three hours of elective credit from among the following course offerings to fulfill degree requirements:
Note: Courses are three credit hours unless otherwise indicated.
Education Courses
Students seeking certification under this degree program must hold a valid Missouri teaching certificate as required to teach in public schools in Missouri or complete the following education classes to be eligible for certification:
| EDC 52100 | Classroom Teaching/Management for Counselors | 3 |
| EDC 53500 | Teaching Methods for Counselors | 3 |
| EDC 54100 | Education of the Exceptional Child for Counselors | 3 |
The Counseling Department offers a cluster of these three education courses, to be taken concurrently, which requires access to and familiarity with the internet and Blackboard. If students elect to take these education courses separately (or have taken one or two equivalent education classes previously), they may take the education classes through another program or as tutorials through the Counseling Department. Undergraduate equivalent courses are accepted.
Field Placement Requirement
Students in the school counseling track are required to complete a minimum of 450 hours (700 in Illinois) of supervised field placement experience. Field Placement 1 requires a minimum of 150 clock hours (350 in Illinois). Field Placement 2 requires a minimum of 300 clock hours (350 in Illinois). All field placements must be in K-12 settings under the supervision of a certified school counselor. Students must have at least a 3.0 GPA to begin Field Placement 1 or Field Placement 2. Students are expected to earn a grade of A or B in Field Placement (IPC 62100 and IPC 62200/IPC 62300/IPC 62400) in order to graduate. Students will be required to repeat the course if they earn less than a B. If students take an Incomplete in IPC 62100 and are unable to complete at least half the required field placement hours, they must enroll in IPC 62101 for 0 credit hours to allow them to attend field placement classes while completing the required hours. If students take an Incomplete in Field Placement 2, regardless of how many hours are needed, they must enroll in IPC 62201, IPC 62301, or IPC 62401 (for the various levels of Field Placement 2) for 0 credit hours to allow them to attend field placement classes while completing the required hours. A fee of $50 will be incurred for each extension.
Exit Requirements
In order to fulfill degree requirements, each student completes IPC 60500 Comprehensive Examination by passing the PRAXIS II for School Counselors (Test 0421 or 5421) or DESE's replacement test. In addition, during the program, each student will purchase and compile an electronic portfolio demonstrating competencies as delineated by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education standards, to be completed by the end of Field Placement 2. Further information regarding exit requirements is provided in the School Counseling Handbook.
Illinois Practitioners
Students who wish to practice as school counselors in Illinois may obtain Illinois certification under certain conditions. Illinois candidates must fulfill all Missouri requirements and obtain Missouri certification. In addition, the Illinois State Board of Education requires students who complete an out of state program to obtain additional field placement hours (700 total, as indicated above) and pass the Illinois Content Area Test. Students seeking certification in other states must check requirements with their state.