Counselor Education (Online) (Certificate)

Dr. Siu-Man “Raymond” Ting, Program Director
Associate Professor
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
NCSU Box 7801
North Carolina State University
Raleigh , NC   27695-7801
Phone: 919.515.6362
Email: raymond_ting@ncsu.edu

The online graduate certificate program in Counselor education is designed for teachers, administrators, advisors, and tutors in schools and universities; human service professionals; and individuals who are interested in increasing their counseling and communication skills. Graduates of this program may help school counselors by supporting the students and parents or will strengthen communication skills for their work.

The certificate itself does not lead to professional certificates or licenses. However, the course credits may be transferred to future graduate degree programs. Students may also apply to master's programs in counseling and transfer the credits from this program.

Admission:  Applicants must (1) be a graduate of an undergraduate degree program from an accredited four-year college with a GPA of at least a 3.0 on a 4-point scale in their major or last 60 credit hours of undergraduate study;  or  have a Master’s degree.

Any applicants who do not meet the GPA requirements may be admitted provisionally based on past work experiences as a professional in the field of K-12 education, higher education, human resource development, or training and development and, ultimately, by earning at least a “B” (3.0) average in the first three credit hours of work in the certificate program.

To apply to the program, students submit a Certificate Contract Application , a resume identifying educational preparation and work experiences, and official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work (if any).  The contract includes a statement of career goals, a rationale for completing the certificate program, and a timeline for certificate completion. When completed, students sign the Contract Application and submit two copies of all materials to the Certificate Coordinator. Students can also elect to review their application with the certificate coordinator prior to contract preparation.

Requirements:   The Graduate Certificate in Counselor Education requires a minimum of 13 credits of the following courses.

ECD 510 Introduction to Counseling (3 credits)
ECD 525 Cross-cultural Counseling (3 credits)
ECD 524 Career Counseling and Development (3 credits)
ECD 530 Theories and Techniques of Counseling (4 credits)

None of the courses may be taken “for credit only”, and no transfer credits from other institutions are allowed for the Certificate.

Students must maintain a minimum overall GPA of B (3.0) in certificate program courses and must complete the requirements within the first four (4) calendar years beginning when the student begins the course work for the certificate.  All Certificate students are expected to maintain continuous enrollment every semester (excluding summer sessions) until all course work is completed. Under unusual circumstances, a one-semester leave of absence will be granted if the student is unable to enroll in a course. Written approval from the certificate coordinator must be obtained before the beginning of the semester.

For more information about the program and to download an application, please see the Graduate Certificate in Counselor Education website.