Plans of Study

Plan of Study options based upon schedules for completion of degree:

2 Year Plan

3 Year Plan

4 Year Plan

Summer Intensive, 5 Year Plan

Students plan their courses in consultation with a faculty adviser. The specific plan of study will depend on students' background, for example, taking into consideration whether they have a teaching license, graduate transfer credit, or recent coursework equivalent to program requirements.

The school counseling faculty understand students will progress through the program at various rates depending upon their personal and professional lives. Students are allowed to participate in the program as full- or part-time students. All students are encouraged to refer to the Graduate College manual regarding completion of degree and residency requirements.

The following programs of study is provided as alternative programs of study based upon time to degree completion. There are 53 semester hours required in The University of Iowa school counseling program. These hours may be decreased based upon transfer credits or increase based upon background undergraduate degree in non-teaching field.

Students without a teaching license who do not start classes the summer of their acceptance into the program will have to complete the sequence in three years unless they have at least two of the foundations courses listed below.

To fulfill degree requirements, students must complete three sets of course requirements and write a comprehensive examination. During the first few semesters, students are engaged in Department and program core cognate courses, which provide a foundation of knowledge about the school counseling profession, theories of counseling, human development and learning, multicultural issues, and techniques of assessment and intervention. (Required Courses)

Simultaneously students are beginning their professional counseling skill training with laboratory skill courses and applied professional activities. Students who do not have teaching licenses must complete a sequence of two or three courses in education to be eligible for school counseling licensure. Students with limited experiences with children and youth may be asked to engage in direct experiences with students in school settings prior to field experiences.

Students without a teaching license must complete the following courses prior to practicum:

After completion of core cognate courses, professional counseling skill training, and education courses (if necessary), students begin the third set of requirements, counseling field experiences in school settings. Students apply for a counseling practicum at the Connie Belin and Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted and Talented Education and, upon satisfactory completion, continue into a school counseling internship in K-8 and 5-12 school settings. Because of the rigor required in clinical courses, students may wish to complete a form (commonly called a short hours form) with the registrar explaining practicum and internship require the equivalent of full-time hours even though the registration does not indicate the additional hours.

Gifted Education Endorsement Course Sequence

Students may chose to elect to take classes to earn them the endorsement in gifted education in conjunction with their masters in school counseling.

The state of Iowa has mandated the completion of 12 semester hours of coursework in the area of gifted and talented in the following strands: 1. psychology of the gifted, 2. programming for the gifted, 3. administration and supervision of gifted programs, 4. practicum experience in gifted programs at a level not completed as part of initial teaching license.

Students should be aware that some required classes are already built into their plans of study as part of the school counseling requirements. These are denoted in blue. Additional workshops and classes can be found on the Belin-Blank website.

The Program of Study for the Gifted and Talented endorsement is here.

Frequently asked questions about the sequence, credit hours and other information is here.

*Or advisor approved activity

** Subject to change