Counseling (M.S.)

Admission Requirements

 Graduate of a four-year regionally accredited college or university.

• A minimum, overall undergraduate GPA of 2.75 (on a 4.0 scale) from a four-year regionally accredited college or university
• Official transcripts from each college/university from which you have obtained a degree, bachelor or higher, and any post-baccalaureate coursework.
• Resume
• Essay, 500 words or more, addressing reasons for seeking graduate education
• Two letters of recommendations related to your competence and effectiveness in your academic and professional work
• Criminal background check: Counselor M.S. Background Check Instructions (pdf)
• Interview

International Student applicants should review the international admission requirements and standards for TOEFL scores.

Apply Here

Costs & Financial Aid

• Visit Graduate student tuition estimates and hours for information.
• Graduate Assistantships are available.
• Visit Longwood's Financial Aid webpage

Courses & Requirements

Full-Time & Part-Time Sample Course Flows:

• Mental Health (pdf)
• School Counseling Track (pdf)
• College Counseling & Student Affairs Track (pdf)

Field Experiences

• School Counseling
• Mental Health Counseling
• College Counseling & Student Affairs

Licensure

School Counseling  

1. Visit doe.virginia.gov
2. Select Licensure on the right-hand side
3. Complete the Application for a Virginia License – Pupil Personnel Services License
4. Receive college verification from Dr. Connie Ballard

Mental Health Counseling

To become a Licensed Professional Counselor

LPC Licensure Process Handbook (pdf)

Deadlines

January 15 – Early Application Submission Date

February 15 – Standard Application Submission Date

These are suggested application submission dates. We will continue to accept applications until the program is full.

Want to check if the program is full? Email us, graduate@longwood.edu.

Mission Statement

Longwood University's Counselor Education Program strives to foster a collaborative environment where students take an active role in their development as competent and effective practitioners who demonstrate self-awareness, knowledge, and skills grounded in a sensitivity and responsiveness to multiculturalism and social justice.  The program promotes the acquisition of those competencies that enable our students to function in professional roles in settings that assist individuals, families, schools and communities while emphasizing the importance of advocacy and leadership in the profession of counseling. The faculty strives to develop counselors who can formulate, implement, and evaluate preventative and therapeutic approaches to assist a broad cultural cross-section of individuals and groups to improve their adjustment and daily functioning across the lifespan. Graduates of our program are prepared to deliver direct, educational and consultative services and programming in a variety of settings such as mental health agencies, K-12 schools, and colleges/universities. (2015)

The Master’s program in Counselor Education will

1. Prepare students to be effective practitioners in a variety of settings
2. Provide required coursework and field experience for professional licensure and/or certification (clinical, school, college/university)
3. Provide knowledge about and experience in culturally responsive counseling in various counseling settings
4. Produce graduates with identities as professional counselors
5. Prepare students with the knowledge and experience to be ethical counseling practitioners