Kansas State University has offered CACREP-accredited counseling programs since 1999. As our programs transition from in-person modalities to 100% digitally delivered, our programs will undergo review for CACREP standards compliance. The content of the Ed.S. in School Counseling program is fully compliant with CACREP standards, and the online modality will be reviewed for accreditation consideration in 2024.
The Department of Special Education, Counseling, and Student Affairs offers a 60-credit hour Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree. Unique to the education field and to Kansas State University (K-State), the Ed.S. is a postgraduate degree which is more advanced than a master’s degree. The Ed.S. serves as the entry-level school counseling degree at K-State. The degree provides extensive specialized coursework and training that prepares school counselors with the skills needed to provide comprehensive P-12 programming in the academic, career, and social-emotional domains. Given the specialist distinction, the Ed.S. provides an avenue for recognition and compensation beyond that of a master’s degree.
Additionally, the Ed.S. degree provides coursework that allows graduates to be eligible for dual licensure in the state of Kansas, which is value added beyond a traditional 48-hour master’s program. First, upon successful completion of the program, graduates will have taken coursework that will make them eligible for a school counseling license with the Kansas Department of Education (KSDE). The Kansas School Counseling Licensure Exam (Praxis) will need to be taken in that process. The coursework in the Ed.S. program will also lead to eligibility for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Kansas. In addition to completing the necessary coursework for the LPC, students will be eligilble to take the National Counselor Exam (NCE) before applying for licensure through the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board.
60 credit hours post baccalaureate
100% Online
CURRICULUM
* Course is synchronous
Core Requirements (51 credit hours)
EDCEP 810 Mental Health in Schools
EDCEP 815 Using Tests in Counseling
EDCEP 816 Research Methods
EDCEP 822 Counseling Adolescents
EDCEP 823 Counseling Theory*
EDCEP 824 Development Across the Lifespan for School Counselors
EDCEP 832 Counseling Techniques*
EDCEP 852 Career Development for School Counselors
EDCEP 855 Professional Counseling Orientation and Ethical Practice*
EDCEP 856 Counseling Children
EDCEP 857 Counseling Program Management
EDCEP 858 Group Processes*
EDCEP 860 Trauma and Crisis Counseling*
EDCEP 867 Counseling Mental Health Disorders
EDCEP 871 Leadership, Advocacy, and Consultation for Counselors
EDCEP 886 Critical Issues in Counseling
EDCEP 951 Multicultural Counseling
Clinical Requirements (9 credit hours)
EDCEP 877 Counseling Practicum*
EDCEP 887 Counseling Internship*
EDCEP 887 Counseling Internship*
Counseling Practicum and Counseling Internship will have assigned placements.
The practicum will consist 100 clock hours in approved school settings arranged by the program coordinator and internship faculty member.
The internship will consist of 600 clock hours over two semesters in approved school settings (elementary and secondary) arranged by the program coordinator and internship faculty member. A minimum of 240 hours over the two semesters is required for direct service counseling with clients with weekly supervision held by a licensed school counselor and faculty professor. Students attend class for group supervision weekly with an additional one hour for individual supervision. Internship placements are approved only following successful completion of Counseling Practicum and submission and approval of the Internship application.
Doris Wright Carroll is an AssociateProfessor in Special Education, Counseling and Student Affairs. She is a recognized graduate teaching expert in counselor education, multicultural competency, distance education and academic advising. Her teaching philosophy has evolved from her clinical work, and encourages student engagement, cultural humility and multicultural cultural practice. In recent years, Dr. Carroll served as mentor for ethnic minority graduate students selected for the Interdisciplinary Minority Fellowship Program (IMFP), a grant funded program from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration designed to reduce health disparities within ethnic minority communities. Dr. Carroll’s research interests involve reducing racial and gendered microaggressions and enhancing cultural humility in counseling practice.
Stephen Craig
Stephen E. Craig comes to Kansas State University and the Department of Special Education, Counseling and Student Affairs after serving for 25 years as professor in the Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology at Western Michigan University. While at WMU, he served in numerous capacities, including unit director of counselor education, coordinator of clinical mental health counseling, and CACREP liaison. Dr. Craig has extensive experience in the CACREP accreditation process having served as primary author on two accreditation self-studies and service as an accreditation site visitor on multiple visits across the country. His primary research and professional interests are in clinical mental health counseling, ethical and legal issues (e.g., licensure laws and administrative rules), theories of counseling and psychotherapy, and most recently, preparing and training counselors and allied health professionals in Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment for people with problematic substance use. He has been a co-principal investigator or co-project director on over $1 million dollars in externally funded grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth, and Michigan Rehabilitation Services.
Lorraine Dinkel
Lorraine Dinkelis an Associate Teaching Professor for the counseling programs in the Department of Special Education, Counseling, and Student Affairs at Kansas State University. She was an Associate Professor and School Counseling Program Coordinator at Emporia State University, in Emporia, Kansas, for one year, after serving as an Associate Professor and School Counseling Program Coordinator for ten years at Texas A&M International University. She brings over 22 years of school counseling, mental health counseling, and supervision experience to her teaching and research on graduate counselor preparation, crisis, grief, school violence, and multicultural issues in counseling and supervision. She is the author of Perceptions of Diversity and Integration Resulting in Crisis: A Reflective Workbook.She earned her doctorate in counselor education from the University of New Orleans in 2011. Dr. Dinkel previously worked as a school counselor, an intake assessment officer, and a licensed professional counselor in psychiatric units serving children and adolescents before establishing herself as a counselor educator and supervisor, including her own private supervision practice, Alchemy Agents, LLC.
Samantha Holloway
Samantha Holloway is a Teaching Assistant Professor in Counselor Education and Supervision at Kansas State University. Dr. Holloway spent seven years as a high school counselor in rural Kansas prior to her employment with Kansas State University. Dr. Holloway completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Washburn University, Master of Science in School Counseling, and Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision from Kansas State University.
Jessica Lane
Jessica Lane is an Associate Professor in Counselor Education and Supervision at Kansas State University and serves as the Counseling Programs Coordinator. In 2018, Dr. Lane was named the Kansas counselor of the year. Prior to serving as a counselor educator, Lane was an elementary teacher and school counselor in Kansas. She also served as faculty for nine years in preparing P-12 preservice teachers at Kansas State. In addition to her co-edited book, numerous book chapters, and counseling articles and presentations, Dr. Lane serves as a consultant for school counselors, principals, and school districts for schools across Kansas as they work to enhance their school counseling programs, crisis plans, and leadership capacity. Her research interests include collaboration between school counselors and administrators; social-emotional advocacy and support; rural counseling and mental health.
FAQs
Do I have to have a teaching background to be eligible for this program?
A teaching license is not required to becoming a professional school counselor in Kansas. One option for licensure is for those who have a teaching license; the second option, parallel pathway, is for individuals who do not have a professional teaching license. Parallel pathway criteria are integrated into existing coursework and do NOT require extra credit hours or tuition.
Do I need a masters degree to be admitted into the Ed.S program?
No, admission to this program requires only a baccalaureate degree.
How long will it take to complete the 60-hour program?
The course schedules accommodate both part-time and full-time students. The program is designed to be 2 ½ to 3 ½ years, or 8-10 semesters for completion, depending on full or part-time status.Some summer courses will be required.
Can I still work while attending the program?Will classes be held during the day?
Classes are designed for those working during the day. The Ed.S. school counseling program will offer both synchronous and asynchronous courses, with 60% of the program being asynchronous. Synchronous courses and class sessions will be offered at or after 4:30 p.m. Central Time on Wednesday for Ed.S. students.
Can I be hired as a school counselor before I complete the Ed.S. program?
In Kansas, many students are employed as professional school counselors PRIOR to program completion.Currently, most school counseling graduate students in internship courses are already hired under a provisional school counseling license.
Applicants seeking admission to the Education Specialist program must submit the information noted below. A master's degree is not required for admission. Before starting the online application, gather all information and documents for all of the admission requirements so that they can be uploaded into the application system. All materials must be received before review will begin.
Online Application through CollegeNet available April 1st, 2023.
Application Deadlines
U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents: Applications are accepted throughout the year.
April 1 for fall enrollment
November 1 for spring enrollment
International Students: The online application, application fee, test scores, transcripts, financial documents and all required application materials need to be submitted by the following dates:
August 1 for spring (January) enrollment
Graduate School Application Fee
Domestic Students: A $65 application fee is required for all domestic students; the application will not be processed without this fee. The fee can be paid by credit card when completing the online application.
International Students: A $75 application fee is required; the application will not be processed without this fee. The fee can be paid by credit card when completing the online application.
Official Transcripts
You must upload into the online application system a scanned copy (PDF preferred) of the official transcript(s) from each college or university where you received your bachelor's degree(s) and completed any post baccalaureate course work or degrees. Transcripts become part of your records at Kansas State University and cannot be returned. Please be aware that printouts from university student portals are not considered a copy of your official transcript.
If you are admitted, you will be required to submit an official transcript for GPA and degree conferral verification from the institution(s) where you received your degree(s) and completed any post-baccalaureate credits.
Students whose transcripts are not in English must furnish a translation by an appropriate authority. Failure to list any colleges or universities attended may result in dismissal from the university.
For consideration for regular admission, applicants must have a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) in their junior and senior years of the bachelor's program. Those with GPAs between 2.65 and 2.99 may be considered for probationary admission if it can be demonstrated that there is potential for success in the graduate program. This potential is demonstrated, in part, on the basis of results from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT).
Statement of Goals and Professional Experience
You must upload into the online application system a 1-2 page, double-spaced paper that includes the following information:
Career and professional goals and aspirations, and how being accepted to the program will benefit the goals and aspirations;
The reason for interest in seeking the education specailist degree in school counseling;
Evidence of motivation, leadership, and strong work ethic; and
Professional experiences including advocacy involvement and multicultural proficiencies that support your application.
The paper is to be well written and thoughtfully presented. For resources to help writing the paper, see the Purdue Writing Lab (OWL).
Recommendations
Three recommendations are needed from college or university educators and/or colleagues or supervisors who are qualified to address your professional skills including analytical and critical thinking processes and written and oral communication skills. Recommendations should also address the ability to work with others, form effective culturally relevant relationships, and present a professional demeanor. Enter the names and email addresses of those submitting recommendations into the appropriate area in the CollegeNet online application.
A Professional Resume or Vitae
Upload into the online application system a professional resume/vitae that includes previous academic degrees, past and present employment, professional experiences including leadership, multicultural, advocacy, and other pertinent information.
An Interview
An interview with faculty members in this program may be requested before an admission decision is made.
English Language Proficiency
To demonstrate competence in the English language, an official report of scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System – academic exam (IELTS) or Pearson Test of English (PTE) must be sent to Kansas State University for all applicants whose primary language is not English. Enter your scores in the online application and upload the report of your scores.
International applicants must meet the same academic standards for admission as those required of domestic students. When applying for admission, international applicants must provide an Affidavit of Financial Support and documentation of English language proficiency. Detailed information about these issues is provided at the Graduate School's International Students web page.
To prepare students & graduates of the Ed.S. in School Counseling program to:
PO1 - Understand and demonstrate counseling skills within a theoretical framework in individual and group settings (CACREP Standards II.F.5 & 6; KSDE Standards 3 & 4)
PO2 - Understand the professional counseling identity, including legal and ethical practices of counseling (CACREP Standard II.F.1, V.G.2; KSDE Standard 1)
PO3 - Design, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive school counseling program that works collaboratively with school stakeholders (CACREP Standard V.G.1 & 3; KSDE Standard 2 & 7)
PO4 - Demonstrate knowledge and skills for working with socially and culturally diverse populations (CACREP Standard II.F.2; KSDE Standard 8)
PO5 - Identify individuals who are at-risk and to support individuals in the context of trauma, crisis, and suicide (CACREP Standards II.F.7 & V.G.2; KSDE Standard 4)
PO6 - Incorporate knowledge of human growth & development in counseling contexts (CACREP Standard II.F.3; KSDE Standard 3 & 6)
PO7 - Implement career development strategies (CACREP Standard II.F.4; KSDE Standard 4)
PO8 - Understand the role of research and assessment in the counseling (CACREP Standards II.F.7 & 8; KSDE Standard 5)
Doris Carroll
Stephen Craig
Lorraine Dinkel
Samantha Holloway
Jessica Lane