Guidance Counseling Colleges

Westminster College

• The Presbyterian Church U.S.A. founded Westminster College in the rural community of New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, about 60 miles north of Pittsburgh. Home to more than 1,500 undergraduate and graduate students, the school received the 122nd-place ranking among all liberal arts colleges in the United States from U.S. News & World Report in 2010. The school's counseling program culminates in a Master of Education degree. The program requires a minimum of two years of full-time study to complete and includes an internship in a local school district. A thesis and two comprehensive examinations are mandatory for graduation. Approximately 97 percent of all students at Westminster receive some type of financial aid, reports the 2009 "Barron's Profiles of American Colleges."

  Westminster College
  319 South Market St.
  New Wilmington, PA 16172
  800-942-8033
  westminster.edu

McNeese State University

• A public institution with more than 8,200 undergraduate and graduate students, McNeese State University's suburban campus is 120 miles from Baton Rouge in the town of Lake Charles, Louisiana. The school's guidance counseling program awards a Master of Education degree. In addition to a bachelor's degree, students must provide proof of at least 18 credits of junior and senior-level collegiate coursework in behavior sciences like social work, psychology and sociology in order to receive admissions consideration. The program lasts approximately two years and includes coursework in research methods, human growth, multicultural and group counseling, law and ethics, career counseling and administration of counseling programs. An internship and an observational practicum are required for graduation. Federal and state aid, scholarships and a limited number of assistantships are available for graduate students at McNeese.

  McNeese State University
  4205 Ryan St.
  Lake Charles, LA 70609
  337-475-5356
  mcneese.edu

Eastern Washington University

• In 2010, the master's degree offerings at Eastern Washington University ranked 54th among those offered by all universities in the western United States in U.S. News & World Report's "Best Colleges 2010." Home to more than 10,000 students, the public college is in Cheney, Washington, a community 18 miles from Spokane. The school counseling program at the university results in a Master of Science in Applied Psychology degree. Prior to applying, students must complete classes in statistics, psychological testing, basic counseling and group dynamics. The two-year program requires a 600-hour internship and features classes in classroom management, teaching research, assessment, guidance counseling law, parent education, diversity counseling and addiction. All students complete a thesis, participate in an observational practicum and take a comprehensive examination prior to graduation. Financial aid and assistantships are available for qualified students.

  Eastern Washington University
  526 5th St.
  Cheney, WA 99004
  509-359-2397
  ewu.edu