The future is in the next generation of students. As a vital part of the educational leadership team, school counselors provide valuable assistance to students, whether they are setting the tone in elementary schools or enhancing the learning process in secondary school or beyond.
Why Choose School Counseling?
The M.A. in school counseling program is designed for those seeking school provisional counseling certification, and prepares you for work in a variety of settings. It is grounded in research and shaped by the needs of schools and other organizations that require professional counseling services. Upon completion of the program, you’ll meet the requirements for provisional certification as a school counselor in New York State.
The Classroom
The small class size (no more than 18-20 in a section) provides students and professors the opportunity to collaborate and get to know one another. We accept students from diverse educational backgrounds and professional experiences. From economics and finance, to humanities teachers and engineers, each student brings their experiences to the classroom and everyone benefits. Most students form lifelong connections.
The Faculty
The faculty in this department are more than professors, — they’re practitioners, from mental health and school counselors to psychologists. Their diverse training and years of job knowledge will enhance your classroom experience and accelerate your learning.
What Will You Learn?
You will learn how to foster the development of individuals through all stages of life. By merging theory with practice, you will emerge with the necessary knowledge, skills and disposition to:
Assess, facilitate, and guide individual development
Help students understand and overcome social or behavioral problems through classroom guidance lessons and counseling
Counsel individuals and small groups on the basis of student and school needs
Work with students to develop skills, such as organizational and time management abilities and effective study habits
Help students create a plan to achieve academic and career goals
Engage student in career and college readiness
Be an empathic, caring human service provider
If you wish to specialize in post-secondary advising you may choose the college advising concentration, an optional 12-credit program that provides additional expertise in guiding student success in college.
You may also pursue the advanced certificate in bilingual extension, a 15-credit New York State-registered program that prepares school counselors to specifically work with bilingual/multicultural students.
What Will You Do?
The school counseling program prepares students for counseling in schools, community organizations, colleges and other agencies that require the services of a professional counselor.
Jobs for School Counseling Professionals
Careers of interest for school counseling students include the following.
Career counselor
Elementary school counselor
High school counselor
Middle school counselor
College admissions counselor
Community-based counselor
September 2025
School of Education & Health
Manhattan College,
4513 Manhattan College Parkway, Miguel Hall, Room 205,
RIVERDALE,
New York,
10471, United States
Applicants for admission into the master degree program in School Counseling must have earned a baccalaureate degree and a suitable preparation in the behavioral sciences. Consideration will be given for teaching experience and for other applicable experience. Students who possess a bachelor degree but do not have relevant background may be required to take prerequisite courses for admission.
A minimum TOEFL score of 80 will satisfy admission requirements to a graduate education department at Manhattan College and the criteria for issuance of the I-20 form.
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.