LET US HELP
Welcome to Capella
Select your program and we'll help guide you through important information as you prepare for the application process.
Build professional skills that fit your career goals with an MS in School Counseling
The Capella MS in School Counseling is an online school counseling degree program designed to cover theories of counseling with children and adolescents, group counseling, counseling for college and career readiness, and child and adolescent psychopathology. Program specializations provide focus for your career path.
MS in School Counseling program overview
This program emphasizes both the fundamental knowledge you need to succeed in school counseling and the practical skills you need to put that knowledge to work. It provides the opportunity to develop a professional, specialized skill set that can help prepare you to make an impact on today’s youth.
In the MS in School Counseling program, your core courses help build a foundation of knowledge and strengthen your skills in key areas of school counseling. From there, you’ll move into the coursework for your chosen specialization to grow your expertise and advance toward your final project.
Capella University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Accreditation and recognitions provide assurance that we meet standards for quality of faculty, curriculum, learner services and fiscal stability. See all our accreditations and recognitions.
*The FlexPath option for the project management specializations is not accredited by PMI-GAC.
Applicants to the MS in School Counseling program must provide the following information for admission:
- A bachelor’s degree from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, or from an internationally recognized institution
- Your official bachelor’s transcripts, minimum grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale; if your GPA is lower, call enrollment services at 1.866.736.1751 to discuss alternate admission options
- Your official transcripts from all previous educational institutions, including any graduate or professional school coursework
- Two letters of recommendation completed by professionals who can assess your aptitude for graduate education in school counseling
- Your resume or curriculum vitae and a 3–6 page essay
- A $50 nonrefundable application fee, required at the time of application, to cover transcript requests, transcript evaluation and other administrative costs
- A valid, government-issued form of photo identification
GRE and GMAT are not required for admission.
View full admission requirements for each specialization: Addiction Treatment and Recovery, Child and Adolescent Counseling, General School Counseling
The total cost of your MS in School Counseling program will depend on your specialization, scholarships and finances, transfer credits, academic performance and other factors.
Find detailed tuition information and cost scenarios for each specialization: Addiction Treatment and Recovery, Child and Adolescent Counseling, General School Counseling.
Choosing an MS in School Counseling specialization
Every professional journey is different. Your chosen specialization can help you leverage your unique passions and interests for your career in school counseling.*
*Capella cannot guarantee any specific job title, promotion, salary increase or other career outcomes. We encourage you to research requirements for your job target and career goals. Note that some career paths may prefer or even require previous experience, licensure, certifications and/or other designations along with a degree.
Learning outcomes
- Addiction Treatment and Recovery
- Child and Adolescent Counseling
- General School Counseling
The Addiction Treatment and Recovery specialization is designed for graduate program counseling learners who want to increase their knowledge of substance abuse, addiction and compulsive behaviors. Learners will expand their knowledge of addiction theory and treatment and intervention for individuals and groups. The curriculum also emphasizes developmental and multicultural considerations and ethical and legal issues associated with providing treatment/interventions for diverse populations.
Specialization outcomes
- Identify and apply ethical, legal and professional standards specific to addictions treatment and recovery.
- Integrate knowledge of addictions counseling theory, research and professional literature to choose activities that promote optimal well-being and recovery in individuals, families, groups and systems.
- Communicate in a manner that is ethical, scholarly, professional and consistent with the expectations for members of professional communities
The Child and Adolescent Counseling specialization is designed for graduate program counseling learners who want to expand their knowledge, theory and best practices needed to support the social emotional growth and development of children and adolescents.
Learners will gain more extensive knowledge of developmentally appropriate interventions related to play therapy, family therapy and treatment and intervention planning for typical childhood and adolescent disorders. The curriculum also emphasizes developmental and multicultural considerations and ethical and legal issues associated with providing therapy for diverse child and adolescent populations.
Learners complete two foundational play therapy classes and choose two out of three other courses specific to work with child and adolescent populations.
Specialization outcomes
- Assess for legal responsibilities and applicable ethical standards for children and adolescents in a variety of professional settings.
- Integrate knowledge of counseling theory, research and professional literature to choose activities that promote optimal health and well-being in children/adolescents, families, groups and systems.
- Employ traditional or systems theories to explain the relationships between community systems, family systems, and school systems that influence children and adolescents.
The General School Counseling specialization is designed for graduate program counseling learners who want to take advantage of maximum flexibility in choosing their additive course content. Learners can select any four courses within the MS Counseling programs, to include PLAY-prefixed programs* to create their General specialization within the 90-credit MS in School Counseling Program.
*Prerequisite requirements may apply to COUN or PLAY courses
Specialization Outcomes:
- Apply ethical, legal and professional standards in counseling activities.
- Infuse multicultural counseling and social justice competencies into counseling activities to enhance counseling identity development.
- Integrate knowledge of counseling theory, research and professional literature to choose activities that promote optimal development for individuals, groups and systems.
- Communicate in a manner that is ethical, scholarly, professional and consistent with the expectations for members of professional communities.
*Capella cannot guarantee any specific job title, promotion, salary increase or other career outcomes. We encourage you to research requirements for your job target and career goals. Note that some career paths may prefer or even require previous experience, licensure, certifications and/or other designations along with a degree.
Why choose the MS in School Counseling at Capella University?
Real-world learning
Enhance your skills with residency, internship and practicum experiences that integrate your knowledge with practice.
Expert core faculty
Our faculty is made up of scholar-practitioners with doctoral degrees who are active in their professions and bring real-world experience to the courseroom.
Professional relevance
Our curriculum incorporates the values, principles and ethical standards of national, regional and state professional counseling associations and honor societies, including the American School Counseling Association.
Capella University’s MS in School Counseling program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) through March 31, 2028. Capella University’s Educator Preparation Provider (EPP) unit is accredited based on the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) Standards through 2024.