The Counselor Education Graduate Program is administered by the School of Education, located in the College of Liberal Arts & Education at the University of New Orleans. The University of New Orleans is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
“What is Counseling?”
The American Counseling Association defines counseling as “a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, and career goals” (ACA, 2010). Counselors work in a variety of settings, ranging from agencies, schools, hospitals, and private practices. Counselors have a minimum of a Master’s degree and are credentialed based on their specialty area either through a state counseling board or a state education agency.
Recent News from the Program:
Counselor Education Student Shawn Gaines Selected for National Fellowship (January 2025)
UNO's Counselor Education Graduate Programs Reaccredited Through 2030 (September 2024)
Doctoral Student Krystyn Dupree Wins Counseling Association Research Grant (March 2024)
UNO Graduate Student Christopher Hicks Awarded NBCC Fellowship (January 2024)
Counselor Education Student Heather Olivier Wins National Dissertation Award (September 2023)
UNO Counseling Student Jen LeCompte Awarded Military Scholarship (September 2023)
Counselor Education Program Members Awarded Research Grants (July 2023)
Dr. Zarus Watson Awarded the ACA Presidential Citation for 2023 (March 2023)
Counseling Professor Anabel Mifsud Wins National Dissertation Award (June 2022)
UNO Counseling Student Ash Bayer Awarded $10,000 Fellowship (August 2020)
Doctoral Student Eleanor McAuliffe Earns Specialized Counseling Credentials (June 2020)
Chris Belser Awarded Fellowship for Excellence in Counseling Leadership and Scholarship (February 2020)
Have Questions?
Dr. Michelle Wade
Assistant Professor
Office: ED 348-F
E-mail: mewade@uno.edu
Accreditation
The Counselor Education Program offers Doctoral degrees in Counselor Education and Masters degrees in Counselor Education with concentrations in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling. All programs are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and graduates meet the academic qualifications for becoming a National Board Certified Counselor (NCC), a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Louisiana, and/or a Certified School Counselor in Louisiana.
CACREP Annual Vital Statistics Report | Program Annual Report
Master of Education in Counseling (M.Ed.)
The program leading to the M.Ed. degree consists of a minimum of 60 credit hours. Programs of study include core courses essential to all counselors; students also select an emphasis area in school or clinical mental health counseling. Field experiences include a 100-clock-hour practicum and a 600-clock-hour (minimum) internship. Courses are offered in the late afternoons (4:00pm) and evenings (7:00pm) primarily.
Graduates of the program usually are employed as professional counselors in diverse settings such as community mental health agencies, schools, substance abuse treatment programs, residential treatment programs, colleges, social services agencies, and pastoral settings.
Students may complete the degree program on a part-time basis. For more information about courseload and other academic policies, please view the Graduate Student Handbook.
Students admitted for the Fall semester are eligible to be considered for a small number of Graduate School scholarships. For information about paying for your graduate education see the Graduate School website.
Read more about the master's program
Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education (Ph.D.)
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree prepares its graduates for faculty and research positions as counselor educators and for leadership positions in the counseling, mental health and consultation professions.
The program leading to the Ph.D. degree consists of a minimum of 117 semester hours.. The core curriculum in the Ph.D. program includes 48 hours of required master’s-level counseling courses, 42 hours of doctoral-level courses, 15 hours of research tools, and 12 hours in the emphasis area. Within the CACREP accredited curriculum, students gain experience in supervision, leadership, teaching, advocacy, and research. All students write a qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-method research designed dissertation. Graduates of the program usually are employed in careers that require a doctoral degree, such as careers as university professors of counseling, administrators, or researchers. Courses are offered in the late afternoons (4:00pm) and evenings (7:00pm) primarily.
Students may complete the degree program on a part-time basis. For more information about courseload and other academic policies, please view the Graduate Student Handbook.
Students admitted for the Fall semester are eligible to be considered for a small number of Graduate School scholarships. For information about paying for your graduate education see the Graduate School website.