Milligan’s master’s program in School Counseling (MSC) will prepare you to pursue licensure as a school counselor in Tennessee. A determination of eligibility for licensure has not been made for other states. Students should check specific state requirements before applying to the program.
The school counseling curriculum consists of 48 credit hours for licensed teachers or 54 credit hours for students without teaching licensure. Both the licensure and non-licensure tracks include supervised internships in elementary and secondary schools that provide direct experience. Because Milligan is a Christian university, part of the required coursework includes an ongoing discussion and examination of the theoretical and practical aspects of the integration of faith and learning.
NCATE (now CAEP) accreditation means your degree from Milligan is instantly recognized in Tennessee and the nation for its quality. Milligan’s commitment to meet NCATE quality standards means we take great care in seeing you gain the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed for success as a professional educator.
The teacher education program at Milligan is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) (2010 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036; 202-466-7496). This accreditation covers initial teacher and advanced educator preparation programs. This accreditation means your degree from Milligan is instantly recognized in Tennessee and the nation for its quality. We take great care in seeing you gain the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed for success as a professional educator.
In 2013, NCATE and TEAC consolidated into the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) as the new accrediting body for educator preparation.
CAEP Annual Report Disclosure »
The School Counseling concentrations (Concentrations Two and Three) are either a two-year, 48 credit hour curriculum (for those students who are already licensed teachers) or a two-year 54 credit hour curriculum (for those students who are not licensed teachers). The curricula consist of 27 credit hours in core courses in human behavior and development, effective counseling strategies, ethical practice, and other core knowledge areas; 9 credit hours of clinical experience (practicum and internship); and 12 hours in courses involving counseling and assessment of children and adolescents and other issues specific to educational settings. Those students who are not licensed teachers complete 6 additional hours in curriculum methods and education of exceptional students.
Data for August 1, 2022-July 31, 2023: Milligan’s School Counseling program graduated 2 students for a 100% completion rate. Of the 2 students who took the Praxis Examination, 100% passed.
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program graduated 11 students for a 92% completion rate. Of the 16 graduates who took the National Counselor Examination (NCE) in 2022, 93% passed. Three graduates achieved licensure (LPC/LPC-MHSP) in the state of TN in 2022. The job placement rate for both programs was 100%. The Addictions Counseling program saw its first graduating cohort in August 2022.
Employment of school and career counselors is expected to grow by 19 percent from 2010 to 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Rising student enrollments in elementary, middle and high schools are expected to increase demand for school counselors. As enrollments grow, schools will require more counselors to respond to the needs of their students.
