In response to the COVID-19 pandemic (more information on CSU’s COVID-19 Resources website), the School of Education and Center for Educator Preparation staff are working remotely. While we are not available for in-person visits, we are here to answer your questions.
School of Education Main Office For general questions, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday: soeinfo@colostate.edu or (970) 491-6317
Center for Educator Preparation Main Office For general questions, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday: cep-info@colostate.edu or (970) 491-5292
Please visit the Health and Human Sciences COVID-19 Resources page for more information on CSU’s pandemic response. Please stay safe and healthy!
Master's in CounselingCounseling and Career Development
With a master’s degree in Counseling and Career Development, you’ll be equipped to help people of all ages develop self-awareness, decision-making, and self-advocacy skills needed to live successful lives.
Upon graduation, all students are licensure-eligible and eligible to become National Certified Counselors.
Our Counseling and Career Development Master of Arts degree is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs.
A specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, CACREP has granted an 8-year accreditation (through March 2028) to our degree, which includes our degree’s three specializations:
Career Counseling (one of a handful in the nation to be CACREP-accredited)
You’ll complete a general course of study for this Master of Arts degree, including core curriculum, a clinical practicum, and an internship.
Additionally, you will choose from three specializations and complete coursework specific to your area of focus.
Career Counseling
We equip you to engage in career counseling.
Gain knowledge and skills necessary to help people develop life-career plans, focusing on the interaction of work and other life roles.
Our career counseling specialization is uniquely designed to educate and train you to do more than traditional career education and guidance.
Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Become a highly-skilled professional with the ability to blend psychotherapy and practical tools in a holistic approach to helping clients grow and change.
This specialization aligns with the American Mental Health Counselors Association’s national standards for education, training, and clinical practice.
School Counseling
Develop the knowledge and skills necessary to help guide the academic, social-emotional, and career needs of K-12 students through individual, group, and classroom interactions.
Through advocacy, collaboration, and leadership, you’ll be equipped to serve as a systemic change agent working to ensure equitable educational access for all students.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Our Graduate Programs Coordinator can answer any questions you have.
In this degree program, you’ll experience an excellent education through relevant, interpersonal, and technology-rich learning experiences, preparing you to meet client needs in a variety of ways.
Actively Advocate
You’ll be able to advocate on behalf of clients and the counseling profession in a way that embraces and advances diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Help Others Build Lives of Purpose
Learn how to apply your career and personal counseling skills to help others design meaningful lives.
Learn the Theory
Build a strong foundation that will help you to understand client issues and select appropriate counseling interventions.
Encourage Client Wellness
Learn to establish quality relationships with clients and apply appropriate counseling processes for your clients’ best wellness.
You're a Helper
People look to you for advice and guidance, because you have a knack for looking beyond the surface. You ask deeper questions, seeking to reach the heart of the matter, to learn who that person really is, and to discover how they can live their best life—whatever that means to them.
Impact Evidence-Based Practice
Identify, implement, and critically evaluate traditional and new counseling interventions that generate and inform evidence-based practice.
Understand Professional Ethics
Learn to examine, evaluate, and apply your core values to the practice of professional ethics. You’ll also develop an understanding of ethical principles and standards of practice, and learn to apply them in decision-making.
Develop Identity as a Counselor
At the end of the program, you will have cultivated an authentic counselor identity by blending self-awareness, counseling knowledge, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Engage in Self-Reflection
Throughout the program, you’ll engage in meaningful self-reflection that leads to better professional practice and stronger client outcomes.
You Want to Make a Difference
Many of our students come from backgrounds such as:
Public and private school teaching
Social work
Human development
Psychology
Postsecondary education
Business
Employment agencies
If your background is in a different field, don’t let that stop you from applying. More important is your desire to make a difference in others’ lives through a career as a trained, professional counselor.
Free Counseling - Open to the PublicNeed a Place to Talk?
The Counseling and Career Development master’s degree trains future counselors. We are seeking client volunteers for the fall and spring semesters. Counseling is free of charge.
