School counselors play an increasingly critical role in education today as the students who face more complex challenges look for answers, advice, guidance and an empathetic ear. The American School Counselor Association considers counselors to be “an integral part of the total education system.” As vital members of the education team, school counselors help students with academic issues, career choices and social/emotional development.
If your dream is to support and advocate for students as a school counselor, finding the right master’s degree program is the first step. One of the most important factors to consider is whether or not you need to continue working while pursuing your degree. If your answer to that is “yes,” an online master’s program is the perfect solution, affording you the flexibility you need to make it all work.
Choosing the right school, however, may be one of the most important decisions of all. That critical choice will determine when you start and how long the program will take, as well as what and how you will pay for your education.
Arkansas State University’s Online MSE in School Counseling Online Programs
Arkansas State University offers three fully online programs for professionals who want to pursue a Master of Science in Education in School Counseling degree while continuing to work. These include an MSE in School Counseling – General Concentration, an MSE in School Counseling – Crisis and Trauma Concentration and an MSE in School Counseling – Special Populations Concentration.
Each program consists of 48 credit hours and can be completed in as few as 24 months. The flexible programs have multiple start dates each year and prepare you for licensure to practice in public or private schools as approved by the Arkansas Department of Education.
Arkansas State’s Programs Are Affordable
Unlike many other schools’ programs, Arkansas State’s MSE in School Counseling programs cost the same whether you are an in-state or out-of-state student. Their cost per credit hour is $340 and includes all required fees. The total tuition and fees for each program is $16,320.
The cost of Arkansas State’s school counseling programs compares very favorably with the cost of other programs in the region. For example, Southern Arkansas University’s Master of Education (School Counseling) is a hybrid/online program, costing more than $19,000 for in-state students and over $27,000 for out-of-state students.
The University of Tennessee Martin has a 60-credit-hour online master’s program for school counseling. Their per-credit-hour cost for in-state students is $644 or a total of more than $35,000 for the entire program. For out-of-state students, the price increases to $702 per credit hour or more than $40,000 for the program.
Private college John Brown University in Little Rock has a hybrid master’s in school counseling degree program with some synchronous online course options — though most courses must need to be attended in person. The degree program consists of 48 credit hours. The cost per credit hour is $480 with an estimated total cost of over $23,000.
(All tuition data is from January 2024.)
Cost Is Not the Only Important Consideration
In preparation for licensure, each MSE in school counseling program includes core courses on subjects like social and cultural foundations of counseling, group counseling, ethical and legal issues in school counseling, and psycho-social aspects of development. In these programs, you will gain an understanding of the counseling process in a multicultural society, while developing the skills you will need to maximize students’ academic, career and social potential.
Learn more about Arkansas State University’s online MSE in School Counseling programs.