Licensure Only, School Adjustment Counselor

If you are interested in helping k-12 students achieve their academic, social, and personal goals, school counseling is the path for you. The licensure-only school adjustment counseling program is geared toward those who hold a master of education in school counseling or a master of science in counseling from Salem State University and wish to return to earn an additional license as a School Adjustment Counselor. This license allows candidates to expand opportunities for job growth and earning potential through employment in schools throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

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Program Requirements

Program Overview

The licensure-only school adjustment counseling program is geared toward those who hold a master of education in school counseling or a master of science in counseling from Salem State University and wish to return to earn an additional license as a school adjustment counselor. This license allows candidates to expand opportunities for job growth and earning potential through employment in schools throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Program Features

  • Licensure: Meets Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)* requirements for initial licensure in school adjustment counseling, pre-K-12.

  • Class size: Small class size: classes are capped at 20 students; seminars are capped at 10 students

  • Evening courses: Designed for the working student: fall and spring semester courses meet one night a week (Monday-Thursday), 4:30-6:50 pm or 7-9:20 pm 

  • World-class faculty: The faculty is comprised of current guidance directors and guidance counselors to ensure student success and exposure to current experiences. Our faculty pursue cutting-edge research in robotics, autism, social media, career exploration, English Language Learners, and social/emotional learning. 

  • Opportunity: Various networking opportunities through conferences and events with Salem State’s strong alumni community. 

*Please be aware that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts may change licensure requirements. Students are advised to contact the state for specific, current licensure requirements. Students may access that information at the Department for Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

Curriculum

Course requirements vary by transcript. Students admitted to the program will meet with the program coordinator to map out a tailored program of study that will include some or all of the following courses. 

The practicum experience requires the student to be available for 900 hours of fieldwork over two semesters and a weekly class seminar. Candidates for initial licensure must take and pass all required sections of the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure before entering the practicum.

Our dedicated faculty are committed to promoting compassion, self-awareness, social justice and an authentic appreciation for diversity in our students. Graduates are multiculturally competent leaders and counselors empowered to provide effective academic, career/professional, and personal/social guidance to all students. Although our curriculum is intended to prepare students to become school adjustment counselors in the K-12 setting, higher education institutes, as well as public and private agencies, are interested in obtaining the services of professional counselors.

School Counselor vs. School Adjustment Counselor

The roles and responsibilities assigned to school counselors and school adjustment counselors share many similarities, but the variances between these roles cannot be overlooked and must be addressed through advanced training and coursework.
 

Responsibilities

School adjustment counselors understand how to foster therapeutic relationships with students and their families. They possess a developed knowledge of normal and abnormal intellectual, social, and emotional development and facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of student learning, behavioral, and emotional disorders. 

School adjustment counselors advocate for students through the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders, physical and sexual abuse, mental illness, and violence to self and others. 

School counselors and school adjustment counselors have developed an understanding of federal, state, municipal, and school laws and regulations to uphold the legal rights of students and families. They also connect students and families with needed resources within the school and community and utilize consultation and data-driven research to bring about systemic change. 

Responsibilities unique to school counselors include the successful implementation of school counseling core curriculum, group counseling, and individual counseling for the student populations they serve. School counselors also understand, organize, implement, and interpret academic testing for students, teachers, and parents, such as the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), the SAT, and the ACT. Career and college counseling is also an essential responsibility for secondary school counselors. 

School adjustment counselors have specialized knowledge to serve students involved with the juvenile justice system. School adjustment counselors also have knowledge of medical conditions and related medications for students with physical, emotional, behavioral, and learning disorders. This knowledge of severe psychopathology allows school adjustment counselors to support students dealing with depression, anxiety, ADHD, bipolar disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and autism spectrum disorders, among others. 

School Counseling and School Adjustment Counseling Program Options

Our programs will ensure that students receive the comprehensive training needed to support the academic, career/professional, personal/social, and emotional needs of all K-12 students. Salem State offers four unique pathways to prepare you for the next steps in your career: 

  • Licensure only, school adjustment counseling: for those who hold an MEd in school counseling or an MS in counseling from Salem State and seek initial licensure as a school adjustment counselor in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

  • Licensure only, school counseling: for those with a master’s degree in counseling or psychology and seek initial licensure as a school counselor in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 

  • MEd, school counseling: for those seeking a master’s degree and initial licensure as a school counselor in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 

  • MEd, school counseling and school adjustment counseling: for those seeking a master’s degree and initial licensure as a school counselor and school adjustment counselor in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 

If you have any questions about which program would be the best fit for you, please reach out to graduate admissions.

Careers

Employed in public or private school settings, school counselors help students to develop the social, organizational and decision-making skills needed for academic and career success. Their role is to advocate, listen, counsel, inform, assess and empower. Research shows that school counselors are effective in helping students to: 

  • Improve academic achievement 

  • Increase positive attitudes toward school 

  • Enhance career development 

  • Increase productive on-task behaviors 

  • Positively resolve conflicts 

In addition, they play a critical role in helping to: 

  • Decrease negative behaviors such as school violence, bullying, and classroom disturbances  

  • Prevent student suicides 

  • Prevent students from dropping out 

There are currently 4,880 school counselors employed in the state of Massachusetts. The median pay is $78,220 per year.*

*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment Statistics on the Internet at bls.gov/oes/current/oes193031.htm (visited March 15, 2016).

Employment Opportunities Beyond the Role of School Counselor 

  • Higher education 

  • College counseling 

  • Nonprofit work 

  • Social and community service 

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