Northwest Nazarene University  

Students enrolled in the School Counseling program complete 60 credit hours of coursework over eight semesters (33 months), 1,000 hours of practicum/internship experience, pass the national comp exam, sit for the NCE exam, and engage in personal growth experiences such as individual and group counseling (as clients). Upon graduation, School Counseling majors are prepared to make application for the Licensed Professional Counselor credential in the State of Idaho for the K-12 school counseling credential. They are also qualified for the Department of Education Pupil Personnel Services Certification. In the state of Idaho, school counselors do not need to be certified teachers. Thus, students from many different undergraduate majors elect to apply for school counseling admittance.

Beyond the counseling core courses, the coursework specific to School Counseling focuses on the components of the National Model, youth and child counseling skills, and helping youth with special learning problems. In addition to the required core and School Counseling courses, students have the opportunity to enroll in an emphasis area, similar to an undergraduate minor, in one of the following: 1) Play Therapy; 2) Trauma, Crisis, and Grief; 3) Acceptance and Mindfulness Informed Therapies; 4) Addictions; or 5) Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapy. An additional emphasis area, Primary Care Behavioral Health, is currently under development. School majors also have the opportunity to intern at the private non-profit counseling center associated with the department, learning to apply play therapy skills under the supervision of a registered play therapist and gaining individual training and supervision in the individual assessment of youth. The School Counseling program is delivered in a traditional method on-site at NNU, but is also available in rural locations through weekend, face-to-face delivery and blended online coursework.

NNU is a religiously-affiliated institution with a Wesleyan foundation. Spiritual wellness, an atmosphere of gratitude, commitment to community, service to others, a relational focus between faculty and with students, and good mental health practices are modeled by faculty for students. Students of any background/tradition are welcome.