School Counseling Minor

This minor prepares Washington College students interested in a career in a counseling capacity with K-12 students with the introductory skills required to help students identify challenges, integrate within a community, and plan for academic success.

The minor is intended for those interested in graduate school, careers in guidance and school counseling, or school-based social work, and includes clinical fieldwork in a local educational setting. Coursework and guided off-campus experiences prepare students with a passion for education, psychology, and working with youth for a field in which they can become civic-minded leaders.  

The minor provides a strong foundation in educational theory, the scientific study of behavior and mind, the major theories of counseling, and oral and written communication. Students think analytically, apply theory to problems of today’s educational environment, and communicate clearly. Through the fieldwork component, students engage with peers and members of the community and learn about and apply moral courage and integrity as part of their civic responsibility. Study the wide range of individual, cultural, and societal variables that shape children, while also coming to understand the institutional, fiscal, and social factors that can impact their learning experiences. The minor is in line with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Framework for School Counseling Program and its four components of effective programs:

• deliver direct and indirect student serves,
• define student and professional standards,
• manage program focus and planning, and
• assess programs and counselors.