Counselor Education

Our practice-based program prepares counselors to work in inpatient, outpatient, non-profit, private practice, community agency, governmental, and educational settings.

This program is offered on campus and online.

Application Information

Would you like to work with youth and adults with disabilities? Our program can prepare you to be a rehabilitation counselor. Our graduates work in state and federal vocational rehabilitation programs. You could also work in non-profit community rehabilitation programs.

This program is offered on campus and online.

RSA Longterm Grant Training

Application Information

Deadline: February 28

Please inquire at serc@auburn.edu to see if this deadline has been extended this year.

Required Materials:

• Graduate school application and payment

• Transcripts

• 3 Reference Forms

• Statement of Intent

• Cultural Statement

• Resume or CV

• Writing Sample

• TOEFL report (for international students)

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Our program prepares you for a career as a professional school counselor in public or private elementary, middle/junior high, and high schools. Our program involves practica and internships related to your career goals. We accept both full-time and part-time students. This degree leads to recommendation for Class A Alabama professional educator certification.

This program is offered on campus and online.

The School Counseling program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). In accordance with accreditation standards, any student applying for a CED program (including those online) must complete all course work and field experiences (Practicum and Internships) in the United States, no exceptions will be made.

Application Information

Deadline: January 1

Please inquire at serc@auburn.edu to see if this deadline has been extended this year

Required Materials:

• Graduate school application payment

• Transcripts

• 3 Reference Forms

• Statement of Intent

• Cultural statement

• Resume or CV

• Alabama Fingerprint Background Check

• TOEFL report (for international students)

Apply Now

The Vocational Evaluation Forensic Certificate program is a short-term training certificate that exists for professionals and paraprofessionals who desire to work in the field of vocational rehabilitation. This certificate incorporates current knowledge and training on societal trends in the areas of economics, forensics, employment, and evaluation, serving to enhance and improve students’ education, ultimately leading to greater employment for individuals with disabilities.

This program is offered on campus and online. 

Those completing the Vocational Evaluation Forensic Graduate Certificate will be able to

• assist individuals with disabilities in achieving positive employment outcomes
• help individuals with disabilities identify career and educational interests
• apply evidence-based practices to empower individuals with disabilities
• engage in social just and advocacy in their daily work

Faculty will teach the core classes of the certificate program including Introduction to Rehabilitation and Case Management, providing a high quality and expert experience in coursework.

Students will take six courses, which are required for certificate completion. There are no electives. Students will take two courses each semester, for three semesters to complete the programs. Cohorts will be admitted each fall semester. Courses can be taken as non-degree by students eligible for Master’ level coursework, or have a degree in Rehabilitation Counseling, or those completing a master’s degree.

The primary mission of the CED programs (CED, CMHC, SC, CRC) is to develop counseling professionals who possess the skills and knowledge necessary to be highly competent and committed professionals in their specialty area. The program’s focus is on the development of competencies addressing biopsychosocial, environmental, educational, and systemic barriers to mental health and wellness. Students engage in challenging educational and counseling practice experiences focused on enhancing their skills and knowledge with an emphasis on culturally sustaining practice. Further, the department seeks to foster an egalitarian culture in which individual creativity, ethical behavior, professional identity, and scholarship are reinforced and nurtured across all programs. A central foundation of this mission is the preparation of counselors and counselor educators to work in an increasingly diverse society. The program’s understanding of diversity encompasses culture, sexual and gender identity, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, ability, and other aspects of individual identity. The program believes that meeting these goals requires that students and faculty engage in advocacy, equity, inclusion, and culturally sustaining practices.

These principles are in alignment with our professional, ethical, and accreditation standards including: Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Programs (2024 standards) American Counseling Association’s Code of Ethics (ACA, 2016), American Rehabilitation Counseling Association (ARCA), the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC), American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMCHA), and the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). Overall, we seek to create educational and learning environments that support, sustain, and challenge students to address their development as professionals related to and representative of culturally-sustaining practice.

The Counselor Education Mission Statement and the program's commitment to diversity is in accordance with the following CACREP accreditation standards: 1.H. - The counselor education program has a process for identifying underrepresented populations and makes continuous and systematic efforts to recruit, enroll, and retain students that enhance and support the diversity of the program; 1.I. - The counselor education program intentionally creates and effectively maintains an inclusive and equitable learning community that respects individual differences.