Click here for additional information about the School Counseling Program.
The School Counseling Program prepares professional school counselors who will be leaders, advocates, and systemic change agents in K-12 urban educational settings. The program emphasizes increasing graduates’ awareness, knowledge, and skills to work with economically, socially, and culturally diverse urban student populations. The program focuses on access, equity and social justice in the delivery of counseling services to promote the academic, career, and personal-social development of ALL students in culturally diverse urban settings. We aim to develop professional school counselors with the competencies to work both individually and systemically and who are committed to closing the opportunity gap in urban schools.
The School Counseling Program at the University of Maryland resides in the #1 ranked counseling department (U.S. News and World Report). Graduates of our School Counseling Program are eligible for certification as school counselors in Maryland and other states. The School Counseling Program prepares professional school counselors who will be leaders, advocates, and systemic change agents in K-12 urban educational settings.
Per new US Department of Education regulations regarding state licensure disclosure, a determination has not been made as to whether this program meets the requirements for professional certification in any particular state or territory other than Maryland. We are in the process of reviewing state certification requirements and will update this page when more information is available.
For more information visit the graduate admission requirements webpage. Select an area of interest from the various offerings in the College of Education to determine the admission requirements and deadlines. If you are unsure of your area of interest you may request information by submitting an Inquiry Form.
The School Counseling Admissions Interview Day occurs on the second Friday in February. Invitations for interviews are sent out during the first week of February.
Please refer to the Guide to Applying for instructions on how to apply for graduate admission. International applicants, please visit the International admissions webpage for additional information. If you have questions or concerns, we ask you to first review our list of Frequently Asked Questions. For questions about the application process, or to check on the completion of your application please contact:
Judy Foster, Coordinator of Graduate Admissions
Office of Student Services, College of Education
(301) 405-2359
After you apply for graduate admission you may checkyour application status by logging into the online graduate application using your user name and password. Graduate faculty in the Academic Department you applied to will review your completed application for graduate admission. Questions regarding application reviews and decision recommendations should be directed to Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education (CHSE). Please contact:
Carol Scott, Coordinator of Graduate Studies
Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education
(301) 405-8384
Please contact the Office of Student Services, ed-advising@umd.edu, or (301) 405-2364
Visit the College of Education Scholarship opportunities webpage.
Visit the Graduate School Fellowship and Graduate Assistantship web page for additional funding opportunities
For information about other student financial aid, review the Office of the Student Financial Aid website
Richard Q. Shin, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Phone: 301.405.6509
Fax: 301.405.9995
Email: rqshin@umd.edu
Paul B. Gold, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Phone: 301.405.8414
Fax: 301.405.9995
Email: pgold@umd.edu
Natasha Mitchell, Ph.D., Clinical Assistant Professor
Phone: 301.405.7443
Fax: 301.405.9995
Email: nmitche3@umd.edu
Jessica McKechnie, Ph.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, Director of Field Placement & School Counseling Masters Interim Program Director
Phone: 301.405.8098
Fax: 301.405.9995
Email: jmdiaz@umd.edu
Ileana Gonzalez, Ph.D., Assistant Clinical Professor, School Counseling
Email: ileanag@umd.edu
Diksha Bali, Graduate Assistant
Email: dbali@umd.edu
Carol Scott, Coordinator
Email: cscott18@umd.edu