Admissions Requirements

Prospective Students

Application materials (including official transcripts and two reference forms)

Applicants must have a minimum grade point average of 2.75 for the last 60 semester hours of course work to be fully admitted to the program (applicants above 3.0 will be given first consideration). 

Completion of six hours of prerequisite courses, which must include a developmental psychology course (childhood development, lifespan development, etc.) and psychological statistics with a grade of C or better in at least one course and B or better in the remaining course. Students that have not fulfilled the prerequisite requirements may be conditionally accepted providing they take these course within the first year of acceptance into the program. 

In addition, applicants applying to the School Counseling Program without a valid initial Illinois Professional Educator License (teaching) must take the course, Educational Fundamentals in School Counseling as a program prerequisite. Students who do not have a valid Professional Educator License (teaching) may be admitted conditionally pending successful completion of ED 5820 within the first year. 

Applicants with a GPA under 3.0 that satisfy the above criteria must successfully complete a written essay as part of their admissions requirement. 

Applicants must be interviewed by the department faculty.

Due to limited class size, we are unable to accept all qualified applicants into the program.

All application materials must be received by deadline at the following location for certificate programs or through the online application portal for program applicants:

CSU School of Graduate Admissions
9501 South King Drive Cook Administration Building 
Chicago, Illinois 60628-1598

Submitting materials to an office other than the Graduate Studies department may delay processing time. Students for all programs are accepted twice yearly for the fall and spring terms. First consideration will be given to applicants that apply by March 1st for the Fall term and October 1st for the Spring term. Applicants reviewed by July 15th for Fall term and November 15 for Spring term will be considered based on availability.