Master of Education in School Counseling

Program Requirements:

To be eligible to receive a Texas School Counselor certificate, the individual must:

1. be state licensed with a valid educator certificate and provide a copy of certificate;
2. have a minimum of two years teaching experience in an accredited school and provide copies of teacher service records;
3. meet requirements for admission to the SAGU educator preparation program;
4. complete structured, field-based training through a practicum component;
5. pass the representative and state examinations of educator standards;
6. successfully complete graduate comprehensive examination for a Master of Education program;
7. complete the School Counselor Program; and,
8. have earned a master’s degree from an accredited university.

State Certification

Students seeking Texas State Teaching Certification must follow specific guidelines for certification. Students are encouraged to discuss these guidelines with the SAGU Director of Teacher Certification and SAGU Teacher Education Testing Coordinator. Graduating with an Education degree from SAGU does not guarantee state certification. Students seeking certification in professional areas such as Principalship and School Counselor must meet one of the above criteria and have 70% of the degree plan coursework completed prior to testing approval.

Our goal at SAGU Teacher Education is to prepare students to pass certification exams on the first attempt. The School Counseling degree is designed to give candidates the necessary content knowledge and practice needed in each course. This degree also gives individuals the chance to continue their education to become a Licensed Professional Counselor.

State and Federal Reports

SAGU Teacher Education graduates have achieved a 98% TExES Certification Exam pass rate for the 2014-2015 academic year. According to the national Title II report, which ranks universities by state, SAGU achieved a high ranking by the federal government by scoring in the top quartile in the state of Texas for students passing state certification requirements.

In accordance with the U.S. Department of Education regulations, effective July 1, 2020, Title IV institutions are required to share professional licensure disclosures. For any certification or licensure, directly contacting that state’s department or entity responsible for state certification or licensure will ensure the most accurate information.

The following resources provide such data:

• Licensing Boards By State
• Teacher Education Certification by State

Military Service Waivers

In accordance with 19 TAC §228.35(a)(5)(A), military service members or military veterans may be given credit for certain verified military service, training, or education toward the training, education, work experience or related requirements (other than certification examinations) for educator certification requirements, provided that the military service, train, or education is directly related to the certificate being sought. Contact the education department for additional information.

Effective September 1, 2015, the TEA waives certain fees for eligible military service members, military veterans, and military spouses. For more information, please see the TEA website at: https://tea.texas.gov/Texas_Educators/Certification/Military_Community

Information regarding Military Service Members, Military Spouses, and Military Veterans may be found in the Texas Administrative Code 234 at https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=R&app=9&p_dir=&p_rloc=&p_tloc=&p_ploc=&pg=1&p_tac=&ti=19&pt=7&ch=234&rl=1

In accordance with 19 TAC §228.35(a)(5)(B), those who are not military service member or military veterans may be able to substitute prior or ongoing service, training or education, provided that the experience, education or training is not also counted as pare to the internship, clinical teaching, or practicum requirements, and the aforementioned was provided by an approved EPP or an accredited institution of higher education within the last five years, and is directly related to the certificate being sought.

Calendar of Events

This document provides important deadlines and events for the education programs.