School Counseling

Northwest Christian offers a master of arts degree in school counseling, training students on a faith-oriented campus to become successful school counselors in K-12 public or private schools. The program is accredited by the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC) in conjunction with the Oregon Educational Act for the 21st Century.

School Counseling candidates who complete the program are professional school counselors and education leaders who have the knowledge, skill, ability, and cultural competence to develop and deliver a school counseling program that is comprehensive, demonstrates continues improvement and advances the mission of the school.

Together with a Christian frame of reference and Christian faculty, this program provides students with a solid foundation of counseling skills and theories to promote the academic, social and emotional development of children through a constructivist perspective. Building on current research, students learn to develop a comprehensive school counseling program and a professional identity as a school counselor that reflects the National Model, the Oregon Framework and alignment with CACREP standards. Successful graduates promote the highest standards in academic performance, student welfare and safe and violent-free environments for their students.

The adult-friendly environment permits the students to individualize their program through choices of topics on papers and presentations in their required coursework and through choice of authorization level (early childhood/elementary or middle level/high school) and selected internship sites.