APPLICATION MATERIALS
Application Packets are available online from the Office of Graduate Studies and Extended Education or by calling (610) 436-2943. All required transcripts, letters of recommendation, and standardized test scores should be sent directly to the Graduate Studies Office as directed in the application packet. It is recommended that you self-manage the completion of your application by having transcripts and letters of reference sent directly to you in sealed (signature across seal) envelopes. West Chester University transcripts are available at the Graduate Studies Office and need not be sent.

The following materials must be submitted to complete the application process:

• Completed Graduate Application with essay
• All academic transcripts (2 official copies required)
• Three letters of reference (forms provided)

You can check on the status of your application by calling the Graduate Studies Office.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
When admitting an applicant to counselor education programs, the department makes a commitment to the student's development and future success. The department evaluates each candidate through the use of multiple criteria. Admission requires an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university. The normally accepted standard for students applying to counselor education programs is a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale.

DIVERSITY RECRUITMENT POLICY
The Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology embraces, enacts and embodies West Chester University’s “Plan for Excellence” and its mission to improve diversity, access, and equity.  The department, as evidenced by the composition of our student body and faculty, has benefited from our participation in this Plan for Excellence and the strategies employed campus-wide to insure the recruitment and retention of a diverse population at all levels of University life. 

APPLICATION DEADLINES
Admissions to the degree programs are made twice a year.
Applicants are officially accepted into the program for fall semester or spring semester. Fall applicants are afforded the opportunity to schedule summer classes. Applicants wishing to start summer sessions or fall semester (August semester start) must have their applications complete and in the department’s possession by the March 15th review date. Applicants wishing to start in the spring semester (January semester start) must have their applications complete and in the department’s possession by the October 15th review date. Applications received after these deadline dates will be reviewed only on a space-available basis.

Students wishing to add a school counseling certification must meet PDE requirements of Chapter 354 include successful completion of the Praxis exams as well as 6 earned credits in college-level mathematics, 3 credits in literature, and 3 credits college-level English composition.

Criteria for a Course to Fulfill the PDE Mathematics Requirement of Six College Level Credits (all criteria must apply).
The courses must be college level mathematics. College level courses are numbered 100 and above. Remedial mathematics courses will not fulfill the requirement. Applicable courses consist of those that fulfill the mathematics general education requirements for bachelor's degrees or associate's degrees in transfer programs.

Ordinarily the courses have a Mathematics prefix. Courses with a STAT prefix fulfill the requirement only when these courses are part of the mathematics department and fulfill the general education mathematics requirement for a degree. STAT courses offered in social (SOC, PSY, BUS, POS) or natural sciences do not fulfill the requirement. Research methods courses do not meet the requirement. Mathematics teaching methods courses do not meet the requirement. Mathematics faculty must teach courses to fulfill the requirement.

Criteria for a Course to Fulfill the PDE (Pennsylvania Department of Education) Literature Requirement of Three Credit Hours
Literature courses offered in the English language fulfill the requirement. Literature courses designed around genre (ex: poetry, novel, satire, etc.), regional or world areas (ex: Native American literature, African literature), comparative literature studies (ex: Third World Women's literature), and topics in literature (ex: Identity and Disguise in literature), and individual author studies (ex: Whitman and Dickinson) fulfill the requirement. Courses taught from the point-of-view of literary perspective, analysis, and criticism. At WCU, acceptable courses are usually designated with the prefixes LIT and CLS, though other universities may use other prefixes. Writing courses do not satisfy the requirements even when they include the reading of works of literature.

STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES
Standardized scores such as the Graduate Record Exam (GRE’s) or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT’s) are NOT required. If the scores are submitted, they will be considered in the decision for acceptance

ADVISING
Each student in the Counselor Education program is assigned an advisor who is a member of the Counselor Education Program Faculty. The name of your advisor and contact information will be noted in your acceptance letter from the Counseling and Educational Psychology Department. You will need to contact your advisor to register for classes. You are encouraged to call your advisor to arrange your first course registration soon after being notified of your acceptance into a degree program. In the summer months, if your advisor is not available, please contact the Department Chair.