How to Become a High School Counselor in California
High school counselors in California must typically have at least six years of education beyond the high school level in order to work as a guidance counselor, including a period of time enrolled in a school-sponsored counseling practicum in which prospective counselors work with school-aged children. California state law mandates that high school counselors have at least a master's degree and pass a criminal background check before being allowed to work.
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Instructions
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Earn a bachelor's degree in any subject. The entry-level credential for high school counselors in California is a master's degree, so students must earn a bachelor's degree in order to progress to the master's level. Most master's degree programs do not require the bachelor's degree to be in a specific subject, though education and psychology are popular majors among students entering master's programs in school counseling.
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Complete a master's degree program in school counseling. California state education requirements mandate the program consist of a minimum of 48 credit hours and include at least 600 clock hours of supervised field-based training with school-aged children in a public school at two of three school levels (elementary, middle, or high school). Up to 150 of these hours may be devoted to diversity issues.
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Comply with other California state regulations. As of 2010, this includes passing the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) and submitting a copy of a fingerprint for a background check.
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Submit application to the California State Commission on Teacher Credentialing. The application, which can be found at ctc.ca.gov/credentials, requires applicants to disclose all criminal convictions. Applicants must also pay an application processing fee.
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Tips & Warnings
Majoring in psychology or education as an undergraduate will help make coursework in the master's degree program easier. Also, usually education majors will have already passed the criminal background check required of all prospective counselors.
Do not lie when submitting your application to the teacher's credentialing service. Doing so will not only disqualify your application, but possibly lead you to face criminal charges as well.
References
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