The Illinois Type 73 License is the Illinois School Counselor Certification. The certification comes with certain education, internship and program requirements, which then allow counselors to work in schools.

Education Requirements

Each applicant for the Type 73 School Counselor Certification must hold a master's degree in school counseling from a regionally accredited college. The applicant may have another type of counseling degree, in a related field such as social work or psychology, or in an educational field. Each applicant also needs to have completed an Illinois program approved for the preparation of school counselors.

Internship Requirements

Each candidate is required to complete a supervised counseling practicum or at least 100 hours of interaction with children in groups or individually. This should also include at least 40 hours of direct service work. The internship should entail at least 600 hours and last no less than one semester, in which the candidate performs various tasks related to counseling. The candidate should be gradually introduced to the responsibilities of that role. If an individual has at least two years of teaching experience, she may be able to get the certification with no less than 400 hours. At least 240 hours of these internships must involve direct service work with school-age children. The internships must take place in a school setting. A maximum of one-third of the hours may be credited for experiences in other related settings, such as hospitals or day care centers; these settings, though, must expose the counselor to the needs of school-age children.

Approved Illinois Universities Offering the Program

The following institutions are approved for the Type 73 Certification: Concordia University, Bradley University, Chicago State University, DePaul University, Eastern Illinois University, Governors State University, Lewis University, Loyola University, National Louis University, Northeastern Illinois University, Northern Illinois University, Roosevelt University, St. Xavier University, Southern Illinois University, University of Illinois – Springfield and Western Illinois University.