The program is only open to matriculated degree candidates. New School Counseling candidates are accepted only once a year for the Fall term. The application review (with all documentation submitted on time) begins March 1st for the Fall semester. You can apply to the Counselor Education program only online in Apply Yourself. The Graduate Admissions Office is located in Shuster Hall 167; email Graduate Admission Officer Rosa Ianuale, rosa.ianuale@lehman.cuny.edu with questions. After an initial screening of materials, applicants who meet the criteria are invited to an on-campus group interview. Admissions decisions are made after the group interview process in late April and announced in Apply Yourself May 1. You do NOT need a teaching certificate to be a school counselor in 46 of 50 states (including New York!). CE:SC program admission is competitive with usually double the amount of applicants we are able to accept with a substantial wait list annually; there is no guarantee of being taken off of a wait list, however. Wait list candidates who are not selected become denied applicants.

• Submit an online application for admission in Apply Yourself starting November 1.
• Arrange to send (or deliver in person) ALL official undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) transcripts (copies are not acceptable) to the Graduate Admissions Office, Shuster Hall, Room 167, Lehman College, 250 Bedford Park Blvd. W., Bronx, NY 10468 to document an undergraduate G.P.A. of 3.0 or better (B average) on a 4.0 scale. If you did any CUNY undergraduate or graduate degrees, the admission office can access your CUNY transcripts electronically and you do not need to send them. Applications cannot be reviewed until all transcripts are uploaded by admissions staff at Lehman.
• When you open the online admission form, you will email two persons to write and upload recommendation letters of reference that evaluate your readiness to be a school counselor and to start graduate school. One reference should be from a faculty member who can address your written and oral communication skills, readiness for graduate study, and potential for success as a professional school counselor. The second recommendation would ideally be from a K-12 building leader, school counselor or current work supervisor outside schools who can address your potential for success in graduate school and as a professional K-12 school counselor. Two faculty are acceptable as recommendations if you are not currently working in schools.
• A current resume.
• A group interview for qualified candidates after faculty screen the applications in late April on a weekend late afternoon. The invitations are made via email usually a week prior to the interviews.
• Application fee of $75. (waived for current Lehman students and alumni)
• If admitted, you must (1) have evidence of updated immunizations on file at Lehman College (2) pay a deposit to hold your place in the cohort, (3) get your EMPL ID number, (4) await a time for advising to get course permissions, and (5) register on CUNYFIRST, and (6) pay for courses as soon as possible in prior to the fall semester. Initial advising/registration occurs in May and June. Classes begin the last week of August. As of fall on campus 2021, CUNY requires proof of COVID19 vaccination.
  Candidates seeking the bilingual extension take EDG 702 and EDG 704 as part of the 60-credit program. The additional 2 courses are EBS 701 and EBS 760 taken during summer sessions. Bilingual extension candidates must take the Bilingual Education Assessment (BEA) exam prior to their last semester in the program and received a passing score of 220 or higher. They also must file a change of program form with the Office of Graduate Studies prior to the last semester signed by their advisor to add the extension.

1.  Submit ALL materials on time, particularly, original copies of transcripts and ensure recommenders have uploaded their letters of recommendation well prior to the March 15th application deadline. International transcripts need to be evaluated earlier in the process, and should be submitted by  February 15th to allow sufficient time prior to the application deadline.
2. State your accurate cumulative  GPA from all undergraduate classes (usually 120 credits) including an Associate’s degree and the full Bachelor’s degree (the equivalent of four years of full-time classes) to two decimal points (3.59) on the application and resume and ensure it matches your transcripts. 
3. Do your homework on Clinical Mental Health Counseling (American Counseling Association) or school counselors and School Counseling (American School Counselor Association) as a profession prior to applying and use accurate terms to describe the profession. 
4. TRIPLE CHECK for grammar errors, typos, fragments, and ensure that your 5 essay question responses and your resume are written and edited to showcase your best writing
5. If you have under a 3.0 GPA, explain why briefly in the large essay and how you will ensure you maintain a B average in the program. Students with less than a 3.0 are automatically placed on a wait list.
6.  Your essays and recommenders’ essays should focus on clinical mental health OR school counseling and your abilities to be successful in graduate school and as a professional counselor. We are interested in their assessment of your writing skills, your speaking skills, your readiness for graduate study, and potential as a professional counselor
7.  
8.  

What are the national and state professional counseling organizations and codes of ethics?

The professional organization that serves as the umbrella for all the counseling professions is the American Counseling Association (http://www.counseling.org) and the New York State branch is NY-ACA. . The American School Counselor Association (http://www.schoolcounselor.org) is the professional school counselor association with resources and membership benefits including the scholarly journal Professional School Counseling and the magazine ASCA School Counselor.  In addition to the national organization, New York State’s ASCA state branch is the New York State School Counselor Association (NYSSCA) (http://www.nyssca.org/). The college access/affordability/admission professional membership organization national is the National Association of College Admission Counselors (NACAC) www.nacac.org, and the New York State Association of College Admission Counselors (NYSACAC) is the state branch  https://www.nysacac.org/ .  

Counseling candidates are expected to follow the most recent 

American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics 

https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf,  

American School Counselor Association (ASCA) codes of ethics https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/f041cbd0-7004-47a5-ba01-3a5d657c6743/Ethical-Standards.pdf, and 

the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) Guide to Ethical Practice https://www.nacacnet.org/globalassets/documents/advocacy-and-ethics/nacac_guide-to-ethical-practice-in-college-admission_sept.-2020_final.pdf . 

Where is the Graduate Studies Office, and how does it assist with Course Withdrawals, Grade Appeals, Leave of Absence, Removing Registration HOLDS, and  Transfer of Credits,  

The Graduate Studies Office, Shuster Hall Room 275, is where Counselor Education candidates access forms and approvals to withdraw from a course, transfer of credit forms, or to have a hold removed from their registration. The Director of Graduate Studies can be contacted at 718-960–8448.  Your advisor will work with you and the Director of Graduate Studies to sign the appropriate forms and monitor your coursework and credits toward graduation.  If there is a HOLD on your registration, go to either the Graduate Studies Office in Shuster Hall Room 275 or go to the Registrar in Shuster Hall Room 108. You must have the HOLD removed prior to registration.  

Sometimes Counselor Education candidates take a leave of absence from the program by informing your advisor and the program coordinator. When you are ready to return, go to the Graduate Admissions Office (Shuster Hall – Room 150), complete a Readmission Application, and pay a maintenance of matriculation fee. This form needs to be signed by your advisor or the program coordinator and returned to the Graduate Admissions Office prior to re-enrolling. If you have been away from the program for an extended time, your readmission is contingent upon a reevaluation of your coursework and current program requirements by the Program Coordinator. The programs are expected to be completed within 5 years and there is a one-time 2-year extension if needed. 

Grade Appeals–start with the course instructor and talk with them. If that does not resolve matters, go to the program coordinator. If that does not resolve things, go to the CLLSE Department Chair and ask for a formal appeal with the Department Grade Appeals Committee. Their decision if final and the grade may be raised, lowered, or stay the same. 

Transfer Credits may occur in the first semester of the program with your advisor to review your previous transcript, grades, syllabi, and coursework samples. The decision regarding transfer credit is determined by the faculty advisor and the director of graduate studies. Coursework must be less than five years old and preferably from a CACREP-accredited Counselor Education program. No more than 12 credits may be transferred. If approved, you must obtain and file a Transfer of Credit form signed by your advisor with  the Graduate Studies Office, Shuster Hall Room 275. 

How do I receive advising, course permissions, and register for classes? 

How many credits do I take each semester? 

Registration is a 4-step process. 1) First, you must receive a letter of admission and then pay a $250 deposit to graduate admissions holding your place in the program and have your EMPL (student ID) issued. DO NOT LOSE YOUR EMPL ID! 2.) Next, school counseling candidates who are in the system meet with their faculty advisor about courses and requirements and receive permission to take classes each semester prior. These permissions are entered into the computer system by the advisor so that the student may register. Please wait for your advisor to contact you to set up an advising appointment time; ignore any CUNYFIRST messages regarding advising times that are not from your advisor. 3) Next, school counseling candidates register on-line through the CUNYFIRST portal (you must sign up for an account and keep your EMPLID and password safe and available to access your account). CUNYFIRST is one-stop student services so that you can monitor your accounts, pay, and ensure loans are credited. You can learn how to do CUNYFIRST in person at Carmen Hall I-T Center on the 1st floor using either set of outside stairs. You can also call them 7 days a week and most evenings at 718-960-1111. In person is suggested for the first time to learn how to do CUNYFIRST at the IT Center. 4.) You need to pay for classes as soon as you have registered! If you are dropped for lack of payment, you still have course permissions in the system. They don’t disappear.

NOTES:

• Counselor Education candidates should register during regular registration. IGNORE robo-calls and IGNORE CUNYFIRST requests to register. Your advisors will contact you for a registration course permissions and after you receive them, enroll, register and pay immediately. Late registration occurs only at scheduled times during the first few day(s) of classes and there is an additional fee charged.
• Check the CLLSE department bulletin boards (outside Carman Hall B-20) for the most up-to-date course information.
• No student may register without current immunizations. You will be blocked from registering on CUNYFIRST if you do not have current immunizations on file with Health Services at Lehman.

Specific hours for receiving course permissions and for advising are posted during the registration period along with course information outside Carman Hall B-20 and you will receive an email from your advisor. Since all Counselor Education candidates are matriculated, no candidates are closed out of regular semester classes. Counselor Education students follow a prescribed sequence of courses and students go through the program as a cohort.

CE:SC students 6 in the fall semester, 6 in the spring semester; 3 in the winter intersession; 6 each summer intersession (3 in June and 3 in July-August) for three years. CE:CMHC students take 9 credits in the fall and spring semesters and 3 in winter, June, and July-August each to reach 60 credits in two years.

Since both programs are year-round, when do classes begin and when are breaks? 

All programs begin the last week of August with an orientation and first classes. Breaks occur in late November, the last two weeks of December, the last week of January, Spring Break, the last two weeks of May, the first two weeks of July, and the third week of August. Lehman has annually updated undergraduate and graduate calendars for each fall, spring (includes winter intersession), and summer sessions:: https://www.lehman.edu/registrar/calendars.php  

Please see the Financial aid & scholarships 

When will the Clinical Mental Health Counseling 15-credit bridge program and Counselor Education doctoral program be available?    

The Counselor Education program is applying for the CMHC bridge program in the 2024-25 academic year and will begin once the state gives permission. The doctoral program planning began in 2024 and is not expected to be operational for at least five years.