Credentials Needed:  

According to the American School Counselor Association, to be a school counselor, the Virginia Department of Education has two types of requirements and two options for each requirement:  

Educational Requirements:  

(Option 1) An earned master’s degree from an approved counselor education program; 

(Option 2) An earned master’s degree from an accredited college or university and certification from an approved counselor education program that the candidate has completed sufficient course work and clinical experience to acquire the competencies described herein. 
 

Experience Requirements:  

(Option 1) At least 100 clock hours of clinical experiences in the preK-6 setting and 100 clock hours of clinical experiences in the grades 7-12 setting 

(Option 2) Two years of successful, full-time teaching experience or two years of successful, full-time experience in guidance and counseling. Two years of successful, full-time experience in guidance and counseling under a provisional license may be accepted to meet this requirement. 
 

Examination: None  
Certification: PreK-12 
Reciprocity: Yes 
Background Check: No 

Source: https://www.schoolcounselor.org/school-counselors-members/careers-roles/state-certification-requirements#:~:text=Educational%20Requirements%3A%20Completion%20of%20a,regionally%20accredited%20college%20or%20University.&text=Experience%20Requirements%3A%20Program%20must%20include,as%20requirements%20of%20the%20degree.