Counseling Department
The UAF School of Education prepares counseling professionals to support students, families and communities. Our programs deliver hands-on training, cultural responsiveness and licensure pathways for school and clinical mental health counseling.
Programs overview
UAF’s Counseling Department offers graduate programs designed to prepare professionals for licensure and leadership in school and clinical settings. Whether you're seeking to become a certified school counselor or licensed clinical mental health counselor, or to expand your existing qualifications, our programs provide the training, flexibility and support to help you make a lasting impact.
- The UAF counseling program will admit a myriad of high quality candidates from rural
and urban areas of Alaska.
- Students will acquire foundational knowledge of the fields of counseling, human development,
counseling theories, professional ethics, career development, assessment and testing,
multicultural counseling, research and program evaluation, counseling interventions,
and group counseling.
- Students will develop counseling skills and refine professional characteristics through
coursework and practical experience in the field of counseling.
- Students will acquire knowledge, develop skills and refine professional characteristics through coursework and practical experience related to their selected degree concentration:
- School counseling
- Clinical mental health counseling
- Students will be consumers of research to support their learning and future professional
practice.
- Program graduates will be well prepared to begin work as professional clinical mental
health or school counselors.
- Employers will hire program graduates and recognize their high-quality preparation for the work environment.
Why choose UAF’s counseling programs?
The UAF School of Education staff and faculty are all about relationships. They are excellent examples of helping professionals!—Debra Vance, M.Ed., UAF school counseling alum
Delivery format
Our courses are delivered 100% via distance education. Most classes are held via video conferencing with synchronous meeting times each week. A few classes are delivered online in an asynchronous manner. Students are not required to attend classes on the UAF campus. Students must participate in in-person practicum and internship experiences (unless COVID or other restrictions necessitate delivery of client care through telehealth). Internships can almost always be arranged in the student’s home community.
Career pathways and outcomes
Our graduates thrive as professionals in Alaska and across the United States*.
*Each state has its own unique requirements for authorization. If you are planning to seek a professional license or certificate in a state other than Alaska, please see the state listings website.
Accreditation
Both master’s programs hold CACREP accreditation, meeting national standards for counseling education and Alaska licensure criteria. Please email Dr. Amy Broadwater, department chair, with pertinent questions. A copy of the student handbook is available upon request.
