Breakthrough Training in Counselor Education
The Department of Counselor Education’s mission is to educate students for professional counseling practice and leadership in local, national, and international domains. Mindful that education extends beyond coursework, faculty and students collaborate with schools, communities, agencies, and other professionals to conduct research and provide services with the highest ethical and professional standards and values. Read more about the department’s Mission Statement and Florida Atlantic University’s strong commitment to diversity.
The department’s award-winning faculty members are nationally and internationally recognized leaders in their fields, having a strong record of research productivity, excellent teaching evaluations, and outstanding university service and national service to the counseling profession. Faculty aspire to produce new knowledge and relevant research, create dynamic atmospheres for learning, and inspire students to actualize their potential, all with the goal of achieving just solutions to human concerns. Read more about our faculty.
Why is Our Program Your Best Choice?
Located in sunny South Florida, the Department of Counselor Education offers multiple flexible and affordable degree options, including nationally recognized master’s degree programs with concentrations in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling, and School Counseling; Educational Specialist Degree programs in Mental Health and School Counseling; and a Doctoral Program in Counseling, which received the SACES 2020 Outstanding Doctoral Counselor Education and Supervision Award.
The Counselor Education programs at FAU meet and exceed all state and national certification, licensing, and accreditation requirements in counseling. Full programs are located on the Boca Raton Campus. Select school counseling courses are offered on the MacArthur Campus in Palm Beach County.
Our highly active counseling honors society, Chi Sigma Iota Beta Rho Chi Chapter, recently received the CSI 2020 and 2021 Outstanding Chapter Award (Large Chapter), CSI Florida Outstanding Chapter Award, and recognitions for the award-winning "Counseling Times" newsletter (read the latest edition).
CACREP, APR, and Outcome Reports
Florida Atlantic University’s College of Education and the College of Engineering and Computer Science have received a $9,961,460 grant from the United States Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services to increase the capacity and participation of transition-age youths and working-age adults with disabilities in high demand technology jobs locally and nationally.
Several Florida Atlantic University graduate programs are included in the latest U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Graduate Programs” for 2023-24, including rehabilitation counseling at No. 36.
FAU's Department of Counselor Education has received a five-year, $6 million grant for a project titled, the “Wellness Advocates Valuing Educators and Students” (WAVES) program.
Jennifer Sánchez, Ph.D., associate research professor in COE department of Counselor Education, featured in FAU Research Daily’s Faculty Spotlight.
Nigel Johnson, M.Ed. in Counselor Education (Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling), is the first in his family to attend a four-year university and earn a master’s degree. He credits FAU’s first generation programs with helping him navigate college, along with his parents whose sacrifices fueled his ambition.
