Empower Others — and Yourself — to Reach Their Full Potential

Ready to make a lasting difference in the lives of children, families and communities? If you feel called to help people through life’s most difficult moments, UCF’s top-ranked graduate programs in counseling and school psychology offer the strong foundation, caring support and meaningful opportunities to turn your passion into purpose.

Built on a reflective-practitioner model, our Counselor Education and School Psychology programs combine rigorous academic preparation with immersive, hands-on learning. You’ll study the latest research-based practices while developing essential skills such as active listening, interpersonal communication, critical thinking and ethical decision-making. You’ll cultivate the self-awareness, self-reflection and self-care needed to thrive in this emotionally demanding — and deeply rewarding — field. And you’ll gain real-world experience by providing the community with free counseling services through our on-campus Community Counseling and Research Center and interning at schools, clinics and agencies through any number of our community partners.

These opportunities — combined with our passionate faculty, supportive peer community and opportunities for ongoing professional development —are strategically designed to empower you to graduate with confidence and competence.

Take the next step toward a career that transforms lives — starting with your own.

Explore UCF’s counseling and school psychology programs today.

Degree Programs

We Value Care That Is:

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Collaborative

Ethical icon

Ethical

Evidence-based icon

Evidence-based

Holistic icon

Holistic

Reflective icon

Self-reflective

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Service-oriented

Melanie Jurgensen headshot

“I have always felt a desire to work with children and support their needs. I stumbled upon the field of school psychology by accident, but pursuing this degree was one of the best decisions I could have made. I genuinely enjoy working with children and assisting them in an educational and psychological capacity, and this field combines both of my passions. So far, the program and my experiences have lived up to my expectations, and I am excited to go into my internship in the Fall to put into action what I have learned over the past two years.”

Melanie Jurgensen ’19 ’26EdS
Current school psychology student and graduate assistant

Accreditation

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NASP Logo

At UCF, our graduate programs in Counselor Education and School Psychology are fully accredited and designed to support your journey from day one. That means you can feel confident that your education aligns with professional standards — and that you’re prepared not just to meet requirements, but to exceed expectations in the field.

Our programs are guided by the following governing bodies:

Counseling Programs
Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
See Mission, Objectives and Outcomes

School Psychology Program
National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)

Advising

Advising is available to support both current and prospective students. Whether you need help choosing the right program or track, planning your courses or finding practicum and internship experiences, advisors in Counseling Education and School Psychology are here to help you.

Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Gulnora Hundley, Associate Lecturer

Counselor Education, PhD
Sejal Barden, Professor

Human Services
Melissa Zeligman, Associate Professor

Marriage, Couple and Family Therapy
Sejal Barden, Professor

School Counseling
Bryce Hagedorn, Professor, MA Program
Stacy Van Horn, Associate Lecturer, MEd and EdS programs

School Psychology
Oliver W. Edwards, Professor

Practicum and Internship Coordinators
Gregory Meek
Field Experience Coordinator
Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapy

Stacy Van Horn
Field Experience Coordinator
School Counseling

Scholarships

UCF woman graduating

Your potential shouldn’t be limited by the cost of a degree. At UCF, we believe in expanding opportunity — and that includes making your education more affordable. That’s why we offer hundreds of scholarships designed to support students like you: those who lead with heart, strive for excellence and want to make a difference.

Whether you’re excelling academically, serving your community, or simply need a financial boost to keep going, help is here. With just one application through Access 2 Opportunities (A2O), UCF’s scholarship system, you’ll be considered for more than 200 scholarships — and discover hundreds more from partners who believe in your future.

Because when financial barriers come down, you can rise to your full potential. And that’s where real impact begins.

Explore More Scholarship Info

Scholarships Exclusively for Counselor Education and School Psychology Students

  • ABC Fine Wine & Spirits Endowed Scholarship in Counselor Education
  • Dr. Kenneth E. “Pete” Fisher Endowed Scholarship
  • Hayden Trent Sockwell Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund