Ready to lead your district's school counseling program? GCU's 9-credit Director of School Counseling Services program is built for experienced, certified school counselors who want the formal credential to step into program leadership — authorizing supervision, administration, and curriculum development across a district's counseling services.
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The Director of School Counseling Services endorsement formally authorizes you to lead and administer a district's entire counseling program — supervising school counselors, developing counseling curriculum, evaluating services, and coordinating PreK–12 counseling delivery across buildings. It is the equivalent of a principal-level credential within the counseling services domain, and it is required to hold that title in NJ public education.
This is one of GCU's most compact post-credential programs — and intentionally so. It's designed for experienced, certified school counselors who have already demonstrated their competence and need only the formal administrative preparation the director role requires. Three courses in school law, supervision of instruction, and curriculum leadership provide exactly that foundation.
GCU's School Counseling M.Ed. includes EDC5010 and EDC5101 as required courses. If you completed your M.Ed. at GCU, you need only one additional course — EDC5102 Supervision of Instruction in the Inclusive School — to complete the Director endorsement. For GCU M.Ed. graduates, this endorsement is literally one course away.
Directors of School Counseling Services in NJ are typically compensated at the supervisory level — meaningfully above the standard teacher salary guide that most school counselors fall on. For experienced, certified counselors ready to move into program leadership, this endorsement is both a professional milestone and a genuine financial investment.
The Director of School Counseling Services is a specialized NJ administrative credential that authorizes its holder to oversee and lead a district’s entire school counseling program — including staff supervision, administration, counseling curriculum development, and coordination of school counseling services from PreK through Grade 12.
GCU’s 9-credit program prepares experienced school counselors for this leadership role through targeted coursework in school law, supervision of instruction, and curriculum leadership. These courses develop the administrative and curricular leadership skills needed to move from direct counseling practice into program direction and staff supervision.
Who This Program Is For: Certified school counselors who hold a standard NJ educational services certificate as a school counselor and have completed at least three years of full-time school counseling experience. Employment verification from your district superintendent or principal is required — documenting dates of employment and the qualifying positions you held.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDC5101 | School Law | 3.0 |
| EDC5102 | Superv of Instr in the Incl School | 3.0 |
| EDC5010 | Curr Leadership for the Incl Sch | 3.0 |
| Total Credits | 9.0 | |
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