Which masters is more useful?

[dancedementia]

Hey there! I'm trying to get a position as an academic or career counselor in a university setting. Do you think a masters in Higher Education or a masters in Counseling would be most useful? Most masters in Counseling focus on the mental health aspect vs. the vocational/career counseling aspect (at most, there is one class and maybe a practicum opportunity). However, I feel Higher Ed masters focus more on the administrative and policy aspects. Neither are a perfect fit, but do you know which might look better? (Alternatively, I could try for a dual-masters, haha!)

[travelgirl125]

I'm certainly no expert, but have you looked into Student Affairs programs?  They seem to be more student-centered than Higher Ed programs, but not as focused on mental health issues.

I've seen a few programs labeled "College Counseling" as well, which seems to be different from "Mental Health Counseling."

[COGSCI]

Vocational counseling or academic advising falls under counseling. If you want to aim for any other admin jobs, higher Ed would be better choice. However, counseling programs are very competitive so I would apply for both programs 

[rising_star]

I would go to higheredjobs.com and look at the job ads for academic advisors, career counselors, etc. and see what degrees they are specifically interested in. That would be more helpful to you than asking as bunch of strangers on the internet.

[dancedementia]

5 hours ago, rising_star said:

I would go to higheredjobs.com and look at the job ads for academic advisors, career counselors, etc. and see what degrees they are specifically interested in. That would be more helpful to you than asking as bunch of strangers on the internet.

Unfortunately, a majority of them do the beat-around-the-bush thing:

"Prefer master's degree in Counseling, Higher Education, Education, or related field...."

[Vulpix]

52 minutes ago, dancedementia said:

Unfortunately, a majority of them do the beat-around-the-bush thing:

"Prefer master's degree in Counseling, Higher Education, Education, or related field...."

If a majority say this, my guess is that it's your experience/relevant internships and jobs and coursework focus that will earn you the position that you want.  So I would say to think about which of the fields would be more interesting to you when it is not relevant to academic/career counseling.  Higher Ed probably has a bigger focus on the economics and policy of running an institution, and Counseling will have the psychological and social aspects covered.  I think both are relevant to counseling (being aware of the bigger picture situation you are working in).  

Edited June 27, 2016 by Heather1011

[ZeChocMoose]

At my master's university, we had a College Counseling program (located in the Counseling department) and a Higher Ed program (located in the education policy department) within the school of education.  The people that I knew in both programs who were interested in academic advising or career counseling positions did not have a problem securing this type of job post graduation. They all completed relevant assistantships and/or internships in those areas so as posters up thread alluded to -- it is more important to attend a program that is going to give you relevant experience than the exact degree.  

[Dracos]

On 6/27/2016 at 8:21 AM, Heather1011 said:

If a majority say this, my guess is that it's your experience/relevant internships and jobs and coursework focus that will earn you the position that you want.  So I would say to think about which of the fields would be more interesting to you when it is not relevant to academic/career counseling.  Higher Ed probably has a bigger focus on the economics and policy of running an institution, and Counseling will have the psychological and social aspects covered.  I think both are relevant to counseling (being aware of the bigger picture situation you are working in).  

I agree with what Heather has said. 

 

My two cents... 

 

I have a Master degree in Educational Studies (fairly general), and I landed a position in Higher Education. My experiences as an undergraduate were key in getting this position. In my opinion, experience sometimes matters more in this field. I know of individuals with an Engineering background, Meteorology, and Theater who all entered student affairs. 

To the OP, I'd recommend Student Affairs graduate programs focused on student development. Student Affairs graduate programs go by many different names. Some are called Higher Education, but some are Student Personnel or Student Affairs Counseling (with an emphasis on student development). Many of these programs will offer assistantships which fund/offer great experience within the field. 

Look for a Student Affairs Counseling/Student Personnel program. Keep in mind one program can differ greatly from another despite having a similar name. Many Higher Education/Student Counseling/Student Affairs programs have curriculum that differs. Higher Ed programs focus on the administrative aspect, whereas Student Counseling/Student Personnel programs emphasize the development (career counseling, advising, etc). 

 

Best of luck! 

[Psycherd12]

I completed my master's in counseling and student personnel psychology at UMN. You're right-- counseling programs tend to only have 1-2 classes geared towards career counseling and then relevant practicum experience. A few of my cohort members have gone onto secure academic advising positions. 1 of whom even went for school counseling! I personally think that a master's in counseling program provides an amazing set of skills for working within higher education, but I'm also biased. I think either program would set you up for an opportunity working as an advisor. Definitely look for programs with good practicum opportunities. My program required us to do a 700-hour internship.