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Online M.Ed. in Counseling and Development: Careers

Create New Possibilities for Your Counseling Career

CACREP Accredited

Two Concentrations

Winthrop University’s online M.Ed. in Counseling and Development helps you meet the high standards of excellence set by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. By graduation, you’ll be ready to thrive as an ethical, effective counseling professional in clinical mental health and school settings with rising employment demand.1,2

  • Get on track for licensure in South Carolina and other states*
  • Gain hands-on experience during practicum and internship courses
  • Form lasting professional connections with members of your cohort

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Reach Your Potential as a Counseling Professional

School and Career Counselor $65,140 median annual salary2

Marriage and Family Therapist $63,780 median annual salary3

Mental Health Counselor $59,190 median annual salary1

Counseling Career Outlook: Advance in a Growing Field

Building counseling expertise is a sound next step for your career. Employment opportunities in mental health, substance abuse, education and related counseling areas are projected to grow steadily over the next decade, with salaries that exceed the national average.1,2 With the online M.Ed. in Counseling and Development from Winthrop University, you’ll gain expertise to thrive in this growing field and prepare to attain licensure* required in South Carolina and beyond.

  • The employment of substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors is projected to grow 17 percent through 20341
  • Projections indicate there will be 31,000 openings for school and career counselors each year from 2024 to 20342
  • By 2034, more than 950,000 counselors are projected to work in education, substance abuse, behavior disorder and mental health fields1,2

Program Outcomes and Skills Acquired

What You’ll Learn

Within the program, you’ll learn to work as an ethical and effective counselor with the skills to:

  • Have and maintain a professional counseling identity
  • Use Multicultural Counseling Competencies
  • Apply human development theories as they apply to the counseling process
  • Use career assessments to discover client needs and growth
  • Assess the implementation of group counseling procedures
  • Use qualitative and quantitative assessment in practice
  • Design a research methodology that will be used to inform their practice

Skills You’ll Gain

  • Addiction counseling
  • Career and lifestyle development
  • Diagnosis and treatment planning
  • Family and group counseling
  • Interpersonal dynamics
  • Intervention strategies
  • Lifespan development counseling
  • School counseling

Explore the M.Ed. in Counseling and Development Concentrations

Winthrop offers multiple ways to tailor your M.Ed. in Counseling and Development degree to your goals. Explore the following concentration to discover another specialized career path:

Counseling and Development, M.Ed.: Clinical Mental Health

Prepare to empower people to address challenges to help them cultivate and lead productive lives.

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Counseling and Development, M.Ed.: School Counseling

Develop expertise in fostering academic, career, social and emotional growth for PK-12 students.

View Program

Career Services That Enhance Your Education

Discover services that help you take the next step in your career. Winthrop offers dedicated support and access to Handshake, a career management platform for connecting with other students, alumni and employers. Through these resources, you can benefit from:

Distance Career Coaching

Our career coaches offer one-on-one guidance about career paths, strategies and resources for standing out to employers.

Mock Interviews

With support from our career coaches, you can simulate real-world interview scenarios and practice answering questions to gain confidence.

Resume and Cover Letter Guidance

Collaborate with our team to refine your resume and craft compelling cover letters that resonate with employers.

Job Search Support

Handshake puts an array of opportunities at your fingertips and provides personalized support for your job search.

Sources and Disclaimer

  1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook. “Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors.” Retrieved October 24, 2025, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/substance-abuse-behavioral-disorder-and-mental-health-counselors.htm.
  2. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook. “School and Career Counselors and Advisors.” Retrieved October 24, 2025, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/school-and-career-counselors.htm.
  3. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook. “Marriage and Family Therapists.” Retrieved October 24, 2025, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/marriage-and-family-therapists.htm.

*Professional Licensure Disclosure: Requirements for professional licensure in counseling vary from state to state. Winthrop’s School Counseling program is designed to meet SC and NC licensure requirements for school counseling and may not meet requirements from other states. We are unable to make a determination about whether or not our program will lead to licensure in other states. Before beginning any academic program that leads to licensure, we strongly recommend you contact the state licensing board where you wish to seek licensure to determine whether the program you are considering will meet that state’s licensing requirements.