School Counseling, Educational Administration now under Master of Arts of Education

The School Counseling and Educational Administration programs previously were within the Master of Education Graduate Degree, but the slight change to the programs will now allow students to receive Federal Financial Aid who already have a Master of Education degree.

“You can’t receive financial aid to do the same degree twice,” said Dean of Education, Health, Physical Education, Counseling, Psychology, and Social Work, Dr. James Powell. “We had quite a few teachers graduate with a Master of Education degree, but after a few years they realized they wanted to be a principal or a counselor. Unfortunately, they couldn’t receive assistance because those two programs were under the same degree, which is why we worked to change the name to help students pay for their degrees.”

Powell said the name change makes sense on a programming level, as well. He said the Master of Arts in Education focuses more on specific content, such as counseling or administration, while the Master of Education is more geared toward grade levels.

“These are not new degrees because we’ve had them for quite some time, but we’re pleased this change occurred because it increases the opportunities for CSC graduates to develop their career prospects,” Powell said.

Chadron State College, which is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and subject-oriented accrediting agencies, has offered masters programs in education since 1956. CSC also offers masters programs in business and organizational management.