College of Education

Application Process

Butler is eager to receive applications from educators, behavioral health professionals, and other persons having earned the minimum of a bachelor's degree. Application forms for admission to the Master's Degree program in School Counseling must be filed with the Graduate Admission Office (317) 940-8107 (Diane Dubord, 227 Robertson Hall). Formal admission must be granted in writing by the Butler University Admission Office. It is also possible to apply online at the Butler University Online Application.

Applications may be submitted any time after the start of the fall semester.

Personal interviews are scheduled after complete applications are received by the college of education graduate studies office, including test scores, if required.

The selection process begins on February 1st and continues until the cohort is filled. A cohort consists of 24 members and begins each fall.

General Information for Applicants

To be considered for graduate admission, all applicants must submit the items listed below:

  • The application for graduate admission.
  • A non-refundable application fee of $35 (unless you apply on-line). Check or money order should be made payable to Butler University. Butler graduates are not required to pay the application fee.
  • An official transcript for all colleges or universities previously attended must be mailed directly from the issuing institution. The institution must be a regionally accredited college or university and the transcript must indicate the date the bachelor's degree was conferred. International students must hold a degree from an institution recognized by the government or educational ministry within the country.

Additional Requirements for School Counseling Applications

Applications will be reviewed beginning February 1 for the following fall semester. Reviews will continue until the cohort of 24 students is filled. There is no spring or summer admission. In addition to submitting the application, application fee and transcripts (see general information above), all applicants must:

Academic Potential (30%)

  • Have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least a 3.0, or
  • Submit official results of either the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) to the Office of Graduate Admissions. Students who already hold a Master's Degree or have taken fifteen (15) hours of graduate work with a GPA of 3.5 or higher are exempt from the GRE or MAT.

Professional Potential (50%)

  • Submit two letters of recommendation (can be brought to the interview - see below) - 10%.
  • Submit a personal (professional) statement as described below. - 10%-Writing, 10%-Content
  • An interview with a counselor education faculty member also is required; the graduate education office will contact applicants to schedule the interview once all application materials are received. - 20%

Professional Experience (20%)

  • Submit a resume.

The application will not be processed until all transcripts, other documents and required test scores have been received. The university will not accept photocopies or facsimile (fax) copies of any official documents required as part of the application process.

The Admission Decision-Making Process

Upon completion of the interview and beginning February 1 until the cohort is full, the counselor education faculty reviews all applications and the extent to which admission requirements are met and makes a decision to admit, admit with conditions, or to deny admission. The faculty's admission decisions are then forwarded to the College of Education's Graduate Committee for final review.

Wait List: If the applicant can be admitted but the cohort is already full, the applicant will be admitted to the following year's cohort with no additional paperwork being required. The applicant will be contacted in January of the following year to determine if there is continued interest in becoming part of the program the following August.

Appeals: Applicants desiring to appeal an admission decision must submit a letter outlining the basis for their appeal to the College of Education Graduate Committee.

On-Line Applications: It is also possible to apply on-line at Butler University Online Application. There is no fee required with electronic applications.

Notes:

  1. Recommendations:The two letters of recommendation are to be written by counseling, educational, or behavioral health professionals whenever possible. Writers of recommendations are encouraged to address how the applicant exemplifies the following College of Education dispositions or attitudes listed below (It is not necessary to address all eight.):
    • Displays appropriate level of professional behavior
    • Takes responsibility for one's own behavior
    • Shows an appreciation of diversity and similarity
    • Shows caring, concern, and patience
    • Demonstrates appropriate professional ethics
    • Shows an appreciation for knowledge and skill in the profession
    • Shows appropriate engagement with the teaching (counseling), learning, and
    • mentoring process
    • Demonstrates the ability to collaborate with others
  2. Professional Statement:The applicant should write one paragraph addressing how he or she exemplifies each of the four Core Values of the College of Education:
    1. The appreciation of diversity and similarity. We value the richness of experiences, values, beliefs and backgrounds that each person brings to the learning environment. We encourage our students to honor differences and see similarities, and we strive to increase the diversity of our faculty, students and staff.
    2. The excitement of teaching, learning, and mentoring. We value teaching (counseling) as an exciting profession that promotes the autonomy and continued growth of the student as a learner and of the teacher as a professional. In our practice we support and model mentoring student with student, teacher with student, and teacher with teacher. The teaching (counseling)/learning process responds sensitively to the needs of the students and provides on-going assessment for the mastery of competencies (teacher = counselor in this context).
    3. The challenge of integrated practice and collaboration. We recognize the power of working with others within and outside our profession, sharing ownership for teaching (counseling) and learning. We believe the best practitioners integrate their theory/knowledge base with practical experience:
      1. connecting the content for meaningful application in varied learning environments,
      2. providing a framework for reflection, interpretation and analysis, and
      3. encouraging and supporting practitioners as leaders of positive change.
    4. The strength of integrity and responsibility. We believe professionals should demonstrate ethical behavior and establish a sense of balance between their personal and professional lives. Everything we do professionally is purposeful, practicing what we profess.

International Student Admission

In addition to the items listed above, international applicants must submit the items listed below:

  • Academic records (transcripts) in their original language along with an official English translation.
  • Official results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) indicating a score of 550 or above (213 if taking the computerized TOEFL), unless their native language is English or they already have received a baccalaureate or equivalent degree from a regionally accredited university in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada (excluding French Quebec), English-speaking Africa, Australia or New Zealand. This requirement is waived for students who successfully complete level five of English instruction at the American Language Academy on the Butler campus.
  • Proof of financial support for educational and living expenses while at Butler University. The documents required are official bank statements and affidavits of support from all sponsors. Visa documents will not be issued until the university is assured that the annual costs can be met.