• Practical Experience: Residents will work alongside a Mentor Counselor on campuses for an entire academic year. ​As the program progresses, residents will take on increasing responsibilities, ensuring they are well-prepared to enter the profession upon completion.
  
• Credential Classes:Residents take online coursework through UMass Global​.
• ​​​ Cohort Model: Residents learn and grow together through a supportive cohort structure focused on collaboration, reflection, and skill-building.
• ​​ High-Quality Mentorship: Residents receive continuous guidance and support from dedicated Mentor Counselors, carefully chosen for their expertise and passion for the profession. Each resident is paired with an experienced School Counselor who offers hands-on coaching, models best practices, and upholds the highest professional standards, fostering both personal and professional growth.
• Job Application Coaching: As part of the Residency Program’s Service Commitment, residents are provided with extensive job application support, including resume review and mock interview preparation sessions.

The Master's Degree in Counseling consists of 48 graduate units. In addition to hands-on clinical practice and mentorship with a Mentor Counselor, residents are required to complete credential coursework online through UMass Global​, our partner Institute of Higher Education (IHE) for the School Counselor Residency Program.

Placements are guided in part by residents’ preferences and their zip code of residence within districts in our consortium; however, all placements are contingent upon CTC requirements, local district needs, mentor availability, and anticipated staffing needs for future school years. We are unable to guarantee placement in any specific district or school site.

Our commitment is to ensure that every resident receives a supportive, enriching experience that equips them for a successful teaching/school counseling career.

Because we maintain formal partnership agreements with a defined group of districts that are approved by the California Commission on Teaching Credentialing (CCTC), we are unable to place residents in districts outside of our consortium. ​​Currently, we have partnerships with the following districts for placements during the residency program:

1. Berryessa Union School District
   
2. Cambrian School District
3. ​Fremont Union High School District
4. Gilroy Unified School District
5. Morgan Hill Unified School District
6. Mount Pleasant School District
   
7. Mountain View Whisman School District
8. Oak Grove School District
9. Palo Alto Unified School District
10. Santa Clara Unified School District 
    

1. Do I need to have counseling experience to apply for the School Counselor Residency Program?
   The School Counselor Residency Program is designed for individuals who are new to counseling but passionate about entering the profession. Some candidates have worked in school settings with students previously but this is not required.
2. Why do I need to submit two applications?
   The School Counselor Residency Program is a collaboration between UMass Global (an Institute of Higher Education) and SCCOE (a Local Education Agency). Each organization has its own specific admissions requirements because they play different roles in the residency program. Additionally, submitting two separate applications helps protect your personal data and privacy, as we don’t share information between the organizations without your consent.
3. Do I get to choose who my mentor counselor will be in the program?
   No. SCCOE works with partner districts to match residents and mentors based on a variety of factors, including mentor availability, city of residence, and employment status. Residents are not encouraged to seek out their own mentors. If you are currently a staff member at one of our partnering school districts, SCCOE will try to work with your district to match you with a mentor who meets CTC Mentor Requirements.
4. What is a resident's obligation to the state of California?
   Counselor candidates who complete the residency program are required to provide counseling services in a Santa Clara County public school district for a minimum of four (4) full years within eight (8) years of obtaining their PPS credential. If a resident is unable to secure employment in Santa Clara County, they must fulfill this service commitment in another public school district within California. ​