The faculty recognizes that a diversity of counseling styles and personal characteristics are effective or may interfere in the development of counseling skills and counseling relationships. In addition to the Degree Candidacy process, the purpose of evaluation is to identify students’ strengths and needs.

Evaluation of students is based on three criteria: academic progress, development of counseling skills, and professional/personal characteristics. Academic progress performance is based on each individual's class performance through written assignments, assessments, oral reports, presentations, and individual class contributions.  Counseling skills are evaluated based on observations in classes incorporating practice sessions as well as students’ written self-assessments and reflections. Professional/personal characteristics are based on the evaluative criteria specific to students' professional disposition and are evaluated during observations of professional interactions in class and in other professional interactions with students and faculty.

All students seeking a degree in School Counseling are required to successfully complete and pass an appropriate comprehensive examination before their Internship begins. The exam may be written, oral, or both.  The examination will be administered once in the fall and once in the spring. Students typically take the examination just prior to their final semester of their program. If a question arises regarding the quality of the candidate’s comprehensive examination, another faculty member will be asked to read the exam.  If necessary, the student will have an opportunity to rewrite a question one time or successfully complete an oral examination with a School Counseling faculty committee.