To receive the initial educator certificate to serve as a school counselor, the applicant shall meet the following requirements, in addition to meeting the assessment requirements, as appropriate:

• (a) Holds a professional educator certificate; or holds or is eligible to hold an initial educator certificate, and has had either 30 school months of successful teaching experience or has completed a full-time supervised school internship of 10 school months in a school (Pre-K through 12) setting. For the purposes of this section, internship is defined as a full-time placement of a candidate in a school setting, including continued supplementary seminars or prescribed study under the supervision of the preparing institution. The internship shall include the counseling of students, consulting with parents and staff, observations and substantial participation in classroom instruction, involvement in curriculum development and other professional activities in which a school staff is involved. This internship is in addition to that required in a practicum, as described in subsection (e) below;
• (b) Holds a master's degree;
• (c) Has completed, as part of or in addition to the master's degree, a minimum of 30 semester hours of credit in a planned program in school counseling services as attested to by an institution approved for the preparation of school counselors;
• (d) Presents the recommendation of the preparing institution, which shall be based on evidence of knowledge, skills and understanding gained from study or experience to be distributed among each of the following:
• (1) Principles and philosophy of developmental guidance and counseling;
• (2) Psychological and sociological theory as related to children, youth and families;
• (3) Career development theory and practice;
• (4) Individual and group counseling procedures;
• (5) Organizational patterns and relationships of pupil personnel services to total school program and community;
• (6) Pupil appraisal and evaluation techniques; and
• (7) School-based consultation theory and practice;
• (e) Presents evidence from the preparing institution of a progression of supervised experiences in counseling and guidance through laboratory and practicum; and
• (f) A course of study in special education comprised of not fewer than 36 clock hours, which shall include study in understanding the growth and development of exceptional children, including handicapped and gifted and talented children and children who may require special education, and methods for identifying, planning for and working effectively with special-needs children in the regular classroom.