The counselor education program at East Carolina University promotes human development and learning by preparing professional counselors to assist children, adolescents, and adults with educational, career, social, and personal decisions. Begun in 1951, the program includes two degrees. A master's of science degree (M.S.) in counselor education is the beginning level program for people wanting to enter the counseling profession. An Educational Specialist degree (Ed.S.) in counselor education is for practitioners who hold a master's degree in counseling and want to gain greater depth of study.

The master's program is developmental in nature and attracts students interested in working in a variety of educational and human service settings. A majority of students enter the master's program to become school, university, four-year college, or community college counselors. Other career options include student services in higher education (e.g., admissions, financial aid, and residence life), community agency counseling, and career counseling and development.

The Ed.S. degree program is for in-service professional counselors who wish to advance their study of counseling as practitioners or gain knowledge and practice in the supervision of counselors. It is a 30 semester hour program of study beyond the master's degree.

Both programs of study are approved by the North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction in accordance with competencies required for a school counselor license, and the College of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The master's program in counselor education satisfies the educational requirements for graduates to be eligible to sit for the National Counselor's Examination (NCE) and to apply for a license with the North Carolina Board of Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC). The counselor education program offers an overview of many theories of practice and encourages students to develop personal styles and approaches to professional helping. A key feature of the program is the flexibility given to students to design elective study to suit their career interests. Faculty members represent diverse theoretical orientations, counseling experiences, and research interests. All full-time faculty hold doctorates in counselor education or counseling psychology.