Educational, school and guidance counsellors advise students on educational issues, career planning and personal development and co-ordinate the provision of counselling services to students, parents, teachers, faculty and staff.

To be a counsellor in a school setting, you need a bachelor's degree in social sciences or education as well as some teaching experience and a teacher's certificate in the province/territory where you'll work. In Quebec, teaching experience and/or a teaching degree are not necessary but a master's degree in counselling is compulsory.

You usually need a master's degree in counselling, educational or developmental psychology, or social work;

and in Quebec, you must be a member of the Ordre des conseillers et conseillères d'orientation et des psychoéducateurs et psychoéducatrices du Québec.

To be an academic counsellor in post-secondary institutions, you need an undergraduate degree and you may also need a graduate degree with a particular academic specialization.

You may need a licence with a provincial/territorial regulatory body governing psychologists, guidance counsellors or social workers.

In order to obtain certification and/or professional liability insurance through a professional association such as the Canadian Counselling Association, the minimum requirement is a master's degree.

Most recent entrants have an undergraduate university degree, and almost 1 in 4 has a graduate degree.