Risk and Prevention

Students

Who are R&P Students?

R&P students have a commitment to working with diverse, high-risk populations and enter the program at a variety of life stages ranging from just of out college to after decades of work experience. Students who are accepted into our program typically demonstrate strong academic skills and a willingness to engage in self-reflective learning. Students come with experience with children and adolescents in educational or social service settings including teaching, counseling, program development, research, leadership, and volunteer service. We strive for a diverse pool of applicants with a collective diversity of experiences.

Please visit the R&P Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page for more information about applying to R&P.

View a discussion of the differences between HGSE's Ed.M. programs in Human Development and Risk and Prevention. (67KB pdf).

Current Class Profiles

Master’s Students

• 32 students
• 12% male
• Less than 1 % international students (South Korea, Singapore)
• 15 U.S. states
• 45% students of color
• Average age: 26.6
• Average work experience: 3 years
• 8 Childhood focus, 23 Adolescent focus

CAS Students

• 16 students
• 100% female
• 12% students of color
• Less than 1 % international students (Turkey)
• 5 school guidance, 11 school adjustment

Coming soon: Risk and Prevention Student Handbook

Visiting Cambridge

We welcome visits from prospective applicants. Contact program coordinator Alicia Redemske for help planning your visit, which can include attending classes, meeting with faculty and current students, and talking with staff from Admissions and Financial Aid.

• The Admissions Office offers small group sessions, on-campus informational meetings, off-campus admissions events, and online open houses.
• Online maps and directions are also available.
• Go to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) website (www.mbta.com) for public transportation maps and schedules.
• Free campus tours leave from the Harvard Events and Information Center, 1350 Massachusetts Avenue.

 Life at Harvard

In addition to the formal curriculum, students at HGSE have a rich panoply of extracurricular opportunities for academic and professional development, social life, and community service. Students regularly have individual and small group conversations with national leaders in education who come to Harvard to speak in classes, to attend Harvard's executive education programs, or to consult with Harvard faculty. Informal career exploration conversations with senior administrators are scheduled throughout the year.

HGSE students can also take advantage of the extraordinarily rich offerings found throughout the Harvard University campus and the greater Boston area. For a sample of Harvard programs, see:

• the Harvard University Events Calendar
• the Harvard College Events Calendar
• KSG Today
• the Askwith Forum

Links to Harvard Square and Cambridge:

• Harvard Square
• Boston and Cambridge: The Neighborhood
• Cambridge, Massachusetts
• Map of Harvard
• Harvard Virtual Tour

Other Resources

• Boston Public Schools: Provides general information about BPS and contact information for schools and administrative departments.
• Cambridge Public Schools: Provides general information about Cambridge Public Schools and contact information for schools and administrative departments.
• Eduventures: A digital marketplace for news, research, and professional services related to the education industry. Their website is being built to provide users with a closed-loop solution that meets all the needs of growing education ventures.
• Massachusetts Department of Education: A comprehensive resource that offers information in categories such as News, Resources & Information, Education Reform, and Educational Technology.
• Requirements for School Guidance Counselors & School Adjustment Counselors
• Massachusetts Board of Allied Mental Health Professions: Division of Professional Licensure for Mental Health Counselors (LMHC)
• American School Counseling Association (ASCA) ASCA provides professional development, publications and other resources, research and advocacy to more than 20,000 professional school counselors around the globe.
• American Counseling Association (ACA)
  Dedicated to the growth and development of the counseling profession.
• American Mental Health Counselors Association
  The mission of AMHCA is to enhance the profession of mental health counseling through licensing, advocacy, education and professional development."
• Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association
  The Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association provides professional information, education, training, and advocacy for Mental Health Counselors in Massachusetts.
• Massachusetts School Counselors Association (MASCA)
  The Massachusetts School Counselors Association, Inc. was founded in 1961 to work for the promotion, improvement and expansion of guidance and counseling in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
• National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc.
  The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) is the nation's premiere professional certification board devoted to credentialing counselors who meet standards for the general and specialty practices of professional counseling .
• American Psychological Association
  The American Psychological Association (APA) is a scientific and professional organization that represents psychology in the United States. With 148,000 members, APA is the largest association of psychologists worldwide.
• The Education Trust The Education Trust works for the high academic achievement of all students at all levels, pre-kindergarten through college, and forever closing the achievement gaps that separate low-income students and students of color from other youth