Welcome to Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling in Beautiful Portland, Oregon Grad School Quick Links Apply Visit Alumni Current Students Counseling Center Library Giving Commencement The Source Newsroom Lewis and Clark Graduate School
Social Justice. Equity. Access.
Portland, Oregon
Our mission-driven programs are grounded in social justice and prepare you for an impactful career as an educator or counselor. Guided by world-class faculty and leading practitioners, you will become an agent of change, ready to transform lives, sustain communities, and create a more just society.
We are united in our commitment to serving others. A Lewis & Clark graduate school education is built upon the values and practices associated with critical thinking, individual growth, and social justice. Our programs combine rigorous academic work with unparalleled hands-on and field-based experiences—students spend nearly 200,000 hours working in Portland-area schools and mental health agencies each year, beginning the first semester of study. Our Community
Brooke Mayo ’22 was selected for her equity-centered systems leadership, her ability to lead with courage and care in complex work, and her lasting impact on both student belonging and adult learning.
200,000 Students at the Graduate School provide approximately 200,000 hours of service in K-12 schools and mental health agencies throughout the year. Funds Graduate students received between $500–$23,000 in scholarship funding for the 2024-2025 academic year. For some recipients, their award covered the cost of this year’s tuition in full. #1 Lewis & Clark’s Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapy graduate program is the #1 ranked program in Oregon for 2025. 194 For the 2024-25 academic year, 194 graduate students received scholarships to offset the cost of tuition. 20 Average class size at the Graduate School of Education and Counseling. Eco Our Graduate School’s innovative Eco-Soma-Arts Certificate provides an opportunity for students to enhance their training with an evidence-based, experiential, and socially progressive ecopsychology curriculum. Woof Portland is the best place to own a dog in the U.S., according to U.S. News and World Report. 1,000 Number of hours teacher education candidates will spend in a K-12 classroom prior to graduation. 27% More than a quarter of admitted students in 2024 are the first in their family to go to graduate school.
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Art Therapy Eating Disorders Certificate Eco-Soma-Arts Certificate Educational Administration With Principal Licensure Educational Leadership Doctoral Program Educational Specialist With Principal License Elementary Education (K–5) English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Endorsement Higher Education Student Affairs Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapy Principal License Professional Administrator License Professional Mental Health Counseling Professional Mental Health Counseling—Specialization in Addictions Reading Intervention Endorsement School Counseling School Counseling Preliminary License Only School Psychology Secondary Education (6–12) Special Education Endorsement Trans Youth Support and Advocacy Certificate Dig Deeper Bridge the Gap This new scholarship will be offered to every incoming graduate student with documented financial need whose program begins in fall 2026. Program Spotlight Our Elementary Education MAT program teaches you the art of great teaching while addressing issues of equity and access. Why L&C? You will become an agent of change, ready to transform lives, sustain communities, and create a more just society. The picturesque graduate campus attracts visitors from across Lewis & Clark and the local residential neighborhoods, welcoming everyone with its peaceful meadow and shady trees. According to Oregon’s 2024 gambling survey, an estimated 640,000 Oregonians (15% of our state’s population) experience either moderate or high-risk gambling behaviors. Peer to peer discussions provide invaluable opportunities for understanding and growth, both personally and professionally. Sustainability is one of Lewis & Clark’s top priorities, with incentives and resources offered to commuters who choose green travel methods such as cycling. Secondary MAT students discuss classroom observations during a recent visit to Jackson Middle School in Portland, Oregon. The emergency meeting drew Native leaders, allies, and organizational partners from across Alaska, Canada, and the lower 48. Downtown Portland is just 7 miles from the Graduate School campus. Strong connections with local K-12 school districts help inform program development and offer graduate students opportunities for experiential learning during internships and practicums. Graduate students in the secondary teaching program visit a local middle school to learn classroom management techniques first-hand. Located in the lush hills of South Portland, Lewis & Clark is ideally situated in the city’s “ sixth quadrant, ” just 7 miles from a vibrant downtown hub with endless networking, entertainment, and cultural resources. Community partnerships provide both networking opportunities and deep connections with the communities we collectively work to serve. Small cohorts enable faculty to offer highly personalized instruction, and students form strong professional networks that help sustain their work throughout their careers. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge encompasses 19.3 million acres of pristine wilderness in northeast Alaska. Sailboats dot the Willamette River at dusk, just down the hill from Lewis & Clark. Commencement is one of the graduate school’s most treasured traditions, and takes place the first Sunday in June. Graduate students and faculty from the art therapy program offer weekly open studio sessions, where members of the community can explore art making in a group setting at the Community Counseling Center. News and Media Ben Bowman Joins L&C as Senior Fellow Bowman will work closely with Graduate School leadership and faculty and with partners across the state to scale the school’s impact and expand the use of data and research to improve outcomes in Oregon K-12 schools. Bringing Latinx Culture to Portland’s Coffee Scene Carlos Sanchez Huizar BA ’18, MA ’20 has turned his love of coffee and his experience at Lewis & Clark into Kilo D’ Cofi, a Latinx-owned café and community space in downtown Portland. Lewis & Clark Launches Eco-Soma-Arts Certificate The certificate program approaches well-being from an integrated ecological perspective, teaching students how to work in and with nature using relational, somatic, verbal, spiritual, and artistic expressions. March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month 64% of people who are experiencing problems with gambling have never told anyone. Introducing the Lewis & Clark River Otter! Lewis & Clark revealed the design of its new River Otter mascot on February 20, capping an intensive five-month collaboration with Portland advertising legends Wieden + Kennedy . L&C Strengthens Access to Graduate Education with Historic Scholarship Investment The Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling is making a historic investment in need-based scholarships, offering one to every incoming graduate student with documented financial need whose program begins in fall 2026. This is in direct response to the federal government’s divestment in higher education and the elimination of access to the Grad PLUS loan. See More Stories Admissions Academics Financial Aid Alumni
