Professional Counseling Credentials

Academic Degrees

A graduate-level academic degree is required to be considered a professional counselor. A master’s or doctoral degree in Counseling or Counselor Education are the typical degrees leading to professional counseling; however, some other graduate degrees (e.g., counseling psychology) can be appropriate if the program meets the requirements for licensure. Those who deliver services with less than a master’s degree are considered paraprofessionals. See  Accreditation below for information about appropriate accreditation for counselor training programs.

Some Points About the Academic Degree

• The master's degree is the highest degree you need to practice professional counseling in Pennsylvania and any other state in the U.S.  A doctorate is often required to do clinical supervision and is usually required to obtain a university faculty appointment.
   

• Common degree abbreviations for professional counseling are M.A. (master of arts), M.S. (master of science), M.Ed. (master of education), Ph.D. (doctor of philosophy), and Ed.D. (doctor of education)
   

• Most master’s level professional counseling programs do not specify a prerequisite undergraduate major, but, given the fact that professional counseling is a mental health profession, an undergraduate degree in fields such as psychology, human services, rehabilitation services, health and human development or some related field is usually preferable. For those interested in school counseling, a degree in teaching is usually acceptable and sometimes preferable. Doctoral programs tend to be more specific in their requirements and generally a master’s degree in counseling is the most direct route.

Prospective graduate students:  An excellent resource for graduate programs in counseling is Counselor Preparation: Programs, Faculty, Trends, Eleventh Edition, edited by T. W. Clawson and D. A. Henderson and published by Routledge (2002). This resource is updated every few years, so check for more recent editions. In addition, the CACREP website has a directory of all accredited programs by state.

Accreditation

Two credentialing boards exist for the purpose of accrediting professional counseling programs throughout the United States. The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredits master’s level programs with specialties in school counseling, community counseling, mental health counseling, college counseling, student affairs (college), marital, couple, and family counseling/therapy, career counseling, and gerontological counseling. CACREP also accredits doctoral programs in counselor education and supervision. (Visit the CACREP website here.)  The Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) accredits master’s program in rehabilitation counseling. You can visit the CORE website here.

Accreditation is an important credential, especially for the mental healthcare consumer; just as it is reassuring to know that your physician graduated from an accredited medical school, seeing the "CACREP" or "CORE" designation on your professional counselor's curriculum vitae, marketing materials, or disclosure statement is reassuring, as well; it indicates that he or she completed a program with high standards and should have the requisite skills necessary for the delivery of mental health services.

Completion of a CACREP- or CORE-accredited professional counseling program can sometimes facilitate the process of applying for state licensure in some states and the Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) credential through the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC).   

Accreditation is also becoming more vital for employment; more and more employers are favoring job applicants who have graduated from CACREP- and CORE-accredited programs.
 

To locate accredited programs or to examine the criteria for becoming accredited, visit the CACREP  or CORE websites.

                                CACREP                        CORE