CACREP

What is CACREP and Why is it Important?

CACREP stands for the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs.
CACREP accreditation signifies that a program meets rigorous standards of quality and prepares
graduates for professional practice and future doctoral level education. 

Benefits of CACREP Accreditation

In essence, CACREP accreditation and CACREP accredited master level counseling programs are the future of the licensed professional counseling profession. CACREP accreditation gives students confidence that the degree program they are considering or pursuing meets the highest standards of quality. CACREP accreditation also demonstrates a commitment to excellence and can enhance a program's reputation.

Career and Licensure Advantages

A CACREP accredited degree allows the graduate to work for the government in a variety of ways, including working at the Veterans Administration and other governmental mental health related fields. The CACREP degree is also a key because many states either require or strongly prefer a CACREP accredited degree. Currently, 17 states require a CACREP degree for counseling licensure, and more states are considering it for licensure or have set it as a future requirement. A CACREP degree also makes it easier to transfer a counseling license from one state to another (licensure portability), since it's a consistent benchmark for master level counseling education. More and more doctoral programs are becoming CACREP accredited. They only accept students from CACREP accredited master-level programs. APA accredited doctoral level psychology programs also accept master level counseling students from CACREP accredited programs.

Graduate Success and Certification

Finally, Graduating students from our CACREP accredited program receive certification as a National Certified Counselor (NCC) under the auspices of the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC). Graduating students in our CACREP accredited program are able to take the National Counselor Exam (NCE) before graduation. The result is that the majority of our graduating students have passed their NCE, received their LPC-Associate License, and have jobs before they graduate.