What are the benefits of attending and graduating with a degree from a CACREP accredited counseling program?
1. A primary benefit of attending a CACREP accredited counseling program is that during the last year of graduate study, a student may sit for the National Counselor Exam (NCE). 2. Upon successful completion of the NCE, the student can then apply for credentialing as a National Certified Counselor (NCC) upon graduation. Students who are not in a CACREP accredited counseling program, upon graduation, will have to complete 3,000 hours of supervised work experience before applying for the NCC credential. 3. In the State of Illinois, the successful completion of the NCE also allows a student to apply for and receive the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) license upon graduation. There are other states that also utilize the NCE for their LPC application. 4. The CACREP accreditation is a nationally recognized standard, and many other states may provide reciprocity for students who have gained counselor licensure in the State of Illinois with the NCE exam and appropriate supervised hours.
