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MS in Counseling College of Education

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Accreditation, Licensing, and Credentialing

Welcome to our accreditation page! Here you will find information regarding our accrediting bodies. For current Counselors-in-Training, you can find the contact if you are seeking your APCC/AMFT license and/or PPS credential; and information about NBCC below. For our community, take a look at our Program Outcomes. Our program outcomes includes all the qualitative and quantitative data we have collected and modifications we have made as a result, as well as admissions and retention data; each fall we submit our Vital Statistics to CACREP and disseminate our outcomes widely. Our Community Advisory Board is an aspect of our data processes and they provide feedback on program goals and outcomes. If you are interested in joining our Community Advisory Board, see vacant roles below and email us at coe-counselored@csus.edu.

California State University Sacramento has four specialties/concentrations within the MS Counseling Program: Career Counseling; Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling; Rehabilitation Counseling; and School Counseling. The MS Counseling program and all four specializations are accredited by the Council of Accreditation for Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). cacrep_cm_cmyk.jpg

The vision of CACREP is to provide leadership and to promote excellence in professional preparation through the accreditation of counseling and related educational programs. CACREP maintains collaborative relationships with other groups that focus on accreditation, licensing, certification, and the professional development of counselors and related practitioners.

The mission of CACREP is to promote the professional competence of counseling and related practitioners through

  • the development of preparation standards;
  • the encouragement of excellence in program development; and
  • the accreditation of professional preparation programs.

California Commission on Teacher Credentialing

The School Counseling concentration in the MS Counseling program is accredited by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). Therefore, embedded within the program and concentration is the Pupil Personnel Services- School Counselor (PPS-SC) credential. The mission of CTC is to ensure integrity, relevance, and high quality in the preparation, certification, and discipline of the educators who serve all of California’s diverse students.

California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS)

The California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) identifies California schools with LPCC Programs which have been evaluated by the Board. These programs meet the LPCC licensure requirements, pursuant to California Business and Professions Code (BPC) 4999.33, for students who began graduate studies on or after August 1, 2012. BBS identifies California schools with MFT Programs which have been evaluated by the Board. These programs meet the MFT licensure requirements, pursuant to California Business and Professions Code (BPC) §4980.36, for students who began graduate studies on or after August 1, 2012. Both our LPCC and LMFT has been evaluated by the Board of Behavioral Sciences.

Credential Office contact for those seeking BBS form A/B and PPS Credential forms for licensure/credentialing:

Credential Office

credentials@csus.edu
916-278-4567

National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)

Our program is CACREP accredited which provides our Counselors-in-Training the opportunity to apply for their National Certified Counselor (NCC). During the final semester of the program, graduating student information is provided to NBCC and our Counselors-in-Training receive the invitation to take either the National Counseling Exam (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam (NCMHCE). Upon successfully passing the exam, they receive their National Certified Counselor (NCC) Credential. For more information about NBCC Credentials, visit: https://www.nbcc.org/

*Please note some states will accept the NCE exam while other states accept the NCMHCE exam for licensing as a Professional Counselor and/or Professional Clinical Counselor. Check with the respective state board as to which exam will serve as the licensing exam. In the state of California, the licensing exam is the NCMHCE but the exam cannot be taken without an application to BBS and BBS board approval to take the exam; BBS processes the request for examination upon application for license and after post-graduate hours are collected. This does not apply to LMFT licensees; the exam for the California LMFT (and national LMFT) are separate exams and processes.

Program Evaluation & Outcomes

Every year the Counselor Education Program assesses student learning and program outcomes. We disseminate this report and discuss the findings with our Community Advisory Board. The results of our 2022-2023 report can be found below.

Outcomes Report

Community Advisory Board

Our Community Advisory Board (CAB) is made up of adjunct faculty, site supervisors, alumni, and graduate students. We have representation for all four specializations: Career, Marriage and Family, Rehabilitation, and School. If you are interested in joining our CAB, please email us at coe-counselored@csus.edu.

Community Advisory Board