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Admission Process | Program Requirements | Course Descriptions | Course Schedule
Counselor Licensure | Counseling Profession | Supervision Training | Faculty Profiles
Counselor Education Licensure
The counselor education program qualifies students for different licenses depending on the requirements fulfilled. There are two licenses available with a master's degree in counselor education. One is a license as a school counselor, which is received from the North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction. Graduates of the M.S. in counselor education who have fulfilled requirements for school counselor license are eligible to apply for an "M" license.
The other license available to graduates of the counselor education program is the LPCA (Licensed Professional Counselor Associate), which is governed by the North Carolina Board of Licensed Professional Counselors.
Students seeking school counselor license through the Counselor Education program at East Carolina University follow one of two routes depending on their individual situation:
I. Full master's degree program for students with an undergraduate degree or with a non-counseling master's degree. The counselor education program requires a minimum of 60 semester hours of graduate course work in prescribed areas leading to the master's degree. Successful completion of the program, including electives appropriate for school counseling, and a passing score on the Praxis School Guidance and Counseling Specialty Exam are needed to qualify for a school counselor license.
II. Students who already possess a Masters degree in either Community/Agency Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling should contact their local office of the Regional Alternative Licensing Center (RALC – http://www.ralc.ccs.k12.nc.us/) who will review their transcript. The Department of Higher Adult and Counselor Education is pleased to offer three of the courses that RALC often requires, which include the following:
COAD 6402 Career Counseling & Development
COAD 6406 Counseling in Schools
COAD 6409 Counseling Skills nd Techniques
These courses are typically offered online once per year. Once you receive your plan of study from RALC, you would need to apply to East Carolina University Graduate School as a non-degree student.
For more information about this process, please click on the following link for a more detailed explanation: http://www.ralc.ccs.k12.nc.us
A bill passed by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1994 created a Board of Examiners for Licensed Professional Counselors. The counselor education master's program qualifies students with 54 semester hours (students beginning grauate coursework prior to June 1, 2013 must complete 60 semester hours) to sit for the licensing examination (NCE, National Counselor Examination). Application must be made to the North Carolina LPC Board. For information call (919) 661-0820 or www.ncblpc.org.
