A Guide to Graduate Programs in Counseling

Written for those considering a graduate degree in Counseling, this Guide provides a comprehensive overview of the counseling profession that distinguishes it from other mental health services and equips the reader with essential tips and practical tools for selecting a graduate program, navigating the admissions process, succeeding as a graduate student, and launching a career in Counseling.

The Guide provides guidance on the process of identifying factors to be considered before pursuing a graduate degree in Counseling; the types of universities, graduate programs, and delivery modalities available; and how to select and apply for graduate programs. It also features vital information on accreditation and its importance regarding licensure, certification, credential portability, and employment opportunities.

This new edition addresses the significance of field placements, the interstate Counseling Compact, the increased use of telehealth for delivery of counseling services, and the increased availability of digitally delivered counseling programs. New supplemental resources include practical tools for verifying program accreditation, a model for navigating the application process, and an annotated guide to national organizations in Counseling.

Suzanne M. Dugger is a Professor in the Department of Counseling at Florida Gulf Coast University. For more than 25 years, she has dedicated her career to preparing excellent counselors at the master's and doctoral levels. A nationally recognized leader, Dugger has received numerous awards for her service to the profession of counseling and served on the CACREP Board of Directors for five years. She is widely published, with a focus on career counseling, school counseling, counseling children, diversity issues in counseling, and counselor education.

Dana Heller Levitt is Associate Dean at the College for Community Health at Montclair State University. She has been a counselor educator for over 20 years, previously at Ohio University after earning her PhD at the University of Virginia. She has served on the CACREP Board of Directors, with three years on the Executive Committee, as Chair of the 2024 Standards Revision Committee, and in leadership positions in counseling organizations. Heller Levitt has published works on professional ethics and counselor development, including the first edition of A Guide to Graduate Programs in Counseling (OUP, 2016) and Values and Ethics in Counseling (Routledge, 2012).

M. Sylvia Fernandez, CACREP President and CEO, was a Counselor educator at the master's and doctoral degree levels and an academic administrator for 29 years prior to joining CACREP. She has extensive professional service and elected leadership experience in state, national, and international Counseling professional membership, accreditation, and credential regulatory organizations. She has received numerous awards for her service to the profession of counseling. Her journal and book chapter publications and national and international presentations are in the areas of multicultural issues in Counseling and related disciplines, Counselor education and credentialing, Professional Counselor identity and ethics, and clinical supervision.