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The Counseling and Human Services program prepares the next generation of professional counselors, supervisors, counselor educations, and leaders who will have meaningful and sustained impact in their communities through commitment, excellence, and humanistic engagement. Our impact actively and diligently affirms the dignity and self-worth of all persons.
Accreditation refers to the process in which an outside professional organization reviews educational programs to ensure that they meet national standards of quality and comprehensiveness. Syracuse’s Master’s programs and Doctoral program are fully accredited by the highest accrediting bodies in the counseling profession, including the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The accreditation process involves identification of appropriate preparation curricula by the profession, followed by extensive self-study and evaluation by the aspiring counselor education program. Only then does a visiting team of experts come to the university to verify that the program meets national standards. Finally, the visiting team’s report is given to the accrediting board for review and action. Programs may be accredited for eight years, at which time the institution must submit for re-accreditation, following the same process described above.
According to CACREP, “schools with programs accredited by CACREP have accepted their responsibility to provide quality training programs. Accreditation is a powerful tool for self-evaluation and improvement. The Council remains responsive to the changing needs of society and those persons serving as counselors. CACREP-accredited programs are encouraged to make continual evaluations and revisions to remain current.”
The Board of Directors of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) have reached the decision to grant Syracuse University, School of Education, Counseling and Human Services re-accreditation through October 2025. The board based it’s decisions on an extensive review of the self-study documents, the visiting team’s report and the institution’s response to the visiting teams report. Taken directly from the letter received from CACREP: “Programs receiving accreditation for an eight-year period deserve to be commended for the work completed throughout the accreditation process. This is indeed a worthy achievement.” Our tremendous thanks to Emertius Faculty Member Janine Bernard for her assistance in helping achieve this great accomplishment. We couldn’t have done it without her.
All programs are residential. Students learn in person through the School of Education on the Syracuse University campus.
The Counseling and Human Services program adopted new objectives in 2023-2024 following feedback from multiple stakeholders. These new objectives align with the program’s emergent signatures and goals.
Students in any of the master’s degrees may sit for the National Counselor Examination (NCE) in their final semester. Upon successful completion of the program and the exam, they can become Nationally Certified Counselors (NCC’s) without additional supervision hours required of graduates from non-CACREP accredited programs. The NCE is also used by many states as part of their licensure requirement. For more information about the NCC credential, visit the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC).
Upon completion of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling M.S., graduates are eligible for a Limited Permit toward New York State licensure as a Mental Health Counselor. Students must wait until after their degree and transcript have been conferred before applying for licensure.
Students who received a degree in a counseling field from another university, but are interested in licensure, must apply to the state independently and have their transcript and internship records reviewed. Once you are clear on exactly what they require from you, you can contact us about taking any classes still required as a non-matriculated student.
Upon completion of the School Counseling M.S., graduates are eligible for New York State provisional certification as a School Counselor (K-12). The NYSED website lists additional requirements for School Counselor certification, including the completion of seminars and fingerprinting, and more on the application process. Following two years of school counselor work experience, you are eligible to apply for the permanent certificate.
Applications may be processed or independently or through the office of Career Services and Certification. Students typically apply for NYS certification upon completion of their degree. You may anticipate receiving your provisional certificate in the mail within 1-3 months of application submission. This delay does not restrict you from applying and interviewing for school counseling positions.
New York is a member of the New England Compact which offers certification reciprocity with other states. Check with your state(s) of interest to identify any additional certification requirements you must meet.
Student who received a School Counseling master’s from another university, but are interested in certification, can apply for the C.A.S. program in School Counseling, but must take at least 30 of the 60 credits required for the C.A.S. at Syracuse University (as opposed to the 12 credits for graduates of our master’s programs).
