All graduate students should plan to become licensed as professional counselors in Louisiana or in whichever jurisdiction which they plan to live and work. In addition, all students should plan to become National Certified Counselors (NCC) upon graduation from our CACREP accredited master's degree program. Students who plan to work as school counselors should become certified as school counselors by the state of Louisiana or the jurisdiction in which they plan to live and work. There are numerous other credentials offered by state agencies and national boards that may be important to the careers of professional counselors. Students should discuss other credentials that might be uniquely important to them with their faculty advisor.
The master’s degree programs in Community Counseling, College Counseling, and School Counseling include all of the course requirements for licensure as a professional counselor in Louisiana. Two years of supervised experience as a counselor and passing the NCE are required before any master's degree graduate is eligible for licensure as a Professional Counselor in Louisiana. Because UNO programs are CACREP-accredited, students may take this exam before graduating.
The master's degree programs in College Counseling, Community Counseling, and School Counseling include all of the course requirements for credentialing as a National Certified Counselor (NCC). Students may become certified upon graduation from the program if they register for and pass the NCE.
During the internship experience, students are required to obtain application information and to develop a plan for becoming licensed as a professional counselor and for becoming a National Certified Counselor (NCC).
