Youngstown State University - Department of Counseling & Special Education

Mission Statement
Accreditation
Counseling Program Overview
Evaluation of Counseling Program
Faculty

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Accreditation Guide

Cited from: American Counseling Association (ACA) (2001). A Student's Guide to Accreditation [WWWdocument]. http://www.counseling.org/cacrep/student.htm

Youngstown State University's Community and School Counseling programs are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

According to the American Counseling Association (2001), "Accreditation is both a process and a condition. The process entails the assessment of educational quality and the continued enhancement of educational operations through the development and validation of standards. The condition provides a credential to the public-at-large which attests that an institution and/or its programs have accepted and are fulfilling their commitment to educational quality." (American Counseling Association, 2001).

There are two types of accreditation in the United States:

"Institutional accreditation is granted by regional and national accrediting commissions. In evaluating quality, the accrediting agency looks at the entire institutional unit, such as state universities or private institutions. Accreditation is awarded based on overall compliance with the criteria. the college or university may have institutional accreditation without seeking accreditation from any of the specialized accrediting bodies. In many cases, accreditation by a recognized institutional accrediting body is necessary in order to facilitate transfer of credits."

"Specialized accreditation is awarded to professional programs within institutions or to occupational schools offering specific training skills and knowledge. Specialized accrediting bodies define standards of excellence in educational training programs for recognized professions. In addition to CACREP, other well-known specialized accrediting agencies include the American Bar Association, the American Medical Association, and the American Psychological Association."

"Accreditation from CACREP is specialized accreditation, since only counselor education and related programs are eligible. However, an institution must have received institutional accreditation in order to apply for CACREP accreditation."

About CACREP

"In the United States, both the process and the condition of accreditation have a unique structure since accreditation is extended through nongovernmental, voluntary institutional agencies or professional associations. Therefore, the criteria for evaluation utilized by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) are the result of extensive input from educators, practitioners, and the public-at-large."

"A core curriculum of courses provides the minimum knowledge and skills considered necessary to anyone serving in this field:"

Human Growth and Development
Group Work
Social and Cultural Foundations
Appraisal
Research and Program Evaluation
Professional Orientation
Career and Lifestyle Development
Helping Relationships

"Accredited programs require supervised experiences including practica and internships for all students. The experiences are designed to provide students with hands-on learning and skills. Specifically, the internship encompasses the work setting and has sufficient duration to assure optimum professional development. Supervised experiences include both individual and group supervision."

Masters Degree Programs

Community Counseling
Specialization in Career Counseling
Specialization in Gerontological Counseling
Marriage and Family Counseling/Therapy
Mental Health Counseling
School Counseling
Student Affairs Practice in Higher Education

Doctoral Degree Programs

Counselor Education and Supervision

"Master's level programs accredited by CACREP in Community Counseling, School Counseling, and Student Affairs must offer a minimum of 48 semester hours or 72 quarter hours of coursework. This means at least two years of graduate level study. Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Counseling/Therapy require 60 semester hours."