The programs of study offered by the Department of Counselor Education provide excellent preparation for a career as a professional counselor or student personnel professional. We welcome your interest in the profession of counseling and our programs and hope that this Web site will answer many of your questions.
Graduate counselor education courses are taught at the Graduate Business Center located four miles from main campus. Please see the link below for directions.
Directions to the Graduate Business Center
Department's Mission Statement
The mission of the department of Counselor Education is embedded within, and thus, reflects the Mission and Vision of West Chester University and the College of Education. Specifically, the Counselor Education programs emphasize the development of the counselor as advocates for diversity and the mission of academic success for all students in educational systems. Counselors, through reflective practice and knowledge of the research and best practice, know their clients and plan and execute effective, ethical intervention and prevention programs and services. The department emphasizes a tripartite model of student-self-development: self as helper, self in relationship to others, and as life-long learner and developing professional. The diverse population served by the program, which includes recent undergraduates as well as returning professional counselors and teachers, creates a rich context to blend theory with practice. All programs recognize the importance of the blending of experiential/applied learning with a solid understanding of theory and research in the creation of remediation, prevention, and developmental forms of service delivery.
Exciting Announcement
West Chester University’s Department of Counselor Education would like to announce that its programs in School Counseling and Higher Education / Student Affairs Counseling have been accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP). The national CACREP board promotes excellence in the professional preparation of master’s level counseling practitioners. Programs receiving CACREP acceptance demonstrate a commitment to high admissions, academic and fieldwork standards and best practices in counselor preparation. We are very proud of all of the hard work by our students, faculty, staff, and administration that made this accomplishment possible.
CACREP Mission Statement:
The mission of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational programs is to promote the professional competence of counseling and related practitioners through the development of preparation standards, encouragement of excellence in program development, and accreditation of professional preparation programs.
Some of the reasons why we sought accreditation by CACREP:
- More than 50% of state licensing regulations [ including Pennsylvania ] require graduation from a CACREP program or an equivalent curriculum in order for applicants to be eligible to sit for the licensure examination.
- The National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE) relies on the CACREP Standards for derivation of exam content.
- 38 states [ including Pennsylvania ] use the NCE examination for professional counselor licensure or certification.
The Department offers two counselor education degree programs and a post-masters certificate:
