Program Description
The Certificate in Professional Counseling (Post Master's) is designed for persons who hold a Master of Science or Master of Arts degree in counseling.
The intent is to assist students in meeting educational requirements for the licensed professional counselor in Virginia.
The certificate program also may be pursued to fulfill pre-service or continuing education requirements for various national certifications, such as national certified counselor or certified rehabilitation counselor. Applicants to the program designate a preferred area of specialization based upon interest and need. Specialization requirements may exceed the minimum number of required credits for the certificate program as a whole.
Admission Requirements
The applicant must:
- have completed a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling or a related discipline and
- submit an application to the Graduate School, including a statement of goals and three letters of reference.
Graduation Requirements
To qualify for the Advanced Certificate in Professional Counseling the following requirements must be satisfied:
- With an academic advisor, design and complete an approved course of study that leads to the completion of the educational requirements for licensure or certification as a professional counselor.
- Complete a minimum of 15 graduate hours of course work in professional counseling with an overall grade point average of 3.0 or higher. The 15 credits must be nonduplicative of previous graduate work completed at Virginia Commonwealth University or other institutions. Additionally, all other Graduate School grade-point requirements are in effect.
- Complete six graduate hours of course work in advanced counseling skills. Transfer credits are not accepted.
- See also the American Counseling Association website.
Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC)
The Department of Rehabilitation Counseling offers courses online for those who wish to obtain the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) credential with the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification. If interested, an individual may apply to the Advanced Certificate in Professional Counseling Program to obtain the necessary coursework to apply for the CRC as a Category 2 or 3 candidate. The applicant must indicate on their Advanced Certificate application the candidate category under which they intend to apply for the CRC (Category 2 or 3). More information on candidate categories can be obtained at the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification site (https://crccertification.com/get-certified/).
To Apply
To apply to the program, applicants must complete forms provided by the Graduate School indicating “Certificate in Professional Counseling (Post Master's)” as the curriculum.
Availability of online courses may vary.