Career and School Counselor Licensure

As you complete your school counselor education, keep in mind the different types of certification you will need. National certification for counselors is voluntary and is distinct from state licensing, which may be required to practice as a counselor, depending on the state in which you live.

The National Board for Certified Counselors grants a general practice credential of National Certified Counselor, which requires a counselor to hold a master's degree with a concentration in counseling from a regionally accredited college or university. You must also have at least two years of supervised field experience in a counseling setting unless you have graduated from a program accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs.

To gain this certification, you must also provide two professional endorsements, one of which must be from a recent supervisor; and must pass the NBCC examination. To maintain your certifications, you must retake and pass the exam or complete 100 credit hours of acceptable continuing education, every five years.

Licensure requirements are different from state to state, but usually requires you to take continuing education credits and complete an exam monitored by the state in which you practice.

For the two main types of school counselor positions—school counselors working inside public schools and those working outside schools—the requirements are different:

• Many states require in-school counselors to hold a state certification and to have a master's degree
   
• School counselors based outside of schools need a counselor's license, which includes a master's degree in counseling, about two years or 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience, and passing the state licensing exam
   
• If you are a counselor within a special field, you may have to complete a licensing exam for that particular specialty. This also may depend on the setting in which you work.

Whether or not you need a license or certification in a particular state for your particular career or school counselor career path, fulfilling the appropriate requirements in your state and maximizing your credentials will be critical to achieving your counseling career goals.