Information Session
Counselor Education
Northeastern Illinois University
Accreditation
Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational
Programs (CACREP)
 Clinical Mental Health Counseling (60 Hours)
 Family Counseling (60 Hours)
 School Counseling (48 Hours) – with Professional Educator License
School Counseling (57 Hours) – without Professional Educator License
Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE)
 Rehabilitation Counseling (48 hours)
Benefits of Attending
CACREP Accredited Program
 Recognition that our programs have been evaluated and meet or exceed
professional national standards.
 Knowledge the graduate has met prerequisites for credentialing and is ready for
entry into professional practice.
 Automatically qualified to take NCE exam without evaluation of completed
transcript.
 Can sit for the NCE before graduating from NEIU.
 All four degree programs meet educational requirements for State Licensure
(LPC and LCPC) without audit.
CACREP Accreditation
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Northeastern Illinois
University is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and
Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The accreditation runs through
July, 2016. (Note: The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is
currently accredited under the 2001 standards for Community Counseling
programs as a Community Counseling program. The CACREP 2009
standards combine the Community Counseling and Mental Health
Counseling standards into standards for Clinical Mental Health Counseling
programs. The counseling program intends to seek accreditation for this
program as a Clinical Mental Health Counseling program when it comes up
for reaccreditation, per CACREP guidelines.)
CACREP Accreditation
• Students in Community Counseling accredited through July 2016.
• NEIU Transcript title: Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC)
• Students graduating before July 2016 in CMHC will be accredited
retroactively as CMHC by CACREP after Northeastern’s M.A. in
Counseling programs have been reaccredited.
Eligibility for Licensure
Clinical Mental Health Counseling
•LPC/LCPC
Family Counseling
•AMFT/LMFT
•LPC/LCPC
School Counseling
•PEL
•LPC/LCPC
Rehabilitation Counseling
•CRC
•LPC/LCPC
NEIU Campus
Completing in Two Years
Example: Clinical Mental Health Counseling (7 semesters)
Summer
1st Year Graduate
Student
2nd Year Graduate
Student
Total
Fall
Spring
401
402
403
401
402
403
405
420
430
404
405
407
409/420
404
406
427
406
415
409/420
425/427
408
409
439
408
425/427
430
407
438
444
438
444
415
425
464
439
464
429
474
429
474
Total
Courses
Total Hours
9 Courses
27 Cr Hrs
11 Courses
33 Cr Hrs
9 courses
27 Cr Hrs
7 Courses
21 Cr Hrs
2 Courses
6 Cr Hrs
2 courses
6 Cr Hrs
20 Courses
60 Cr Hrs
Completing in Two Years
Example: Clinical Mental Health Counseling (6 semesters)
Summer
1st Year Graduate
Student
2nd Year Graduate
Student
406
409
439
425
429
474
Total
Fall
Spring
Total
Courses
Total Hours
401
402
403
404
405
420
427
430
8 Courses
24 Cr Hrs
407
438
444
408
415
464
9 courses
27 Cr Hrs
3 Courses
9 Cr Hrs
20 Courses
60 Cr Hrs
When do Courses Meet?
Fall and Spring Semesters
Courses meet once per week
4:15 – 6:55 pm
7:05 – 9:45 pm
Summer Semester
First and second 6-week terms (two meetings per week)
4:00 – 7:25 pm
6:00 – 9:25 pm
Full 12-week term (one meeting per week)
4:00 – 7:25 pm
6:00 – 9:25 pm
NEIU
art gallery
Counselor Education
Admission Criteria
Academic
•Undergraduate GPA/Advanced Degree
•GRE Verbal
•GRE Analytical Writing
•Essay (Writing Sample)
0–3
0–3
0–3
0–3
Experience
•Recommendations
•Work/Volunteer Experiences
0–3
0–3
Interpersonal
•Preadmission Workshop (PAW)
0–5
Standards for Admission
 Minimum GPA = 2.75 for undergraduate degree
 Considered on Exceptionality for 2.25 – below 2.75
 GPA below 2.25 will not be admitted
 Undergraduate GPA below 2.75 (without advanced degree) + GRE
Verbal below 25th percentile will be denied admission
 Applicant with advanced degree (e.g., masters) is exempted from
undergraduate GPA requirement
 PAW – problematic or poor performance will be denied admission
 Meeting minimum requirements is no guarantee of admission
 Denied admission – applicants may apply once more
NEIU Campus
Program Outcomes Reports
 Current enrollment
*Clinical Mental Health Counseling: 42
Family Counseling: 31
Rehabilitation Counseling: 26
School Counseling: 45
Total for all programs: 144 students
*Includes 12 students completing former program in Community Counseling.
 Number of program graduates from past year – Class of August 2013
For the graduating class of August 2013, there were 56 graduates
completing one of our four programs in Community (now Clinical
Mental Health), Family, Rehabilitation, or School Counseling. Thirtyseven or 66% of the 2013 graduates returned our annual survey.
Program Outcomes Reports
 Completion Rate
Of the students admitted to our program, approximately 90% graduated
within the expected time period. This is difficult to determine because
admitted students have six years to complete our programs. Currently,
approximately 20 % of our students are attending on a full-time basis
(three courses per semester).
Program Outcomes Reports
Licensure or certification examination pass rates
 Of the 37 alumni, 33 took one or a combination of the following exams: National
Counselor Exam (NCE), #181 Content Test in School Counseling (CTSC), and Certified
Rehabilitation Counselor Exam (CRCE). Only one individual did not pass one of the
exams on the first attempt, resulting in a 97% pass rate on the first attempt.
 Thirty-two of the 37 alumni attained one or a combination of the following licenses or
certificates: Associate License for Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT); Certified
Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC); Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC); National
Certified Counselor (NCC); and Professional Educator License (PEL) in School
Counseling.
 Our graduates have been successful in passing national and state licensing and
certification examinations. Our graduates consistently have higher average scores than
the national average on the NCE compared to graduates of both CACREP and nonCACREP approved programs.
Program Outcomes Reports
Job Placement Rate
 Of the 37 alumni who returned the survey, 30 (81%) were seeking
employment in the counseling field.
 Twenty-one (70%) of the 30 were employed in counseling when they
returned the survey and nine (30%) were still seeking employment in
counseling.
 Six of the alumni were not looking for positions in counseling for various
reasons, including: remained working as a teacher or other area in
education; home with children; and admitted to a Ph.D. program.
Program Outcomes Reports
Class of 2013
How long did it take you to find your first job after completing your program?
Less than one month
6
1 – 3 months
4
4 – 6 months
4
7 – 12 months
3
**Still looking
9
Not all graduates searching for counseling job
Program Outcomes Reports
The following job titles or categories of jobs were reported by those
working in counseling:
 mental health counselor; clinician; school counselor; therapist; transition
coach; college counselor; program coordinator; and vocational
rehabilitation counselor.
They reported working in the following settings:
 hospitals; community mental health centers; schools; private practice;
community colleges; family guidance centers; social service agencies;
and Veterans Affairs (hospital and office).
Job Titles
Counselor Education Department
Alumni Surveys
2012-2014
Job Title
Associate Therapist
Child, Adolescent, & Adult Psychotherapist
College Advisor
Counseling Coordinator
Counselor
Counselor/Case Manager
Couples Counselor/Therapist
Crisis Counselor
Executive Director and CEO
Family Counselor/Therapist
Grant Writer
Elementary School Counselor
High School Counselor
Middle School Counselor
Mental Health Counselor/Therapist
Outreach Worker
Program Coordinator
Rehabilitation Counselor
School Counselor / Case Manager
Senior Admissions Counselor
Substance abuse counselor
Vocational Program Manager
Employment
College/University (Public, Private)
Community College
Hospital
K-12 Schools (Public, Private, Charter)
Mental Health Agency/Clinic
Private Practice
Social Service Agency (Public, Private, Religious)
Veterans Administration Hospital
Job Titles
Counselor Education Department
Alumni Survey
2012-2014
How long did it take you to find your first job after completing the program?
Less than one month
32 - 40%
1 – 3 months
21 - 25%
4 – 6 months
5 - 26%
7 – 12 months
7.5 - 21%
**Still looking
15 - 20% (est.)
Not all graduates searching for counseling job
Factors to Consider in Applying to
Counselor Education at Northeastern
Quality and diversity of the graduate students in Counselor Education
The following represent a sampling of universities from which our alumni
and students have previous degrees:
Big Ten universities (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota,
Northwestern, Wisconsin); Bradley, Chicago State, Concordia, DePaul,
Eastern Illinois, Fort Hayes State, Harvard, Illinois State, Illinois Wesleyan,
Loyola, Northeastern Illinois, Northern Illinois, Syracuse, Valparaiso, and
Western Illinois Universities; Universities of Dayton, Illinois at Chicago,
Notre Dame, and Pennsylvania, and South Florida; and Beloit, Elmhurst,
and St. Norbert Colleges. Alumni and students also have degrees from
outside the United States: for example, China, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Puerto
Rico, Russia, and South Korea.
Factors to Consider in Applying to
Counselor Education at Northeastern
 Northeastern is ranked as one of the most ethnically diverse universities
in the nation in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges”
publication. Northeastern has held this distinction since 1997. In
addition, more than a hundred countries are represented in our student
body.
• Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI): HSI is an official designation from
the U.S. Department of Education. Defined as having a full-time
equivalent undergraduate enrollment of at least 25 percent Hispanic
students.
Factors to Consider in Applying to
Counselor Education at Northeastern
 National Accreditation by CACREP and CORE: Ensures quality and
professional standards. Fulfills educational requirements for Illinois
licensure.
 Cost and Value: Northeastern is one of the most affordable public
universities in Illinois. Northeastern Illinois University ranks sixth in the
U.S. Best Investment in Newsweek's "College Rankings."
 The department offers a limited number of tuition waivers and graduate
assistantships. Further information is available from the Office of
Financial Aid, 773-442-5009
Factors to Consider in Applying to
Counselor Education at Northeastern
Quality and Diversity of the Faculty
 Scholarly production – books; journal articles; grants; research
 Practical experience in the fields they teach, including school counseling,
clinical and rehabilitation settings, and family counseling.
 9, full-time, tenure-track faculty
 Balance of men, women, ethnic/racial background, disability
 Ratio of Student FTE:Faculty (10:1)
Advisement by Faculty
 Admitted students will be assigned a faculty advisor for regular
consultation throughout their course of study.
Application Process
See Application Folder
See Counselor Education Webpage
www.neiu.edu/counselor-education
NEIU Auditorium