School Counseling Graduate Program Accredited

We Change Lives

(February 22, 2016) McNeese State University’s graduate program in school counseling has recently been nationally accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

The McNeese program – which offers a Master of Education degree in school counseling – has been accredited for an 8-year-period. The process included the submission of a comprehensive program self-study, a visit in October 2015 by a peer review team and corresponding follow-up reports. 
           
“CACREP accreditation is the premiere national accrediting agency for counseling programs,” said Dr. Wayne Fetter, dean of the Burton College of Education. “Accreditation from CACREP signifies that McNeese’s accredited program meets the highest training standards of the counseling profession. This is a wonderful recognition of the quality of our program and faculty and is the result of several years of hard work by the counseling faculty.”
           
Dr. Christine Anthony, associate professor of education professions and school counseling coordinator, agrees. “Accreditation is extremely important for our students because it ensures compliance with the highest national standards and best teaching practices. Our focus has always been on providing a quality curriculum for our students. A degree from a nationally accredited program affords students a distinct advantage when applying for future employment.”

She said 98 percent of McNeese school counseling gradates find employment within the first year of graduation and are serving as professional school counselors in Calcasieu, Jeff Davis, Beauregard, Allen, Cameron, Acadia, Lafayette, Iberia, Rapides and East Baton Rouge parishes as well as counties in Texas.

According to Anthony, national accreditation is a statement about “the pride we take in providing academic excellence with a personal touch, thus affording our students a competitive edge in their future career endeavors.”
 
For more information about the school counseling program, contact Anthony at manthony@mcneese.edu.