National Counselor Certification
Department of Psychology

The National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) has designated the Fall 2006 curriculum of Roosevelt University’s MA in Clinical Professional Psychology as “board certification eligible”.  This means that the program’s graduates may apply for the National Certified Counselor (NCC) credential.  Though this credential does not take the place of appropriate state licensure, it does acknowledge practitioners who have met the strictest standards set by the counseling profession itself.  You probably have already encountered counselors who are National Board of Certified Counselors credentialed.  They generally identify themselves by using “NCC” after their names. 

Certification is a multi-step process.  You must complete the application for certification.  The applicant must hold an MA degree from an NBCC recognized program.  The applicant must take and earn a passing score on the National Counselor Examination.  At this point, the applicant is considered to be a “Board Eligible National Certified Counselor”.  Once this designation is acquired, the application has three years within which to complete the post-MA supervised experience required by NBCC.  Upon approval of documentation of the required supervised experience, the “Board Eligible National Certified Counselor” is recognized as a National Certified Counselor (NCC).  Please visit NBCC’s website (www.nbcc.org/gsabe) for more detailed information on the certification process.

Should you be interested in pursuing this credential, you may take your first step toward it while in your final year of study in the Clinical Professional Psychology program.  In considering this option, please keep in mind that you must be following the Fall 2006 curriculum.  Contact the Director of Clinical Psychology MA Programs who will provide you with the appropriate application materials.  You should know that the National Counselor Examination (NCE) that you take as part of NCC certification is the same exam required by States for professional counselor (LPC) licensing.  If you take the NCE as part of your National Certified Counselor application, you may request to have your scores sent to your State’s licensing board.  You will not need to take the examination a second time solely for your state licensure application.  The NCE is administered by the Department of Psychology at Roosevelt University on specific dates.  Taking the NCE as part of the National Certified Counselor Examination has several advantages.  See the list below, extracted from the NBCC website.

From www.nbcc.org/gsabe:

Advantages of the Board Eligible GSA-NCC Administration

• You can apply for the National Certified Counselor (NCC) credential while you are still a student
• You may take the NCE prior to graduation if you are in the final academic year of your Master’s program.
• GSA-NCC preparation may assist you in your comprehensive exam reviews.
• You have lower fees than non GSA-NCC applicants applying for the National Certified Counselor (NCC) credential.
• You can take the NCE on campus, rather than having to travel to a national site.
• If you pass the NCE, you are eligible to become a Board Eligible National Certified Counselor (this designation may not be used to solicit clients for independent practice). You will then have up to 3 years to complete the post-Master's supervised experience and upgrade to an NCC.

College of Arts and Sciences