¾«¶«AV

Career Opportunities

Counselors work in schools, hospitals, clinics, community agencies, and private practices. In the Department of Counseling, we train students to be either Clinical Mental Health Counselors or School Counselors. Both of our accredited tracks lead to licensure by the State of Ohio. Clinical Mental Health Counselors provide many services, including psychotherapy (i.e. talk therapy), assessment and diagnosis, treatment planning, substance abuse treatment, crisis management, and prevention programs. School counselors work with students, teachers, and parents to help students in their academic, personal, and career development.

Students in the Substance Use Disorder Counseling programs are prepared for license eligibility as either a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC) or a Licensed Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor (LICDC), depending on prior academic work.

The ¾«¶«AV Experience

consistently ranks ¾«¶«AV among the top ten master’s-degree granting universities in the Midwest. When you wander the halls of the Counseling Department, you’ll find that our doors are open. Our faculty is committed to developing deep and meaningful teaching and mentoring relationships with our students. We bring a diverse set of skills, knowledge, and experience to our teaching and supervising. Our classes are small – none larger than 20 students, and many with as few at 15 or 8. Our courses involve discussion and practice, rather than solely lecture. Typically, in the second year of enrollment, students begin their practicum and internship Practicum and Internship) fieldwork. In a clinical or school setting of their choice, students begin to practice the science and art of counseling. During this time, students receive formal supervision on site and at ¾«¶«AV. At graduation, the outlook for our students is bright because of their strong reputation in the community. This, and the numerous connections our faculty has with local employers, positions our graduates as top candidates on the job market.

Some of our graduates continue their education in doctoral programs, typically in the fields of counselor education or counseling psychology.

CACREP-Accredited Programs

In 2023, ¾«¶«AV’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling Programs received the maximum eight-year re-accreditation after submitting a two-year interim report, meaning that ¾«¶«AV's program is currently accredited into 2029. This fact reflects the Department’s commitment to excellence and demonstrates that the Department of Counseling meets or exceeded all accreditation standards. In February 2024, ¾«¶«AV's Online Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program received accreditation by CACREP.

Gaining and maintaining CACREP accreditation is essential for any counseling program, especially in Ohio. In 2014, the Ohio State Legislature passed legislation requiring all counseling programs to be CACREP-accredited by 2018. In addition, several insurance carriers will reimburse only for counselors who earned degrees from CACREP-accredited programs.

¾«¶«AV has determined that its counseling curriculum meets the state educational requirement for licensure/certifications in the State of Ohio. ¾«¶«AV has not made a determination that our counseling curriculum meets state educational requirements for licensure/certifications in any other state, territory, or country. Please check with your state licensing board to determine if our curriculum meets requirements in your state.

View & Download Counseling Program Informational Materials

Download 2024-25 Graduate Counseling Programs Viewbook

Download 2024-25 Graduate School International Applicant Information Page