Counselor Education Program Accreditation
The following agencies are responsible for accrediting the UTC Counseling Programs, and ensuring a quality education for the students in that program. You can find the current status of the UTC Counseling Program by clicking and following the "Learn More" links.
Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
CACREP was created in 1981 to be the independent accrediting arm for the American Counseling Association. From its inception, CACREP has provided an effective measure of quality assurance for counselor preparation programs. CACREP also provides leadership to programs interested in furthering their own capacity for self-evaluation.
As an independently incorporated organization, CACREP sets its own charge. That charge is clearly articulated in the Articles of Incorporation as follows: . . . to promote the advancement of education by establishing and administering a program for the accreditation of graduate programs at colleges and universities in the fields of counseling and related educational programs, and of programs in counselor education and supervision, and to engage in such other and further means as may be necessary and proper to accomplish the foregoing purposes.
CACREP has granted accreditation to the following programs through March 31, 2029:
Clinical Mental Health Counseling (M.Ed.), and School Counseling (M.Ed.)
Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), formerly the National Council on the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), accreditation process establishes rigorous standards for teacher education programs, holds accredited institutions accountable for meeting these standards, and encourages unaccredited schools to demonstrate the quality of their programs by working for and achieving professional accreditation. CAEP-accredited colleges of education are expected to ensure that teacher candidates know their subject and how to teach it effectively. CAEP has approved teacher preparation program standards for 22 program areas.
CAEP goals are to raise the performance of candidates as practitioners in the nation’s P-12 schools and to raise standards for the evidence the field relies on to supports its claims of quality. By meeting these goals, NCATE and TEAC leaders believe they will raise the stature of the profession.