For Students

There are several ways that students may want to use the IRCEP registry in looking for a counsellor education program. First, a student outside of the United States may want to find a counsellor education program to attend in their own region or country. IRCEP provides a mark of quality that the program has been evaluated by someone within the region and an outside evaluator. Second, a U.S. based student may wish to use the registry to identify a program for studying abroad or for collaboration in research or service. Third, an international student interested in study in the United States may use it to identify programs that are supportive of international students.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • I have obtained a counselling degree from an overseas institution. Can I practice counselling in the United States?

    The International Registry for Counsellor Education (IRCEP) does not evaluate credentials from overseas institutes. There are three organizations in the United States that can assist with this process:

    American Association of College Registrars – www.aacrao.org (+001.202.296.3359)

    World Education Services – www.wes.org (+001.212.966.6311 ext 2)

    Education Credential Evaluators – www.ece.org (+001.414.289.3400)

    In the United States, counselling licensure is granted by the state not national government. If you know the state that you are moving to please contact the state’s licensure board for their specific requirements.

  • What is IRCEP?

    International Registry of Counsellor Education Programs is an international registry process governed by a steering committee that reports to Board of Directors of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Educational Related Programs (CACREP). It was created in response to growing number of inquiries to CACREP regarding recognition and accreditation of programs outside of the United States.

    IRCEP will promote the ongoing development and recognition of the counselling profession worldwide through the creation of a registry of approved counsellor education programs that use common professional requirements essential to the education and training of counsellors, regardless of culture, country, region, work setting, or educational system.

  • Does an IRCEP program have to be master's or doctoral level?

    No, depending on the status of counseling in a country or region programs can be associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral level.

  • Is IRCEP the same as CACREP accreditation?

    IRCEP is a program run by Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) that provides a non-accreditation approval process for international programs. This is not the same thing as CACREP accreditation since the criteria are not meant to prepare students for US licensure. Also, many of these programs are offered at the bachelor’s level, depending on the status of counseling in a country or region.

  • What are the benefits of being on the IRCEP registry?

    There are several benefits of being on the IRCEP Registry.

    1. Recognition of legitimate counsellor preparation programs that meet the requirements to be included on the Registry

    2. Program information (e.g., contact information, curricular offerings, structure) will be posted on IRCEP’s website for:

    • prospective students
    • faculty
    • the public
    • other constituencies (counselor education programs, accrediting bodies, government agencies)

    3. Fostering the ongoing development and global recognition of the counselling profession through building

    • a foundation for potential national/regional accreditation processes an international network of counsellor educators
    • an international network of counsellor educators

  • What are the fees to be on the IRCEP Registry?

    IRCEP APPLICATION PROCESS FEES

    • Application Fee for non-CACREP Programs (due at the time the application is submitted)

    $1000.00

    • Application Fee is waived for CACREP Accredited Programs

    *The application fee must be paid when the application is submitted to IRCEP for review. If more than three (3) months lapses between receipt of the application fee and the arrival of the application documents, the program will be required to submit an additional application fee. No application will be reviewed until the application fee has been received.

    ANNUAL MAINTENANCE FEES (due January 31st of every year)

    $200.00

    *Approved programs will receive an electronic invoice at least 3 months prior to the due date. Failure to pay this fee by the due date will result in the assessment of a late fee equal to ½ the cost of the original fee. Once a late fee is assessed, failure to pay the original fee and late fee by the date provided with the late fee notice will result in immediate withdrawal of the program’s listing on the Registry.

    *You can pay with a VISA, Mastercard, American Express or Discover Card by calling, faxing or sending your credit card details to the CACREP Office. Phone 703-535-5990 and fax 703-739-6209. Alternatively, you can post a cheque or money order to:

    IRCEP
    1001 N. Fairfax Street Suite 510
    Alexandria, VA 22314