Program Details

Counseling Licenses

Graduates of CU Denver’s MA in Counseling program are eligible for several counseling licenses in Colorado and nationally. Advanced students are eligible to start taking licensure exams prior to graduation.

Advanced students in CU Denver’s MA in Counseling program are eligible to start taking the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE) and begin the application process to become a National Certified Counselor (NCC) after graduation.

Passing the NCE is the first step to becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). The LPC can be earned after you complete 2,000 hours of post-graduate supervised counseling. These hours must be completed over a minimum of 24 months. Please make sure to complete your 2,000 hours within five years, so that you don't have to take the NCE again.

MA in Counseling students in the Clinical Mental Health, Couples and Family Therapy/Counseling and School Counseling tracks are encouraged to take the NCE and are eligible to complete the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) requirements.

School counseling students are also eligible to complete the Special Services Provider license in school counseling requirements with the Colorado Department of Education. School counseling students must take and pass the Professional School Counselor (5421) Praxis exam before applying for licensure.

Couples and Family Therapy/Counseling students are eligible to complete Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) requirements.

Couples and Family Therapy/Counseling students must take and pass Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB) examination before applying for licensure .

Passing the AMFTRB is the first step to becoming a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). The LMFT can be earned after you complete 1,500 hours of post-graduate supervised counseling. These hours must be completed over a minimum of 24 months. Please make sure to complete your 1,500 hours within five years, so that you don't have to take the AMFTRB again.

Additional tests and requirements may be required to apply for licensure, as determined by the appropriate governing board.

Choose CU Denver's School of Education & Human Development

You can trust CU Denver to provide an education that will prepare you for excellence in your career as a counselor. The university and school are recognized for preparing leaders of distinction who value educational excellence and social justice. Additionally, CU Denver’s School of Education and Human Development is counted among U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools,” making us one of the top schools in the country.