Licensure and Certifications
The 48-credit* and 60-credit MA Counseling Services programs meet educational requirements for school counselor certification in NJ. As part of an interstate agreement with PA, individuals that are certified as a school counselor in NJ can subsequently attain school counselor certification in PA (for PA school counselor certification, a PA praxis exam is also required).
- Please see instructions here from the Office of Field Placement and State Certification for how to apply for your NJ school counseling certification. You may come in for an appointment during your last semester prior to graduating from the program.
- View most current NJ certification requirements (in addition to forms and applications).
- For PA certification, the PA Department of Education has the most updated information on certification:
- Division of Certification Services
Pennsylvania Department of Education - School Leadership and Teacher Quality
333 Market Street | Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
Phone: 717.728.3224 - Visit PA certification website for more information
- PA also has praxis testing requirements in order to be certified
- Division of Certification Services
*Rider University is no longer admitting students to the 48-credit MA Counseling Services program.
Depending on the elective options* a student takes in the MA CMHC or MA COUN program, they can also meet the educational requirements for a NJ-specific certificate, the Student Assistance Coordinator Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing (SAC CEAS). Please see this page for course requirements.
Students who complete the SAC requirements at Rider will receive the Rider SAC Certificate after graduation, but need to obtain the Student Assistance Coordinator Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing (SAC CEAS) from the New Jersey Department of Education. Below are the steps to obtain this certification:
- Please see instructions here from the Office of Field Placement and State Certification for how to apply for your NJ state certification. You may begin this process during your last semester prior to graduating from the program.
- If you are also applying for your School Counselor certification, you can apply for both certifications.
- After receiving the SAC CEAS through the NJ Department of Education, students complete several steps to qualify for a standard New Jersey Student Assistance Coordinator certificate. These requirements are determined by the NJ Department of Education. These requirements include attaining a position as a SAC, and, in tandem with this full-time or part-time employment, applying for and receiving a provisional SAC certificate and completing a registered SAC residency approved by the state.
- Visit the NJ Department of Education website for full information on the SAC CEAS and the standard SAC certificate.
*Students in the 48-credit MA Counseling Services program* do not have electives and can take additional courses over the 48-credit degree requirement to meet the educational requirements for a NJ-specific certificate, the Student Assistance Coordinator Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing (SAC CEAS). Please see this page for course requirements.
Students in the MA CMHC program (with a DMT concentration) do not have electives and can take additional courses over the 65-credit degree requirement to meet the educational requirements for a NJ-specific certificate, the Student Assistance Coordinator Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing (SAC CEAS). Please see this page for course requirements.
NJ and PA Licensed Professional Counselor
- The MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program meets the educational requirements for the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
- This information about licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor applies only to the 60-credit MA Counseling Services program:
- Depending on the elective options a student takes in the 60-credit MA Counseling Services program, the coursework also meets the educational requirements for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Students should consult with their faculty advisor on appropriate course selection to meet educational requirements for LPC licensure in NJ or PA. Please see the Counseling Program Handbook for additional course selection guidance for students interested in pursuing the LPC in NJ and PA.
Summary of some of the LPC requirements in NJ
As the information below does not summarize all the requirements pertinent to LPC licensure in NJ, students are advised to consult the most current NJ LPC licensure requirements (in addition to forms and applications) here.
- 60 credit counseling degree, with required content areas
- Pass the National Counselor Exam (NCE)
- Supervised clinical experience: 4500 hours
- This can be reduced to 3000 hours with 30 additional credits in counseling
- LAC (Licensed Associate Counselor): acquire before accruing supervised hours for licensure
- An application to obtain an LAC must be completed and submitted.
- To attain the LAC, a 60-credit counseling degree is required, in addition to passing the NCE.
- Applicants also must submit and gain approval for a plan of supervision, including submission of and approval of a qualified supervisor.
Summary of some of the LPC requirements in PA
As the information below does not summarize all the requirements pertinent to LPC licensure in PA, students are advised to consult the most current PA LPC licensure requirements (in addition to forms and applications) here.
- 60 credit counseling degree, with required content areas
- 3 hours of continuing education in child abuse reporting and identification pre-approved by the PA State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors
- Pass the National Counselor Exam (NCE)
- Supervised clinical experience: 3000 hours
- This can be reduced to 2400 hours with a qualifying doctoral degree
- LAPC (Licensed Associate Professional Counselor): acquire before accruing supervised hours for licensure
- An application to obtain an LAPC must be completed and submitted.
- To attain the LAPC, a 60-credit counseling degree is required, in addition to 3 hours of continuing education in child abuse reporting and identification pre-approved by the PA State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors.
- Applicants also must submit and gain approval for a plan of supervision and their supervisor’s credentials.
Suggested Rider University courses to fulfill certain academic requirements for the NJ LAC and LPC (45 semester hours in specific content areas)
The most updated application for NJ LAC and LPC licensure can be found on this site.
Please consult this website for the most updated application.
Part of the application will ask you to indicate which Rider courses fulfilled certain academic requirements for the NJ LAC and LPC. You must indicate 45 semester hours distributed in 8 specific content areas (there are a total of 9 content areas and applicants must list courses in at least 8 of these content areas). Below is a suggestion for how you might complete this portion of the application.
NOTE: If applicants wish to count the fieldwork hours accrued in practicum and internship as part of their supervised hours for licensure, those courses cannot be listed as fulfilling the academic requirements below. Also, students who have taken an independent study (COUN 600) that focuses on one of the topic areas below may consider including that study on their application in the relevant topic area.
This is only a suggestion/guideline for students of courses to fulfill certain academic requirements for licensure.
Counseling theory and practice:
- CNPY 502: Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy (3 semester hours)
- CNPY 518 Counseling Children, Adolescents and Their Families (3 semester hours)
- COUN 555 Introduction to Play Therapy (3 semester hours)
- COUN 556 Parent-Child Play Therapy (3 semester hours)
- COUN 660 Counseling Supervision (3 semester hours)
- COUN 521 Cultivation and Implementation of Trauma-Informed Counseling in Community & Educational Settings (3 semester hours)
- CNDT 610 Counseling and Dance/Movement Therapy Theory and Practice I (3 semester hours)
The helping relationship:
- COUN 550: Counseling Techniques Laboratory (3 semester hours)
- COUN 516: Strategies in Addictions Counseling (3 semester hours)
- COUN 512: Disaster Response, Trauma, Crisis, and Grief Counseling (3 semester hours)
- CNDT 710 Counseling and Dance/Movement Therapy Theory and Practice II (3 semester hours)
- CNDT 620 Clinical Applications of Counseling and Dance/Movement Therapy (3 semester hours)
Human growth and development and maladaptive behavior:
- EDPS 503: Human Growth and Development (3 semester hours)
- CNPY 514: Psychopathology (3 semester hours)
- COUN 515: Substance Abuse Counseling (3 semester hours)
- CNPY 516: Advanced Psychopathology (3 semester hours)
- COUN 502 Prevention and Intervention for Body Image and Disordered Eating (3 semester hours)
Lifestyle and career development:
- COUN 505: Vocational/Career Development (3 semester hours)
- COUN 504: Vocational/Career Development in Educational Settings (3 semester hours)
Group dynamics, processing, counseling and consulting:
- COUN 503: Group Counseling (3 semester hours)
Appraisal of individuals:
- EDPS 520: Tests and Measurements (3 semester hours)
Social and cultural foundations:
- COUN 520: Multicultural Counseling & Relationship Development (3 semester hours)
Research and evaluation:
- EDUC 500: Introduction to Research (3 semester hours)
The counseling profession:
- COUN 500: Introduction to Counseling (3 semester hours)
- COUN 508: Foundations of Clinical Mental Health Counseling (3 semester hours)
- COUN 530: Legal and Ethical Issues in Counseling and Psychotherapy (3 semester hours)
The dance/movement therapy concentration within the MA CMHC program is approved by the American Dance Therapy Association and meets educational requirements for the Registered Dance Movement Therapist (R-DMT).