Faculty
General Information about the GSA-NCC Program
NBCC hosts a National Certified Counselor (NCC) application program for graduate students on over 250 campuses nationwide. It is called the Graduate Student Application for the National Certified Counselor credential (GSA-NCC). As part of the certification process, students take the National Counselor Examination (NCE) on campus.
Benefits of National Certification
Holding the NCC credential at an early point in one’s career can be advantageous for counseling professionals. It can serve as a job search booster. Fully certified NCCs as well as Board Eligible NCCs may identify their professional status on business cards, letterhead, cover letters and resumes. While waiting to meet state licensure requirements or completing a PhD, new professionals may find this designation extremely useful. Some states award salary supplements to counselors holding NBCC credentials.
National Certification and State Licensure
Special note: Students often confuse national certification with state licensure. In many instances, the exam requirement is the same for both processes, adding a layer to the confusion. Sometimes they mistakenly think they are applying for an exam when they submit a GSA application. The National Counselor Examination, which is a requirement for the NCC credential, is the same exam used by about 35 states for the state counselor license. Faculty will need to remind students frequently that the NCC is a Master’s level, voluntary credential held by many counselors in addition to their state license.
Eligibility Criteria and School Application for Participation
In order to participate, a school must require courses in all of the NBCC required coursework areas and must require at least 48 semester or 72 quarter hours. Once a counselor education program is approved by NBCC for participation in the GSA-NCC program, the department designates a campus coordinator to serve as liaison to NBCC. Other than the campus coordinator’s time, there is no additional cost to the participating institution.
See the Eligibility page for more information
Frequently Asked Questions
Please see the Frequently Asked Questions page.
Participating Schools
The Schools page contains a list of universities that have recently participated in the GSA-NCC application and testing program for graduate students and very recent alumni. Schools are listed by state.