Helpful information for prospective applicants for LPC licensure.
Series 1, LPC Licensing Rule details the requirements for LPC Licensure.
The degree and coursework requirements for LPC Licensure include the following:
1) The graduate institution needs to be accredited by one of the accrediting bodies listed in Series 1, LPC Licensing Rule.
2) The coursework requirement is a 60 hour or 90 quarter hour master's degree in counseling or related field. Within the 60 hours there are 14 content areas in which you need 3 graduate semester hours of coursework in each (includes a 3 hour practicum and 3 hour internship), the remaining hours will be clinical counseling related electives to equal the 60 hour MA degree. We suggest prospective applicants first complete a 'LPC Transcript Review form'. Follow the instructions as you fill in the courses you have/will be completing in your program. If the course title does not appear to match up then you will read the course descriptions detailed on the form and compare it to the course descriptions for the course you completed and determine if the content covered matches up. After completion you will have an idea if your program of study includes all required coursework. If you are currently in a master's program OR trying to determine if a program will meet the requirements, it is recommended that you take the transcript review form and licensing rule to your academic adviser to compare the requirements with the program's plan of study.
After your degree is conferred, and when you are ready to apply for licensure, please click the here for the LPC application materials.
Credentialing Committee meetings are held once every two months in which new applicant files are reviewed to determine if the application and degree/coursework requirements have been met, per Series 1, LPC Licensing Rule.
After you apply for licensure the credentialing committee will review your application materials including the completed transcript review form. They will determine if you have met the coursework requirement OR if additional coursework is needed. If additional coursework is needed, your application file will be held in active status, for up to 18 months, while you complete the required courses. After WVBEC receives the official transcript reflecting completion of the coursework, we can then move forward with your application in which you are eligible to receive approval to take the NCE exam. Please read the content found at the National Counselor Exam tab for additional information regarding registering and scheduling for the exam.
For graduate students who have passed the NCE exam, please mark your application materials accordingly and request your official scores be sent to WVBEC at the address below. It takes approximately 4 weeks for WVBEC to receive exam scores from NBCC. Please note, this applies to graduate students completing their coursework from a CACREP accredited program as these students are given the opportunity to take the NCE exam during their final semester and as part of applying for the NCC certification.
Provisional License: It is not until the applicant has met the coursework requirement and passed the NCE that a provisional license can be issued. Once this license is in hand you may begin counting your supervision hours toward the LPC requirement. The supervision hour requirement is 3,000. The credentialing committee typically awards hours completed from the applicant's graduate internship experience toward the 3,000 hour requirement. The number granted is included in the Provisional License packet.
Temporary Permit Effective July 4, 2017, the WVBEC may issue a temporary permit to those applicants that qualify. The purpose of the temporary permit is to allow the applicant for licensure, who has been approved to take the required examination, the ability to work in a counseling position while they are taking the examination. The permit is only valid for 6 months and may not be renewed. Supervision by an ALPS is required while practicing under the temporary permit. If you elect to receive the temporary permit, please complete and submit the designated form found within the application packet materials. Please note, an applicant cannot be approved for the Temporary Permit until after they have applied for licensure and have been approved to take the NCE by the Credentialing Committee.
A list of approved supervisor's (ALPS-Approved Licensed Professional Supervisors) can be found on our website at the Supervisor Info./Current ALPS tab that includes a list of ALPS, by County, to include their email addresses and business phone numbers.
WVEBC hopes the informaiton provided is a helpful. If you have further questions, please contact Cheryl Henry via email at counselingboard@msn.com.
WVBEC
815 Quarrier Street, Suite 212
Charleston, WV 25301