State Licensure Information
The State of Illinois requires that those who wish to work as a counselor have licensure as either a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) or an advanced Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC). The Counseling program’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling specialty area meets the educational requirements for the Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. However, there are further requirements that must be met. For more information, contact the State of Illinois Department of Professional Regulation in Springfield, Illinois.
Admission Requirements
To be eligible for the Licensed Professional Counselor program, students must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. It is recommended that you have at least one year of working experience.
To apply, please submit the following materials to the Office of Graduate Admission:
- A completed application
- Online application fee
- One official transcript from each college and/or university attended
- Three letters of recommendation: one from a professor addressing your academic ability, one from an employer, and the third from either another professor or employer
- Resume
- A personal statement (see below for more information)
The admission process also may include an interview with program faculty.
Personal Statement
Please answer all of the following questions.
Your entire response should not exceed 1,500 words (or approximately 300 words per question).
- Discuss why you want to enter the counseling field. Demonstrate in your response that you have researched the field and have a basic understanding of what counseling professionals do.
- Given what you have researched about the profession, discuss your short-term and long-term professional goals should you eventually graduate from our program. Integrate into your response why DePaul’s counseling program will help you achieve your goals.
- Discuss why self-awareness, self reflection and self-care are important skills for counselors. Explain ways in which you would attend to all of these should you be a student in our program.
- Explain how your personal values and ethical beliefs will be an asset to you as a future counselor and explain any challenges you may face in future practice. Provide concrete examples from your personal or professional life to help illustrate your points.
- Discuss your understanding of “multicultural proficiency” and “social justice.” Explain how you believe these play a role in the work of counseling professionals as well as how these fit with your own beliefs and values. Provide concrete examples from your personal or professional life to help illustrate your points.
Licensed Professional Counselor Academic Criteria
Individuals who have already completed a Counseling program at DePaul may be required to take additional coursework to meet all the course requirements below. Individuals who are interested in the LPC but did not complete a Counseling program at DePaul can apply as a non-degree student to complete the coursework below.
Applicants must complete coursework in the following areas:
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Human Growth and Development | ||
| SCG 401 | ADVANCED LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT | 4 |
| Counseling Theory | ||
| CSL 467 | COUNSELING THEORIES | 4 |
| Counseling Techniques | ||
| CSL 501 | COUNSELING SKILLS | 4 |
| Group Dynamics, Processing and Counseling | ||
| CSL 458 | GROUP COUNSELING | 4 |
| Appraisals of Individuals | ||
| CSL 461 | TESTING AND APPRAISAL | 4 |
| Research and Evaluation | ||
| SCG 410 | INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH: PURPOSES, ISSUES, AND METHODOLOGIES | 4 |
| Professional, Legal and Ethical Responsibilities Relating to Professional Counseling, Especially as Related to Illinois Law | ||
| CSL 451 | LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES IN COUNSELING | 4 |
| CSL 452 | INTRODUCTION TO THE COUNSELING PROFESSION | 4 |
| Social and Cultural Foundations | ||
| CSL 510 | MULTICULTURAL COUNSELING | 4 |
| Lifestyles and Career Development | ||
| CSL 454 | CAREER COUNSELING | 4 |
| Practicum/Internship | ||
| CSL 552 | PRACTICUM IN COUNSELING | 4 |
| CSL 553 | INTERNSHIP IN COUNSELING I | 4 |
| CSL 554 | INTERNSHIP IN COUNSELING II | 4 |
| Substance Abuse | ||
| CSL 466 | ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT OF CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY | 4 |
| Maladaptive Behavior and Psychopathology | ||
| CSL 489 | PSYCHOPATHOLOGY | 4 |
| Family Dynamics | ||
| CSL 556 | COUPLES AND FAMILY COUNSELING | 4 |