Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) Track General Information

This program is offered specifically for individuals who are in the following situation:

1. Hold master's degrees in counseling or a closely related field; and
2. wish to become licensed as a Professional Counselor in Virginia; and
3. do not wish to earn an Ed.S. or Ph.D. degree; and
4. are lacking a 600-hour internship and wish to complete an internship at Old Dominion University.

This program is NOT appropriate for individuals who meet criteria 1, 2, and 3 above, but who have already completed the internship requirements set by the board.  Individuals who hold a master's degree in counseling or a closely related field and need to take additional master's degree courses to become licensed may obtain permission to take such courses as non-degree graduate students by contacting Dr. Ted Remley, Counseling Graduate Program Director, via e-mail at tremley@odu.edu

The Virginia LPC Board Requirements

To view the complete regulations of the LPC Board please visit their web site at
http://www.dhp.state.va.us/counseling/leg/LPC04182007.doc

The excerpt from the regulations reproduced below provides basic information regarding courses and credits needed to become licensed.

18VAC115-20-49. Degree program requirements.

A. Programs that are approved by CACREP or CORE are recognized as meeting the definition of graduate degree programs that prepare individuals to practice counseling and counseling treatment intervention as defined in §54.1-3500 of the Code of Virginia.

B. The applicant shall have completed a graduate degree from a program that prepares individuals to practice counseling and counseling treatment intervention, as defined in §54.1-3500 of the Code of Virginia, which is offered by a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting agency and which meets the following criteria:

1. There must be a sequence of academic study with the expressed intent to prepare counselors as documented by the institution;
2. There must be an identifiable counselor training faculty and an identifiable body of students who complete that sequence of academic study; and
3. The academic unit must have clear authority and primary responsibility for the core and specialty areas.

18VAC115-20-51. Coursework requirements.

A. The applicant shall have completed 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of graduate study in the following core areas with a minimum of three semester hours or 4.5 quarter hours in each of the areas identified in subdivisions 1 through 12 of this subsection:

1. Professional identity, function and ethics;
2. Theories of counseling and psychotherapy;
3. Counseling and psychotherapy techniques;
4. Human growth and development;
5. Group counseling and psychotherapy, theories and techniques;
6. Career counseling and development theories and techniques;
7. Appraisal, evaluation and diagnostic procedures;
8. Abnormal behavior and psychopathology;
9. Multicultural counseling, theories and techniques;
10. Research;
11. Diagnosis and treatment of addictive disorders;
12. Marriage and family systems theory; and
13. Supervised internship of 600 hours to include 240 hours of face-to-face client contact.

B. If 60 graduate hours in counseling were completed prior to April 12, 2000, the board may accept those hours if they meet the regulations in effect at the time the 60 hours were completed.

LPC Track Course Requirements

Students admitted to the LPC Track must either have completed comparable courses in their master's degree program or must complete the courses below as a part of their LPC Track program at ODU.

x = Required Course