August 4, 2017
Ursuline’s graduate program in Counseling and Art Therapy is now accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), in recognition of the fact that the program has met rigorous, national standards for quality.
“CACREP accreditation is really the gold standard for counseling education programs in the United States,” said Ursuline President Sister Christine De Vinne, OSU, Ph.D. “Our students can be confident that they are receiving a high quality education that has been validated by outside experts.”
Established in 1986, the Master of Arts (MA) in Counseling and Art Therapy is one of Ursuline’s earliest master’s degree offerings. The program provides education and training in clinical mental health counseling and art therapy. Students learn to aid clients in exploring personal potentials and problems through both visual and verbal expression. The coursework and field placement experience prepare graduates to be eligible for both licensure as professional clinical counselors and credentialing as art therapists.
“CACREP accreditation is a very important addition to our existing approvals,” noted Gail Rule-Hoffman, M.Ed., professor and program director of Counseling and Art Therapy. Ursuline offers two different tracks in the Master of Arts in Counseling and Art Therapy degree, each with longstanding approvals. The 65-credit Counseling and Art Therapy track is approved by the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, Marriage & Family Therapist Board; by the American Art Therapy Association; and now by CACREP. The 55-credit art therapy track is approved by the American Art Therapy Association.
CACREP is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.The mission of CACREP is “to promote the professional competence of counseling and related practitioners through the development of preparation standards, the encouragement of excellence in program development, and the accreditation of professional preparation programs.”
Accreditation in the United States is via a peer-review system of quality assurance. For CACREP, this means that colleges submit a self-study that is reviewed against the CACREP Standards by counselors and counselor educators to ensure that students receive a quality educational experience. CACREP accreditation also includes an on-site visit.
