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SNHU’s Master’s in Counseling Program Earns CACREP Accreditation

Pamme Boutselis

A female mental health counselor speaking with a client.

Southern New Hampshire University’s Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program has earned accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). This is a major milestone for the relatively new online program and reinforces SNHU’s position as a leader in online education. The CACREP accreditation is valid through October 31, 2028 and retroactively applies to all prior graduates of the program.

CACREP accreditation allows SNHU’s MA Counseling program to expand to four additional states: Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Ohio, providing students from those states the opportunity to earn an accredited counseling degree online.

Ruth Lahti and the text Dr. Ruth Lahti.“The team has truly brought the CACREP standards to life in this well-designed, supportive counseling program,” said Dr. Ruth Lahti, the associate vice president of Counseling, Liberal Arts, and Social Sciences. “This official recognition shines a spotlight on our faculty, advisors, admission counselors and career specialists who work so hard day in and day out to provide an exceptional experience for our Counseling students.”

The rigorous CACREP accreditation process involves an extensive self-study report as well as a site visit from a team of outside counselor educators, who evaluate the program’s adherence to the CACREP standards. Finally, the CACREP board of directors votes to approve the site team’s recommendations.

Gregory Fowler and the text Dr. Gregory Fowler.“This is a significant accomplishment for Southern New Hampshire University and for our counseling program," said Dr. Gregory Fowler, former president of SNHU’s Global Campus. "The rigorous standards reviewed by CACREP to accredit the SNHU counseling program validate our mission, our exceptional quality and our focus on students. CACREP accreditation for the online SNHU MA in Counseling is a major step in building one of the nation’s premier training grounds for the next generation of counseling professionals.”

SNHU’s online Clinical Mental Health Counseling program was designed to combine the flexibility and convenience of online education with the intensive skill-building experiences provided by two week-long residencies. SNHU’s team of caring and experienced clinical faculty work with students to develop their professional counselor identities, through online coursework, the intensive residency experiences and by supporting them throughout their field placements.

Learn more about counseling at SNHU.

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About Southern New Hampshire University

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SNHU is a nonprofit, accredited university with a mission to make high-quality education more accessible and affordable for everyone.

Founded in 1932, and online since 1995, we’ve helped countless students reach their goals with flexible, career-focused programs. Our 300-acre campus in Manchester, NH is home to over 3,000 students, and we serve over 135,000 students online. Visit our about SNHU page to learn more about our mission, accreditations, leadership team, national recognitions and awards.