Department of Counseling

The mission of the Department of Counseling is to prepare future counselors and counselor educators to use clinical skills, research, and instruction to serve ethnically and culturally diverse students, clients, and the community in a globally changing society. 

The counseling program at North Carolina A&T State University (NC A&T) began as a collaboration between the Department of Psychology and the Counseling Center at NC A&T circa 1960. In 1970, Dr. Myrtle B. Sampson and Dr. Bill Lawrence revised the curriculum creating the footprint for the Community/Agency and School Counseling programs as they exist today.

Under the leadership of Dr. Wyatt Kirk in April 2001, the Community/Agency counseling program, along with the School Counseling program, became the first counselor education programs at a Historically Black College/ University in the United States to be accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The accomplishment is a testament to the high standards of the counselor education program and the commitment to excellence.

In 2006, the Department of Human Development and Services initiated developed a M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling which had a focus on the Rehabilitation of Behavioral Addictions among Racial and Ethnic Minorities. This program obtained accreditation by the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE). 

In 2013, the PhD in Rehabilitation Counseling and Rehabilitation Counselor Education was launched as the first doctoral degree in rehabilitation counseling at a Historically Black College and University. The department continued to experience record growth and transformation as the Department of Human Development and Services became the Department of Counseling in the Summer of 2016. In July 2017, all department programs were accredited by CACREP. 

The department has experienced a lineage of dynamic leaders, including Dr. Charles Williams, Dr. David Lundburg, Dr. Miriam Wagner, Dr. Patricia Bethea Whitfield and Dr. Caroline Booth. In 2018, Dr. Tyra Turner Whittaker assumed leadership of the Department of Counseling. 

Our legacy continues to flourish through our department faculty, students, and our alumni.

As a Department of Counseling, we value:

• Diversity and Inclusion
• Student Focused Mission
• Integrity
• Competence
• Leadership
• Scholarship
• Quality Programming
• Commitment
• Collegiality

The Counseling program is an evening program designed with the working student in mind. Most classes are held at 6 p.m. and meet once a week on campus. There are also online and afternoon courses available for some content areas. The program provides students with a flexible matriculation schedule where coursework is completed in sequence but at each individual’s pace. Most students choose to complete their studies in 2 ½ or 3 years and summer classes are optional.

The counseling program offers three Master's of Science tracks: Mental Health Counseling - Clinical, Mental Health Counseling - Rehabilitation and School Counseling. Each counseling track has a unique curriculum complete with multiple field experiences designed to best prepare students for work with their intended population. The department also offers a Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counseling and Rehabilitation Counselor Education which began in Fall 2013 and a post-baccalaureate certificate for advanced study.

Most importantly, all counseling programs are fully accredited and aligned by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related programs  (CACREP) , the premier accrediting body for counseling. The master's programs are closely aligned with the Licensed Professional Counselor requirements for the state of North Carolina. The School Counseling program is also accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and aligned with the competencies set forth by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI).

Prospective students are also encouraged to visit all areas of the website for more detailed information on admissions and matriculation.

1. to present theoretical and practical experiences which prepare graduates to function effectively as counselors
2. encourage the spirit of inquiry and the production and utilization of research among both faculty and students produce counselors who use appropriate, culturally sensitive, intervention strategies and skills in working with clients. 
3. foster the development of an awareness and understanding of problems and professional issues as well as the legal and ethical concerns in the counseling profession.
4. foster the development of the characteristics, personal qualities, and levels of integrity necessary to meet professional standards.
5. provide opportunities for planned periodic self-evaluation and the development of greater self-understanding as well as the qualities of openness, tolerance, and acceptance of self and others.
6. develop and provide a multicultural environment that fosters skills necessary for professional counseling in a diverse society.