Below are basic guidelines for those wishing to earn their counseling certification in Michigan. Most of these requirements, such as earning your Master’s degree, completing 3200 hours of supervised experience and passing the NCE examination, are likely to continue to be mandatory in the Michigan counseling licensure process. However, it is wise to contact the Michigan Board of Counseling at (517) 335-0918 to make sure you are on the right track.
I’m a High School Graduate
Michigan counseling certification requires all candidates to have acquired a minimum of a master’s level education. As a high school graduate, you are showing a great deal of motivation — a valuable quality to possess for an aspiring Michigan Professional Counselor! However, right now, you should continue your momentum by learning how you can begin earning an undergraduate college degree. To paraphrase the famous quote, starting at the beginning is usually a good place to start, and starting a college education begins with earning an associate or bachelor’s degree. Pursue your undergraduate degree in psychology, counseling or a similar field and you should be off to a great start for earning your master’s degree and becoming eligible to earn a counseling position!
Click on the links below to browse schools offering programs in psychology or counseling.
Once you have enrolled in a program, take advantage of your school’s career services department to learn how you can find employment or volunteer opportunities that are related to the counseling career path.
Already Received Bachelor’s Degree
Once you have your bachelor’s degree, it might be the right time to start looking for schools that offer a master’s or doctoral degree program in counseling. Consider starting your search with schools offering counseling programs in Michigan.
Step One:
Once your masters degree has been completed, earn 3000 hours of supervised work experience over at least a 2 year period, as well as a minimum of 100 direct, supervised hours by a qualified supervisor.
More details about the hourly requirements and supervisor qualifications can be found on the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth.
Step Two:
After completing your supervised work experience, you can download the Michigan counseling license application and submit the application to the Michigan Board of Counseling. Make sure you include all additional, necessary forms and fees.
You can download the application from the following Michigan Board of Counseling webpage.
Step Three:
After reviewing your application, the Board should notify you if you have been approved to take the National Counselor Examination administered by the National Board for Certified counselors.
More information about the Michigan counseling licensure examination can be found on the NBCC website.