College of Education > Academics > Counseling & Special Education > Licensure & Endorsements > Licensed Professional Counselor

Licensed Professional Counselor

State Licensure Information

The State of Illinois requires that those who wish to work as a counselor have licensure as either a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) or an advanced Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC). The Counseling program’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling specialty area meets the educational requirements for the Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. However, there are further requirements that must be met. For more information, contact the State of Illinois Department of Professional Regulation in Springfield, Illinois.

Admission Requirements

To be eligible for the Licensed Professional Counselor program, students must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. It is recommended that you have at least one year of working experience.

To apply, please submit the following materials to the Office of Graduate Admission:

  • A completed application
  • Online application fee
  • One official transcript from each college and/or university attended
  • Three letters of recommendation: one from a professor addressing your academic ability, one from an employer, and the third from either another professor or employer
  • Resume
  • A personal statement (see below for more information)

The admission process also may include an interview with program faculty.

Personal Statement

Please answer all of the following questions.

Your entire response should not exceed 1,500 words (or approximately 300 words per question).

  1. Discuss why you want to enter the counseling field. Demonstrate in your response that you have researched the field and have a basic understanding of what counseling professionals do.
  2. Given what you have researched about the profession, discuss your short-term and long-term professional goals should you eventually graduate from our program. Integrate into your response why DePaul’s counseling program will help you achieve your goals.
  3. Discuss why self-awareness, self reflection and self-care are important skills for counselors. Explain ways in which you would attend to all of these should you be a student in our program.
  4. Explain how your personal values and ethical beliefs will be an asset to you as a future counselor and explain any challenges you may face in future practice. Provide concrete examples from your personal or professional life to help illustrate your points.
  5. Discuss your understanding of “multicultural proficiency” and “social justice.” Explain how you believe these play a role in the work of counseling professionals as well as how these fit with your own beliefs and values. Provide concrete examples from your personal or professional life to help illustrate your points.

Licensed Professional Counselor Academic Criteria

Individuals who have already completed a Counseling program at DePaul may be required to take additional coursework to meet all the course requirements below. Individuals who are interested in the LPC but did not complete a Counseling program at DePaul can apply as a non-degree student to complete the coursework below.

Applicants must complete coursework in the following areas:

Course Title Quarter Hours
Human Growth and Development
SCG 401ADVANCED LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT4
Counseling Theory
CSL 467COUNSELING THEORIES4
Counseling Techniques
CSL 501COUNSELING SKILLS4
Group Dynamics, Processing and Counseling
CSL 458GROUP COUNSELING4
Appraisals of Individuals
CSL 461TESTING AND APPRAISAL4
Research and Evaluation
SCG 410INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH: PURPOSES, ISSUES, AND METHODOLOGIES4
Professional, Legal and Ethical Responsibilities Relating to Professional Counseling, Especially as Related to Illinois Law
CSL 451LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES IN COUNSELING4
CSL 452INTRODUCTION TO THE COUNSELING PROFESSION4
Social and Cultural Foundations
CSL 510MULTICULTURAL COUNSELING4
Lifestyles and Career Development
CSL 454CAREER COUNSELING4
Practicum/Internship
CSL 552PRACTICUM IN COUNSELING4
CSL 553INTERNSHIP IN COUNSELING I4
CSL 554INTERNSHIP IN COUNSELING II4
Substance Abuse
CSL 466ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT OF CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY4
Maladaptive Behavior and Psychopathology
CSL 489PSYCHOPATHOLOGY4
Family Dynamics
CSL 556COUPLES AND FAMILY COUNSELING4

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