MBU counseling programs receive full CACREP accreditation
After a nearly four-year-long application process, Missouri Baptist University’s counseling preparation programs have received eight-year accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
This “gold standard of accreditation” evaluated Missouri Baptist University through a rigorous set of nearly 300 standards and procedures. CACREP-accredited counseling programs evidence commitment to meeting the highest level of standards for counselor preparation in the United States, and to engaging in a discipline-specific peer-review quality assurance process.
“This important accomplishment elevates our counseling program and validates that the University offers a rigorous, high-quality program that serves our students well and expands MBU’s distinctively Christian mission,” said Dr. Keith Ross, president of Missouri Baptist University. “Our School of Education and Counseling faculty are committed to exceptional counselor preparation and a culture of continuous improvement that is well demonstrated in this significant achievement.”
The accreditation is retroactive, so all counseling graduates who began the Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling or Master of Arts in School Counseling programs in the fall 2017—when MBU began the accreditation process—or later will be considered a graduate from a CACREP-accredited program. Additionally, MBU graduates will now have a fast-track option to receive National Counselor Certification Credentialing and will have more opportunities to pursue licensure in other states and work with more competitive employers.
MBU’s Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Master of Arts in School Counseling degree programsdraw upon the University’s core purpose to equip students to serve their communities in an ethical, professional, and caring manner.
“We seek to develop conscientious, professional, and highly skilled counselors who promote and facilitate the personal growth, development, and empowerment of the clients they serve,” said Dr. Christine Ward, director and associate professor of counselor education. “The Counselor Education program is rooted in the Christian faith that calls us to love God and love one another.”
Missouri Baptist University first submitted a self-review in May of 2019 followed by a site visit in February 2021. The CACREP board awarded, MBU’s counseling programs an eight-year accreditation, the most robust accreditation period offered.
Missouri Baptist University is a Christ-centered university located in Saint Louis. MBU offers more than 40 undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees in education, business and religion and its terminal degree, the Doctor of Education. In addition to its 66-acre West St. Louis County campus, MBU offers degree programs at 10 regional learning centers throughout Saint Louis, in Southern Illinois and online. For more information, go to www.mobap.edu or call 1-877-434-1115.
