Oklahoma Counselor Licensure Requirements

The counselor licensure law was passed in Oklahoma in 1985 and individuals licensed there are designated Licensed Professional Counselor. The law controls both the title and the practice of the profession of counseling. Graduation from a program requiring 60 credit hours is necessary and must include a 300-hour counseling practicum/internship.

Three years of 3,000 hours of full-time professional counseling experience is necessary prior to licensure. For each 1,000 hours, 350 must be in direct contact. Supervision must also be face-face at a rate of one 45-minute session for every 20 hours of counseling experience. The years of required counseling experience may be reduced for each 30 academic hours of credit earned past the master’s degree as long as those credit hours are clearly related to counseling. For more information, the Oklahoma State Licensure Board may be accessed at: www.ok.gov/health/Protective_Health/Professional_Counselor_Licensing_Division.

Oklahoma uses the National Counselor Exam (NCE) for counselor licensure. Candidates for licensure must also complete the Oklahoma Legal & Ethical Responsibilities Exam. A number of universities may allow graduate students to complete the NCE before graduation thus making them eligible for the National Certified Counselor credential at graduation if their academic program is accredited by Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). If the NCE is completed before graduation, the results may be used later for state licensure. Some universities use the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam (CPCE) as an exit requirement. For further information about the NCE or CPCE, check with the university program at which you are enrolled.