The International Registry of Counsellor Education Programs (IRCEP) was developed by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) to respond to a growing request for an international quality assurance recognition review process for Counsellor education and training programmes around the world.
IRCEP’s purpose is to serve as the international quality assurance agency to foster excellence in the education and training of professional counsellors worldwide and empower programmes to develop counsellor training curricula appropriate to their country, regions, and/or culture, while simultaneously recognizing the broad tenets of education and training common to the practice of counselling regardless of practice location.
By pursuing and maintaining IRCEP recognition, the counsellor education and training programme demonstrates commitment to the Counselling profession and adherence to the rigorous international recognition review process. Recognition by the IRCEP facilitates: Global Standard of Quality, Global Visibility, Global Collaboration, Shared Best Practice, Global Recognition and Degree Mobility.
IRCEP serves as the international quality assurance agency to foster excellence in the education and training of professional counsellors worldwide through a Registry of approved counsellor education and training programmes. These programmes have demonstrated adherence to the rigorous international recognition review process and have met the IRCEP Principles of Quality Assurance and Professional Standards.
IRCEP’s Principles are essential to the education and training of counsellors while culturally sensitive, rigorous, and flexible enough to be used by a variety of educational systems worldwide. They are designed to ensure value to stakeholders. The stakeholders include students, educators, academic programmes, employers, and community members.
Counsellor Education and training programmes within and outside of the United States who engage in international/global activities, want to increase their global visibility, while offering faculty and students international instructional learning opportunities can click to apply for IRCEP recognition. If you require further information regarding application process, please contact IRCEP’s Managing Director via email [email protected].
If you submit an application, you will not automatically be invoiced for Application Fees. You can pay by check, ACH, or credit card, but you will need to initiate the payment at the time you submit the application (see Application Guidelines for more information). Fees are non-refundable.
*Please note the annual maintenance fee of $200 will be billed annually on the prior year during month of October/November. Fees are non-refundable.
If you need an invoice, please contact our office at [email protected] and we will provide one.
The Institution and/or Counsellor education and training programme must meet ALL the following requirements prior to applying to the International Registry of Counsellor Education Programs (IRCEP) to be considered for recognition:
- The institution offers a Counsellor education and training programme and/or has curriculum with a focus on counselling education or training in the respective country, state, city, or region.
- The institution has legal approval to operate the Counsellor education and training programme in the respective country, state, city, or region.
- The institution possesses programmatic accreditation, recognition and/or approval by the regional regulatory agency that has authority and oversight of Counsellor education and training programmes in the respective country, state, city, or region.
Note: The Institution and/or Counsellor education and training programme must submit documentation evidence along with application materials that demonstrates it meets the eligibility requirements.
Refer to Eligibility Requirements section in the Application Guideline packet for more detailed information.
Please note that applications for IRCEP recognition and approval are only open to Counsellor Education and Training Programmes and/or programmes that have curriculum with a focus on counselling education or training. Programmes offering degrees and/or curriculum without a focus on counselling education or training unfortunately are not eligible to apply. If you have questions about eligibility, please contact IRCEP Managing Director via email [email protected]
IRCEP empowers programmes to develop counsellor training curricula appropriate to their country, regions, and/or culture, while simultaneously recognizing the broad tenets of education and training common to the practice of counselling regardless of culture, country, region, work practice setting, or educational system.
The Counsellor education and training programme must offer curriculum for obtaining essential knowledge and skills necessary to function effectively as a professional counsellor across service delivery modalities. Curriculum knowledge domains and outcome expectations are frequently interrelated and not mutually exclusive.
Ethical behavior, diversity, equity, inclusion, and critical thinking are integral to counsellor preparation and should be infused throughout the curriculum. Diversity refers to all aspects of intersectional and cultural identity. Counsellor preparation programmes address culturally sustaining content and strategies across the eight (8) foundational curriculum areas. The eight (8) foundational curriculum areas represent the knowledge required of all entry level counsellor education graduates.
Counsellor education and training programmes must document where and in what manner each of the numbered areas listed below is covered in the curriculum.
1. Professional Counselling Orientation and Ethical Practice
2. Social and Cultural Identities and Experiences
3. Lifespan Development
4. Career Development
5. Counselling Practice and Relationships
6. Group Counselling and Group Work
7. Assessments and Diagnostic Processes
8. Research and Program Evaluation
Refer to Principle 3: Foundational Counselling Curriculum section found in the Application Guideline packet and on IRCEP’s website for more detailed information.
Yes, the programme can be taught in any language, however the IRCEP application and all supporting documentation must be submitted in English. Please note if the application is a translation from the language in which the programme is delivered, it must include an affidavit or “accurate translation.”
No, depending on the requirements for counselling practice in a country or region, programmes can be associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral level. While there is no degree requirement, programmes must be able to provide evidence that the programme is a bona fide or legitimate programme, and the programme must demonstrate that it has sufficient resources to operate. This includes the faculty or educators, as well as access to learning resources.
Application forms and all supporting documentation are to be submitted via email (in English) to [email protected]
The application fee is $1,000 USD (nonrefundable). The application fee must be remitted when the application is submitted to IRCEP for review. No application will be reviewed, or feedback provided until the application fee has been received.
If more than three (3) months lapses between receipt of the application documents and the application fee, the application will be voided. The programme will be required to submit a new application and requisite application fee.
Payments can be made in various forms: Checks, Credit Cards, or Electronic Funds Transfer (ACH). Payments are non-refundable.
Refer to the Application Payment Methods section in the Application Guideline packet for more detailed information.
Payment Options:
- Check:
- Made out to: IRCEP
Address:
CACREP
500 Montgomery Street, Suite 350
Alexandria, VA 22314
- Credit Card:
- Contact Heidi Campbell, Operations Associate, via phone (703) 535-5990
- *Note: if paying by Credit Card, 3% will be added to the total fee
- Electronic Funds Transfer:
- To process electronic funds payment via Automated Clearing House (ACH) contact IRCEP Managing Director via email [email protected]
Payments can be made in various forms: Checks, Credit Cards, or Electronic Funds Transfer (ACH).
*Payments are non-refundable.
Payment Options:
- Check:
- Made out to: IRCEP
Address:
CACREP
500 Montgomery Street, Suite 350
Alexandria, VA 22314
- Credit Card:
- Contact Heidi Campbell, Operations Associate, via phone (703) 535-5990
- *Note: if paying by Credit Card, 3% will be added to the total fee
- Electronic Funds Transfer:
- To process electronic funds payment via Automated Clearing House (ACH) contact IRCEP Managing Director via email [email protected]
The IRCEP Principles of Quality Assurance and Professional Standards are
Principle 1: LEARNING ENVIORNMENT
Principle 2: ACADEMIC QUALITY
Principle 3: STUDENT RECRUITMENT, ENROLLMENT, AND RETENTION
Principle 4: FOUNDATIONAL COUNSELLING CURRICULUM
Principle 5: EDUCATOR RECRUITMENT, EMPLOYMENT, AND RETENTION
Principle 6: PROGRAMME LEADERSHIP
Refer to the IRCEP Principles of Quality Assurance and Professional Standards section on this webpage for more detailed information.
If you have questions about IRCEP application, requirements, eligibility, selection please contact IRCEP Managing Director via email [email protected]
Yes, applicant programmes may withdraw from the review process at any time prior to a final decision being made via email to [email protected]. If a decision has been made about a programme prior to the programme’s request to withdraw from the review process, the programme representatives will be contacted on IRCEP’s final decision.
When a programme is approved, IRCEP recognition is granted for a five (5) year period. Only approved programmes can promote their programme on their website, social media, and educational material as “Recognized by The International Registry of Counsellor Education Programs (IRCEP), an international affiliate of CACREP. “
At the end of the 5-year period, IRCEP recognized and approved programmes will need to submit a renewal application providing updates on how the programme continues to meet the IRCEP Principles of Quality Assurance and Professional Standards while highlighting achievements and international activities it has engaged in.
Yes, for a programme to maintain its IRCEP recognition status, it must submit an annual report and maintenance fee of $200 (USD).
*Payments are non-refundable.
Please refer to Maintaining IRCEP Recognition Status and Annual Maintenance Fee section in the guideline packet for more detailed information.
If the applicant programme does not sufficiently meet any and all parts of the application criteria (e.g., eligibility, IRCEP Principles of Quality Assurance and Professional Standards etc), the representatives listed on contact application form:
- will receive a written document outlining the areas found to be deficient in the application and provided with a choice to withdraw its application from further review.
- If applicant programme chooses to continue in the review process, it must supply all additional information to address the concerns outlined on the initial review to IRCEP via email [email protected] within 3 weeks of receipt of written request.
- The 2nd review will follow the same timeline and decision-making process as outlined for the initial review. All decisions made are final.
Refer to Application Review Process section in the Application Guideline packet for more detailed information.
Applicant programmes that were not approved initially may reapply at the end of 12 months following receipt of the initial decision letter. It is important that programme applicants review their initial application, findings, and comments to ensure that any concerns were addressed and/or clarified. Programmes may also contact IRCEP’s Managing Director via email [email protected] to request a formal meeting. Requests for meetings must be made in writing via email. Phone calls will not be considered as an option for setting up meeting appointments.