The Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council, the accreditation organization for CHC’s master’s program, received recognition by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
The announcement further validates the professional standards, competencies, and credentials in CHC’s Clinical and Counseling Psychology Master’s Program, which was recognized by MPCAC in 2018.
“Accreditation offers accountability and guidelines to educational institutions for providing students and future practitioners with a high-quality, academic experience,” said Mark Kenney, Director of CHC’s Master’s Program in Clinical and Counseling Psychology at the Lehigh Valley Campus. “CHEA’s accreditation comes with a longstanding reputation as a leader and advocate for higher education and student achievement that provides all members, including Chestnut Hill College, with an authoritative voice on the profession.”
CHEA is the only national organization dedicated to the accreditation of higher education programs and academic quality assurance. With their endorsement, MPCAC becomes the second organization to recognize master’s counseling and psychology degree programs that prepare students to become licensed professional counselors.
“MPCAC has a combined focus on science-based counseling and psychological services that ultimately serve the public good,” said Kenney, who also serves on the Board of MPCAC as Associate Chair of Information Management. “MPCAC accredited programs vary in the specifics of their training and development of students, but we ensure that those programs are in the best interest of the students and their professional journey.”
As an independent organization, with no affiliation to a professional or trade association, the MPCAC accreditation process is managed by its Board. The MPCAC standards for accreditation are grounded in the science-based practices of counseling and psychology and are updated frequently to be culturally responsive. MPCAC’s process for accreditation includes a detailed self-study by the institution site visit by an approved accreditation review committee and final accreditation decision by the Board. MPCAC has accredited 61 programs, including Chestnut Hill College, Arcadia University, New York University, Columbia University, and Fordham University.
