Western Illinois University's School Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling programs will host an open house for prospective graduate students from 10:30 a.m. to noon Friday, Nov. 20, on the university's Quad Cities campus in Moline, the university said.
The event is aimed at prospective graduate students interested in pursuing a career in counseling. Attendees will have the chance to connect with faculty and current graduate students, learn more about the programs and ask questions about the graduate counseling experience at WIU. Information about course sequencing and graduate student opportunities in both specialty areas also will be shared. A free lunch will be provided.
About the programs
WIU offers two 60-hour counseling specialty areas: School Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Both programs currently meet licensure requirements in Illinois and Iowa and are nationally accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs, or CACREP.
According to a WIU news release, the Quad Cities campus received an eight-year CACREP reaffirmation in early 2026, continuing an accreditation the program has held since 1987. The accreditation cycle runs through April 30, 2033.
The programs are designed to provide flexibility for working professionals. Fall and spring courses are offered in person on the Quad Cities campus beginning at 4, 5 or 6:30 p.m. Four to five courses are also offered online during the summer.
Students may complete the programs part time or full time. Part-time students taking about two courses per semester can finish in four years, while full-time students taking about three courses per semester can finish in three years.
Admission
A bachelor's degree in any field from a regionally accredited university meets the programs' admission criteria. The university said students enter from a variety of undergraduate backgrounds, including sociology, psychology, accounting and business.
The programs are cohort-based, with students beginning in the fall semester. The application deadline for the Fall 2027 cohort is Feb. 1.
How to attend
Prospective students interested in attending the open house can RSVP online. For more information about WIU's Counselor Education programs, visit wiu.edu/coehs/cnedcsp/cned_about.php.
Source: the original release