The 2024 CACREP Standards took effect on July 1, 2024, and all CACREP-accredited programs were required to comply by July 1, 2026. The standards more explicitly address digital teaching and learning, but they did not establish a separate accreditation category for online programs. Some requirements may directly affect students, while others primarily concern how programs document educational quality, evaluate outcomes, support students, and demonstrate compliance across delivery formats.
Do the 2024 CACREP Standards Treat Online Programs Differently?
The 2024 CACREP Standards explicitly recognize three program delivery types: in-person synchronous, digitally synchronous, and digitally asynchronous. Programs must identify the delivery methods they use and demonstrate that each program pathway meets applicable accreditation requirements.
This does not mean CACREP created a separate or less rigorous set of standards for online counseling programs. The framework generally applies common expectations for curriculum, faculty, student support, assessment, professional practice, and program outcomes across delivery types. When a program offers more than one pathway—such as campus-based and online options—it must account for how those pathways operate and meet the standards.
CACREP also does not prescribe one required model for online instruction. Programs may use different combinations of synchronous and asynchronous learning, technologies, support systems, and skills-training arrangements, provided they can demonstrate compliance with the standards.
As a result, some online students may notice new or revised policies, while others may see few obvious changes. Many CACREP standards for online programs concern how institutions document quality and evaluate their delivery methods rather than requiring an entirely different student experience.
The Most Direct Issue for Online Students: Synchronous Skills Assessments
Beginning July 1, 2026, CACREP-accredited programs must provide synchronous experiences in which faculty observe and assess each student’s counseling skills and professional dispositions at least twice during the program, for both entry-level and doctoral students. One of these assessments must occur before practicum. The requirement applies regardless of whether a program is delivered on campus, online, or through a combination of formats.
This requirement is not retroactive. By CACREP’s own policy language, it applies only to students entering their counselor education program on or after July 1, 2026. Students who were already enrolled before that date are not covered by this specific requirement, though their program may still choose to apply similar expectations on its own.
CACREP originally described these experiences as in-person requirements, but it revised the policy in February 2026. Under the current guidance, programs may conduct the required synchronous assessments at a physical location, through live digital delivery, or through a combination of the two. The policy therefore does not impose a universal residency or campus-visit requirement on every online student.
Individual programs may nevertheless require in-person orientations, residencies, skills intensives, or assessments as part of their own approach to meeting CACREP standards and institutional requirements. Before enrolling, students should ask:
- Whether either synchronous assessment must be completed in person
- Where and when any required residency or campus visit occurs
- How long each required experience lasts
- Whether travel, lodging, meals, or related expenses are included in the published program cost
- What technology and scheduling arrangements apply to digitally delivered assessments
The practical effect will depend on how each institution implements the policy. Some online students may complete both assessments remotely, while others may still need to attend an in-person experience required by their program.
Other Requirements That May Affect the Online Student Experience
Several provisions of the 2024 CACREP Standards strengthen expectations for how programs support, evaluate, and oversee students across delivery formats. These requirements may improve the online learning experience, but they do not guarantee that every student will encounter a visible policy or curriculum change.
Technology and Technical Support
Institutions must provide technology for counselor-education faculty and technical support for faculty and students across all delivery types and locations. They must also provide access to appropriate counseling-skills training environments and technology that support instruction and supervision while protecting student privacy and confidentiality.
Programs may meet these expectations in different ways. Prospective students should ask what equipment, software, internet access, learning platforms, and recording tools they must provide themselves, as well as when technical support is available.
Privacy and Digital Skills Training
Online counseling education may involve live skills practice, recorded demonstrations, supervision sessions, and other activities that require careful handling of sensitive information. CACREP requires programs to provide training environments and technology that protect counseling students’ privacy and confidentiality, but it does not mandate one particular platform or security system.
Students should review program policies governing recordings, informed consent, storage, access controls, secure communication, and the use of client-related information. They should also understand which digital competencies they are expected to develop before beginning skills courses or fieldwork.
Admissions and Readiness for the Delivery Format
CACREP requires entry-level admission recommendations to consider an applicant’s aptitude for graduate study in the program’s delivery type. Student handbooks must also identify the technology resources and competencies needed to complete the program.
This does not mean CACREP requires every online program to administer a technology test or use the same admissions criteria. Programs may evaluate readiness through application materials, interviews, orientations, prerequisite expectations, or other processes.
Outcomes by Delivery Type
Programs must analyze certain graduate outcomes by delivery type and specialized practice area, including credentialing-examination pass rates, degree-completion rates, and employment or doctoral-admission rates.
This added attention to delivery-specific results may help programs identify differences between online and campus pathways. Prospective students can ask whether the institution publishes completion, examination, employment, and field-placement outcomes specifically for online students. Not every measure will necessarily be available publicly or based on a large enough group to support meaningful comparisons.
Field Placement and Supervision
Online coursework does not eliminate practicum or internship requirements. CACREP requires programs to provide ongoing support in helping students find fieldwork sites that offer sufficient and appropriate counseling experiences.
Students should ask how the program approves sites, identifies qualified supervisors, handles placements across state lines, and responds when a suitable site is difficult to secure. When supervision occurs at a distance, programs must still ensure that it is conducted appropriately, with suitable technology and qualified supervision.
An online format does not necessarily mean that practicum or internship can be completed remotely. Placement arrangements depend on program policies, the services provided at the site, supervision requirements, state law, and whether the experience satisfies CACREP standards.
What the Standards Do Not Mean
The 2024 CACREP Standards make expectations for different delivery types more explicit, but several common conclusions do not follow from the new framework:
- Online CACREP-accredited programs are not automatically less valid than campus programs. Programs must demonstrate compliance with applicable standards for every delivery type they offer.
- CACREP has not created a separate, lower-quality accreditation category for online programs. Its standards generally establish common expectations while allowing programs flexibility in how they meet them.
- Accreditation does not automatically extend to every program at an institution. CACREP accredits specific counseling degree programs and specialized practice areas, not colleges or universities as a whole.
- CACREP accreditation is not a professional license. State licensing boards determine whether an applicant meets the education, examination, supervised-experience, background-check, and other requirements for licensure.
- Graduation from a CACREP-accredited program does not automatically authorize practice in every state. Requirements vary by jurisdiction, and students should verify the rules of the state where they plan to seek licensure.
- Online enrollment does not eliminate applied training requirements. Students must still complete required counseling-skills assessments, practicum, internship, and supervision under applicable program, CACREP, and state requirements.
- An online format does not guarantee that every requirement can be completed remotely. Programs and fieldwork sites may require live participation, local placements, in-person activities, or other arrangements.
- Every program will not implement the standards identically. CACREP establishes accreditation requirements but generally allows programs to determine how they will demonstrate compliance.
Students should therefore evaluate the policies of the exact program and specialization they are considering rather than assuming that all CACREP-accredited online programs operate in the same way.
Questions Online Students Should Ask Before Enrolling
Before choosing an online counseling program, students should look beyond the general format description and confirm how the program handles accreditation, in-person requirements, fieldwork, technology, and licensure preparation.
- Is the exact online program and specialized practice area CACREP accredited?
- Are any in-person assessments, residencies, orientations, or campus visits required?
- Where and when do those experiences occur, and how long do they last?
- Are travel, lodging, meals, and related expenses included in the published cost?
- Is instruction digitally synchronous, digitally asynchronous, or a combination of both?
- How does the program protect counseling-skills recordings, student information, and client-related material?
- What technical support is available to remote students, and during which hours?
- How does the program help students identify and secure appropriate practicum and internship placements?
- Does the program publish completion, credentialing-examination, employment, or placement outcomes specifically for online students?
- Does the curriculum satisfy the educational requirements for licensure in the state where the student intends to practice?
Students comparing CACREP-accredited counseling programs should verify the accreditation status of the specific program and specialization in CACREP’s official directory. They should also request written answers to questions about residencies, field placements, costs, and state authorization before enrolling.
CACREP Standards vs. the Counseling Compact
CACREP and the Counseling Compact address different stages of becoming and working as a professional counselor.
The 2024 CACREP Standards establish requirements used to evaluate counselor-education programs. CACREP accreditation indicates that a specific program has undergone a quality-assurance process covering areas such as curriculum, faculty, student assessment, learning resources, and supervised professional practice.
The Counseling Compact, by contrast, is an agreement among participating states that allows eligible licensed professional counselors to apply for privileges to practice in other Compact member states without obtaining a separate license in each state. Counselors must hold a qualifying license in their home state and satisfy the Compact’s applicable eligibility and application requirements.
For this reason, 2024 counseling compact standards is not the formal name of the CACREP requirements. Three separate authorities and stages are involved:
- CACREP accreditation applies to counselor-education programs.
- State licensing boards determine whether graduates qualify for professional licensure.
- The Counseling Compact governs interstate practice privileges for eligible counselors who are already licensed.
Graduating from a CACREP-accredited program may help a student satisfy educational requirements for licensure, but accreditation does not itself issue a license or guarantee eligibility for a Compact privilege. Students and counselors should verify current requirements with the licensing board in the state where they intend to practice and with official Counseling Compact resources.
What Current Online Students Should Do
Students already enrolled in an online counseling program should not assume that implementation of the 2024 CACREP Standards will automatically change their degree plan or delay graduation. The practical effect depends on the program’s existing policies, the requirements under which the student was admitted, and any changes the institution made to comply with the current standards.
One requirement worth flagging specifically: the twice-during-the-program synchronous skills and dispositions assessment (Policy A.2.e) applies only to students entering their program on or after July 1, 2026. Students already enrolled before that date are not subject to this particular requirement by CACREP’s own terms, though a program is still free to layer its own similar expectations onto current students if it chooses. Confirming which category applies is a good first question to raise with an advisor.
Current students should:
- Confirm that their exact degree program and specialized practice area remain CACREP accredited.
- Review updated student handbooks, degree plans, technology requirements, skills-assessment policies, residency information, and fieldwork procedures.
- Ask whether any policy changes affect their remaining courses, practicum or internship timeline, graduation requirements, or expected costs.
- Obtain written clarification from the program when requirements or procedures change.
- Verify licensure requirements directly with the board in the state where they intend to practice.
- Keep copies of program guidance related to field placements, supervision, skills assessments, interstate placements, and licensure preparation.
CACREP required all accredited programs to comply with the 2024 Standards by July 1, 2026, but institutions may have taken different approaches to implementation. Students who are unsure how a change applies to them should contact their program director, academic advisor, clinical placement coordinator, or licensure advisor rather than relying only on general information published for prospective students.
Programs must also inform current and prospective students whether an accredited specialized practice area meets the licensing or certification requirements in the state where the student resides. Students should still confirm the information with the relevant state licensing board, particularly if they move, complete fieldwork in another state, or plan to seek licensure outside their current state.
What Prospective Doctoral Students Should Know
Prospective doctoral students should verify the accreditation status of the specific counselor education and supervision program they are considering, along with its delivery format and any in-person, synchronous, residency, internship, or supervision requirements.
The 2024 CACREP Standards include a separate section for doctoral programs in counselor education and supervision. These standards address the doctoral learning environment, professional identity, curriculum, and a minimum 600-hour doctoral internship involving counseling and at least two additional areas such as supervision, teaching, research and scholarship, or leadership and advocacy.
Students comparing CACREP-accredited PhD programs should not assume that an online or hybrid format makes all doctoral activities remotely accessible. They should confirm how the program delivers experiential coursework, arranges doctoral internships, provides supervision, and applies its residency or live-participation policies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did CACREP create separate standards for online counseling programs?
No. The 2024 CACREP Standards explicitly recognize in-person synchronous, digitally synchronous, and digitally asynchronous delivery, but they generally apply common quality expectations across the delivery types a program offers. Programs must demonstrate that each pathway satisfies applicable standards rather than treating online education as a separate or lower-quality accreditation category.
Will the 2024 CACREP Standards change my graduation requirements?
Possibly, but not necessarily. CACREP required all accredited programs to comply with the 2024 Standards by July 1, 2026, and institutions may have revised curricula, assessments, handbooks, or other procedures during that transition. Whether those changes affect an individual student depends on the program’s implementation decisions and the student’s official degree plan. Students should request written guidance from their program before assuming that general policy changes alter their graduation requirements.
Are online CACREP programs now required to include in-person experiences?
Not under CACREP Policy A.2.e. as currently written. Beginning July 1, 2026, programs must provide at least two synchronous experiences in which faculty observe and assess students’ counseling skills and professional dispositions, including one before practicum for entry-level students. The requirement applies regardless of delivery method, but CACREP revised the policy in February 2026 so that the experiences are not universally required to occur at a physical location — they may be delivered in person, digitally, or through a combination of the two.
This requirement also applies only to students entering their program on or after July 1, 2026; students already enrolled before that date are not covered by it under CACREP’s own policy terms.
Individual programs may nevertheless require in-person residencies, orientations, skills intensives, or assessments as part of their own approach to meeting CACREP standards and institutional requirements. Online students should therefore verify the program’s own requirements — and confirm which entry cohort they fall into — rather than assuming that every activity can be completed remotely, or that a general policy change automatically applies to them.
Does a CACREP-accredited online degree qualify me for licensure in every state?
No. CACREP accredits counselor-education programs, while state licensing boards establish the requirements for professional licensure. A CACREP-accredited degree may satisfy some or all of a state’s educational requirements, but students must also meet that jurisdiction’s examination, supervised-experience, application, and other requirements.
Programs must inform current and prospective students whether the accredited program meets licensing or certification requirements in the state where the student resides. Students should still verify current rules directly with the appropriate state board, especially if they plan to move or seek licensure in another jurisdiction.
Do the 2024 CACREP Standards guarantee Counseling Compact eligibility?
No. CACREP accreditation concerns the quality of an educational program. Counseling Compact participation is available only to qualifying professional counselors who hold an eligible license in their home state and apply for a privilege to practice in another participating state.
Graduating from a CACREP-accredited program does not itself provide a professional license or a Compact privilege. Licensure, home-state participation, individual eligibility, and the availability of privileges in the desired remote state must all be considered separately.
Can practicum and internship be completed online?
There is no universal answer. Online coursework does not remove CACREP’s practicum and internship requirements, and a student’s placement must provide suitable counseling experience and supervision. Whether services or supervision may be delivered remotely depends on the program’s policies, the approved placement site, supervisor qualifications, client-service conditions, technology, state law, and applicable CACREP requirements.
Students should not assume that an online degree guarantees a fully remote field placement. They should ask how the program approves sites, supports students in finding placements, handles distance supervision, and addresses requirements in the state where the student and clients are located.
The Practical Takeaway
The 2024 CACREP Standards make digital delivery more explicit within CACREP’s accreditation framework, but they do not establish a separate or lower-quality category for online counseling programs. Many of the requirements focus on how programs document quality, evaluate outcomes, support students, protect privacy, and oversee skills training and fieldwork across different delivery types.
For students expecting a fully remote experience, the most important practical question is how the program conducts required synchronous skills and dispositions assessments. CACREP currently allows these experiences to occur physically or digitally, but individual institutions may still require residencies, campus visits, or other in-person activities.
Before enrolling, students should verify the accreditation status of the exact program and specialization, review all in-person and synchronous requirements, estimate total costs beyond tuition, ask how field placements are secured, and confirm that the curriculum aligns with licensure requirements in the state where they intend to practice. Program policies—not broad assumptions about online education—will determine the actual student experience.
