Counseling Degrees & Licenses in Alaska

The Alaska Board of Professional Counselors licenses mental health counselors. The board licenses marital and family therapists and associate marital and family therapists, physical and occupational therapists (and associates in each), and professional counselors. The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development licenses school counselors in Alaska. 

For licensure by credentials, professional counselors in Alaska must have successfully completed 60 acceptable graduate units in counseling or a related field, defined as psychology, marital and family therapy, social work, and applied behavioral science. The board only licenses applicants from other states whose standards meet or exceed Alaska’s. 

For licensure by examination, professional counselors in Alaska are required to have successfully completed a 60-hour master’s degree or doctorate degree in counseling or a related field as well as having successfully passed the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE) within the last three years. Applicants should also verify having completed at least 3,000 hours of supervised experience in the practice of professional counseling after having received the degree performed over at least two years that includes at least 1,000 hours of direct counseling with individuals, couples, families, or groups, and at least 100 hours of face-to-face supervision from a board-approved supervisor. Forty hours of continuing education are required per two-year licensing period for licensed professional counselor license renewals in Alaska. 

To work as a school counselor in Alaska, applicants must have a Type C certificate. Fields covered by these endorsements include school counseling, audiology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, school nursing, school psychometry, school social work, speech pathology, and library science media. 

To qualify for a regular Type C Special Services certificate, an applicant must have completed a bachelor’s or higher degree, including three semester hours each of approved Alaska studies courses and multicultural education/cross-cultural communications. For an endorsement in school psychology, applicants must also hold a master’s or higher degree in school psychology; be recommended by an institution whose school psychology program has been approved by NCATE (National Association of School Psychologists) or the American Psychological Association; and have completed a 1,200-hour internship (with 600 of the hours in a school setting) or be certified under the certification system of the National Association of School Psychologists.

According to the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Alaska requires that all marriage and family counseling license applicants have a master’s or doctoral degree in marital and family therapy or an allied mental health field from a regionally accredited institution along with passing an exam approved by the board, as well as the completion of 1,700 hours of post-degree direct clinical contact with individuals, families, and couples. Domestic violence training is also a requirement. 

There is an increased demand everywhere for licensed counselors. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), forecasts that job openings in counseling fields will grow 17 percent nationally from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations. The need for counselors, in general, will grow as a growing population seeks mental health counseling. On the other hand, the job outlook for marriage and family therapists is expected to grow at a rate of 13 percent. 

Students pursuing counseling degrees and licenses in Alaska can find rewarding and stable careers. Read on for accredited schools offering programs for counseling degrees and licenses in Alaska.