Counselors in Alaska are known as Professional Counselors. Licensure in Alaska as a professional counselor is regulated by the state Board of Professional Counselors. Alaska recognizes a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) as a counselor who has completed the NCE before supervised clinical.cal practice, as well as those who pass the NCMHCE after completing clinical supervision. This distinction is important because it varies by state, and applicants should always be clear about licensure language and requirements. 

Additionally, the Alaska Board of Professional Counselors is actively working to create a new license type, the Associate Counselor. As of March 2026, those working to obtain the postgraduate hours are advised that, to qualify for a Professional Counselor license, they must continue to gain the unlicensed postgraduate hours under a supervisor who obtained board approval prior to the start of the supervised hours, in compliance with AS 08.29.110(a)(6). Prospective students and aspiring LPCs seeking licensure in the state of Alaska should follow the latest updates on Associate Licensure from the Board of Professional Counselors under the Division of Corporations, Business, and Professional Licensing. 

The Board of Professional Counselors oversees all education, supervision, and renewal requirements for the professional counseling field, which are examined in detail below, along with salary information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Education Requirements

Professional counselor licensure in Alaska requires completion of a minimum 60-semester-credit master’s degree in counseling or a related field, including psychology, marital and family therapy, social work, and applied behavioral science. The degree must be from a regionally or nationally accredited institution of higher education approved by the state Board of Professional Counselors.

If the degree is in a related professional field rather than in counseling, the applicant may complete additional graduate semester hours in an accredited counseling program to meet the 60-hour requirement. Applicants must also have at least 3 graduate-level ethics credits.

For professional counseling licensure in Alaska, instruction must be received in eight of the 10 following subjects:

Alaska’s licensure rules do not set a separate graduate internship requirement for professional counselor licensure. However, applicants must still complete the required post-degree supervised experience.

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To become a professional counselor in Alaska, applicants must complete at least 3,000 hours of supervised professional counseling experience over at least two years under a supervisor who is certified by the board as an approved counselor supervisor before supervision begins.

This experience must be completed after the qualifying degree and include at least 1,000 hours of direct counseling with individuals, couples, families, or groups and at least 100 hours of face-to-face supervision. At least 50 of those supervision hours must be one-on-one; the remaining 50 may be one-on-one or group supervision, and applicants must receive at least one hour of supervision each month.

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A passing score on the NCE or the NCMHCE is required for Alaska licensure. The board may also accept another nationally recognized professional counselor examination if it determines the exam is equivalent, and the testing administrator sends verification directly to the board. 

National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification

The NCE is a 200-question multiple-choice examination administered by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC). It assesses knowledge, skills, and abilities in effective counseling services.

The National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Exam

The NCMHCE is administered by NBCC and assesses the application of counseling knowledge and skills through case studies. Under the current handbook, the exam consists of 11 case studies; 100 questions are scored, and 1 case study is unscored.

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Applicants seeking professional counseling licensure in Alaska can expect to pay the following fees for their counseling licensure application and professional counselor renewal (PDF, 586 KB)

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Professional counselor licensure must be renewed every two years. Renewal involves submitting the appropriate fees and completing an application available on the state Board of Professional Counselors website, which includes a statement of Continuing Education contact hours.

Continuing education (CE) requirements must be completed during the concluding biennial licensing period. For biennial periods beginning on or after November 1, 2023, at least 3 contact hours must be in professional ethics, at least 3 in suicidality, and at least 3 in cultural competency. The number of hours required differs by renewal cycle:

One CE “contact hour” is considered to be at least 50 minutes of classroom instruction. Board-approved courses, seminars, and workshops may designate their own CE units, which are equivalent to contact hours. Otherwise, academic credits will convert to contact hours as follows:

At least 20 of the required contact hours must be earned through synchronous courses, seminars, or workshops. No more than half of the total required hours may be earned through correspondence, videotape, audiocassette, or other individual-study programs.

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Applicants Already Credentialed in Other States

Alaska offers licensure by credentials to applicants who are currently licensed in another jurisdiction and who meet Alaska’s statutory and regulatory requirements. The board’s FAQ states that substantially equivalent requirements include 60 graduate-level credit hours in counseling and 3,000 hours of supervised experience.

Alaska may also issue a temporary military courtesy license to active-duty military members or the spouse of an active-duty member (12 AAC 62.135) to practice as a professional counselor who meets board requirements. In an urgent situation, the board may also issue an emergency license or a limited time of 120 days (12 AAC 62.150).

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The following types of counselors in Alaska can expect to earn the corresponding median annual wages, according to the May 2024 U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). 

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The following scholarships are available to aspiring LPCs in Alaska: 

Alaska State Loan Repayment Program

Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students

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Licensure information should be verified directly with the Alaska Board of Professional Counselors and with current Alaska statutes and regulations, as this article was last edited in March 2026 and requirements may have since changed.

Information Last Updated: March 2026