Membership Categories
Member benefits are the same for all membership categories. Career development professionals can Join NCDA directly, or join through the American Counseling Association (ACA).
REGULAR*
Regular members are those who have an interest or involvement in career development and have a desire to uphold the mission and principles of NCDA. Regular members join through NCDA directly.
NEW PROFESSIONAL & STUDENT
Students enrolled in programs preparing them for counseling and other career development areas are eligible to become student members of NCDA. Student members may join through NCDA or through ACA. New Professionals are those graduates in their first year of employment in the career development field. The New Professionals are offered reduced membership dues for a limit of one-year following graduation.
RETIRED
Retirees who have been an NCDA member for at least ten years and are retired from the counseling profession can apply for retired membership. Retired members should apply for membership directly through NCDA.
PROFESSIONAL*
NCDA professional members are those members who join through ACA. Professional members hold a Master's degree or higher in counseling or a closely related field, from a college or university recognized by the Council on Post-secondary Accreditation. (If you are eligible for professional membership, you may select either professional or regular NCDA membership.) For more information on ACA membership, call 800-347-6647 and ask for member services.
* Special Designations:
Once you've become a Regular or Professional member of NCDA, you can also apply for a number of 'Special Designations', including Fellow, Master Career Counselor (MCC) and Master Career Development Professional (MCDP).
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In this section
Career Developments Magazine
Career Developments is a themed publication offering articles that balance a broad vision with practical applications. All NCDA members receive this as a benefit of membership. Learn more about Career Developments.
Additional Offers for NCDA Members:
Occasionally NCDA members can gain benefits in other organizations based on their NCDA membership. One such offer is now available from VECAP: The Vocational Evaluation and Career Assessment Professionals Association (VECAP) is a non-profit organization committed to improving and advancing the fields of vocational evaluation and career assessment services. VECAP is now offering a 50% discount on their membership for NCDA members. They even offer a New Professional membership for anyone new to NCDA. Visit the VECAP website for details and an application.
