Undergraduate art therapy education programs in the United States have endeavored to prepare students for graduate level art therapy training and entry level positions in art facilitation since the mid-1970s with minimal published guidelines or established professional standards. The authors reviewed the art therapy literature regarding current…

This article estimates earnings impacts for those who completed long-term college credentials (degrees or college certificates requiring a year or more of study) and those who did not in an experimental evaluation of a federally-funded sectoral job training program. The experimental evaluation found no overall impact of the program on earnings,…

Accreditation is a critical process in maintaining standards of consistency and excellence in the academic preparation of students for their chosen profession. While academic programs, professional associations, and credentialing organizations all recognize the importance of programmatic accreditation in recreational therapy professional…

Research about repeated testing has revealed that retaking the same exam form generally does not advantage or disadvantage failing candidates in selected response-style credentialing exams. Feinberg, Raymond, and Haist (2015) found a contributing factor to this phenomenon: people answering items incorrectly on both attempts give the same incorrect…

Undergraduate art therapy programs outnumber graduate programs in the United States, yet they lack a parallel set of educational standards. An online survey collected data from 38 out of 54 undergraduate art therapy programs. Similarities among programs included: curricular requirements, credential-holder provided advising and fieldwork…

As the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) begins to approve accreditation standards for programs granting practice doctorates, it is unclear as to what implications accreditation of these programs will have on the Master's in Social Work (MSW) degree. This article examines threats to the MSW by comparing the evolution of social work education…

Context: The professional preparation of newly credentialed athletic trainers (ATs) has been passionately debated. Understanding how newly credentialed ATs feel they are prepared will help enhance professional preparation. Objective: Explore newly credentialed ATs' perceptions of their professional preparation for their role. Design:…

This study explored the impact of a seven-college consortium called "Credentials to Careers" (C2C), which was created to foster innovative programs to retrain unemployed and displaced workers for STEM, advanced manufacturing and health-care-related careers, on students' self-efficacy. Using the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale, we…

Career pathways, comprised of stackable credentials and a coherently aligned sequence of programmes of study, are being hailed as an effective means for promoting postsecondary attainment and upward mobility, particularly for low-income and low-skilled adult workers. However, concerns have been raised regarding whether this strategy accomplishes…

This article examines two Canadian high school work experience programs that focus on rural youth. The first encourages students to consider work in skilled trades, while the second encourages them to become qualified as healthcare aides. Both programs were designed to encourage high school students to explore careers in fields where labor market…

This article was prepared to inform the deliberations of the Galway Consensus Conference by providing a common and global reference point for the discussion of terminology and key conceptual and professional issues in the credentialing of health education and health promotion specialists. The article provides a review of the terminology that is…

The interest in competencies, standards, and quality assurance in the professional preparation of public health professionals whose work involves health promotion and health education dates back several decades. In Australia, Europe, and North America, where the interest in credentialing has gained momentum, there have been rapidly evolving…

This paper reports the outcome of the Galway Consensus Conference, an effort undertaken as a first step toward international collaboration on credentialing in health promotion and health education. Twenty-nine leading authorities in health promotion, health education, and public health convened a 2-day meeting in Galway, Ireland, during which the…

When Brenda M. Coppard was studying occupational therapy in the late 1980s, a bachelor's degree was the standard ticket to enter the profession. By the 1990s, a master's degree was expected. Today a doctorate is becoming the norm. Ms. Coppard has pushed for more advanced degrees. In 1999 the associate professor of occupational therapy helped…

Urges community colleges to develop health care training programs specific to the employment needs of a community. Examines issues related to health care credentialing and program accreditation. Reviews the wide range of nursing programs that community colleges can provide as continuing education or for college credit. (DMM)