436 The Professional Counselor | Volume 10, Issue 4 the North Atlantic and Western regions have a 9:1 and 18:1 ratio of CACREP-accredited master’s-todoctoral programs, respectively. Table 1 Regional Representation of CACREP-Accredited Programs (December 2018) Region Population CACREP Doctoral Programs CACREP Master’s Programs Ratio of Master’s to Doctoral % States with Doctoral Programs Ratio of Population to Master’s Programs Ratio of Population to Doctoral Programs North Atlantic 57,780,705 8 75 9:1 36.4 770,409:1 7,222,588:1 North Central 72,251,823 23 104 5:1 69.2 694,729:1 3,141,384:1 Rocky Mountain 14,346,347 8 24 3:1 83.3 597,764:1 1,793,293:1 Southern 119,141,243 44 162 4:1 93.3 735,440:1 2,647,583:1 Western 63,647,316 2 35 18:1 28.6 1,818,495:1 31,823,658:1 Total 327,167,434 85 783 9:1 417,838:1 3,804,272:1 Note. Ratios rounded to closest whole number. Source of CACREP data: https://www.cacrep.org/directory/. Source of U.S. Census data: https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2010s-national-total.html#par_ textimage_2011805803 This overall ratio of master’s-to-doctoral programs is likely to increase in the coming years, as a total of 63 master’s programs are in the process of applying for CACREP accreditation compared to only five doctoral programs, as depicted in the Appendix (i.e., 13:1 ratio). This 13:1 ratio exceeds the current 9:1 ratio. As seen in the Appendix, the regions with the highest ratios currently (North Atlantic and Western regions) have at least the same if not greater ratio of master’s-to-doctoral programs currently in the CACREP accreditation process (10:1 and 8:0 respectively), meaning that these unequal ratios will likely remain stable for some time to come. Although population size in states and regions may play some role in this unequal distribution, other factors likely contribute to this phenomenon. No previous literature has examined factors contributing to regional differences in the number of CACREP-accredited doctoral programs. The confluence of (a) greater numbers of CACREP-accredited master’s programs, (b) greater student enrollment numbers in CACREP-accredited master’s programs, (c) CACREP requirements for hiring faculty to meet faculty–student ratios, and (d) the 2013 CACREP requirement for core faculty to possess doctorates in CES may together result in increased demand for hiring doctoral CES graduates to maintain CACREP accreditation. A pipeline problem may result from demand surpassing supply, with programs struggling to hire qualified doctoral graduates. This imbalance of supply and demand appears most exaggerated for faculty with expertise in school counseling (Bernard, 2006; Bodenhorn et al., 2014). Bodenhorn et al. (2014) expressed concern that the 2013 CACREP requirement for core faculty could limit enrollment in master’s programs. Although enrollment continues to climb in CACREP-accredited programs nationally, it is possible that regions with fewer doctoral programs may limit master’s enrollment because of difficulties with hiring additional core faculty. Programs in regions with fewer doctoral programs may struggle to convince candidates from other regions to relocate to their locale.
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