Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Specialization leading to a Master of Education degree.
Sixty credit hours leading to an degree in mental health counseling.
Application Deadlines
Summer/Fall admission applications must be received in the Graduate Admissions Office by January 21st. Spring admission applications must be received by August 31st.
Introduction
The main goal of the program is to prepare counselors for roles in community agencies. Graduates who successfully meet educational requirements are eligible to take the National Counselor Examination (NCE). After successfully passing the examination, graduates are awarded the Professional Counselor (PC) license until they have acquired two years of supervised experience in counseling, obtained after the award of the master’s degree. After successful completion of this supervised experience, they are awarded the Professional Clinical Counselor license (PCC). The program emphasizes a clinical orientation, focusing on theory and skills in counseling (individual, group, and family), assessment, human behavior and development, diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders, intervention methods, lifestyle and career development, legal and ethical responsibilities, and service-delivery systems.
Clinical and Field-Based Experience
There are two separate clinical, field-based courses. The first is CNS 680 , Counseling Practicum. This is a one-semester course requiring 100 hours of clinical field experience. Counseling Practicum is offered in the fall and spring semesters. The second clinical, field-based experience is the two-part Internship in Agency Counseling (CNS 686 and CNS 687 ). This is an intensive, two-consecutive-semester learning experience of supervised counseling in an agency setting. Internship is offered as a fall-spring sequence only. Prerequisites for Practicum and Internship are listed under the course descriptions in this Catalog. Counseling faculty strictly enforce prerequisites.
Eligibility for Counseling Practicum (CNS 680 )
Students plan their programs so they can apply for practicum two semesters in advance of the term in which they wish to take it. Applications are available in the CASAL Department office, Rhodes Tower 1419. In addition to the application, there is a mandatory practicum-orientation meeting. Applicants for practicum will be notified of the meeting date and time after they turn in their practicum applications to their advisors. To be eligible to register for practicum, students must have passed the following courses: CNS 617 , CNS 620 , CNS 622 , CNS 623 , CNS 624 and CNS 629 .
Eligibility for Agency Counseling Internship (CNS 686 and CNS 687 )
Students plan their programs so they can apply for internship two semesters in advance of the term in which they wish to take it. Applications are available in the CASAL Department office, Rhodes Tower 1419. In addition to successful completion of the practicum (CNS 680 ) and all practicum prerequisites, to be eligible for internship students must have passed CNS 706 .
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