Program Description
A clinical mental health counselor works to diagnose and treat mental and emotional conditions, helping people solve the problems they face, improving their coping skills and overall functioning. Counselors may be employed in a variety of settings including vocational and career-development programs, private practices, mental health centers, community health centers, crisis intervention centers, hospitals, alcohol and drug programs and prisons.
Counseling students will learn theories and techniques for counseling individuals, families and groups, and administration and interpretation of psychometric assessment and will practice and build skills in both a required practicum and an internship. Students will integrate theory and best practices in the application of counseling, consultation and human development skills, design and evaluate research methods, procedures, and purposes of assessment and testing in counseling, demonstrate knowledge and understanding of current legal and ethical issues that affect the practice of Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC), demonstrate cultural humility when working with diverse populations and addressing issues related to equity, inclusion and justice in education and articulate the roles and responsibilities of the Licensed Professional Counselors as defined by the American Counseling Association.
This degree qualifies graduates to earn professional counseling licensure (LPC) in Ohio by taking the National Counseling Exam (NCE). Licensure and certification requirements vary from state to state, and we have not determined if this program meets educational requirements outside of Ohio. If you are planning to pursue professional licensure or certification in a state other than Ohio, please contact the appropriate licensing entity in that state to seek information and guidance regarding that state’s licensure or certification requirements.
The option for obtaining a second Master’s degree is also available in the Clinical Mental Health concentration. A second master’s option is available for students that have completed a master’s degree in a School Counseling program from any Graduate level CACREP accredited programs. This supplemental course work will provide the graduate with an enhanced professional skill set, and the potential for an additional counseling license in a specialty area.
Concentrations are offered in several different areas, allowing students to specialize in their work.
- Clinical Mental Health Counseling - Clinical Mental Health Counseling prepares graduates to use counseling techniques, assessment and diagnosis, and treatment planning for intervention and prevention.
- Addictions Counseling - The Addictions Counseling program is designed to equip students with the skills and tools necessary to provide competent counseling services to people struggling with both mental health issues and addictions.
- Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling - Students in rehabilitation counseling will learn how to work with people experiencing concerns that include physical, mental, emotional, and/or social disabilities. This program can lead to a career as a clinical rehabilitation counselor, vocational rehabilitation counselor, rehabilitation specialist, or vocational evaluator. Graduates could work in a variety of settings like local, state, and federal agencies, hospitals, or a private practice.
Licensure Requirements for Professional Counselors (PC)
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program has all the courses required to be approved to take the licensure test for professional counselors (PC).
Licensure Requirements for Professional Clinical Counselors (PCC)
Students seeking to pursue eligibility for licensure as a professional counselor with the clinical endorsement (PCC) must fulfill all the academic requirements listed in the previous section, as well as complete 2 years of post-masters clinical supervision.
Admissions Requirements
In addition to meeting requirements for admission established by the Graduate School, candidates for these degrees who do not meet the minimum cumulative GPA requirement of 3.3 to waive the GRE or MAT, must submit satisfactory Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) scores, unless otherwise noted (see Waiver of GRE/MAT). The minimum GRE score for regular admission consideration is 291 on the sub-scales Verbal and Quantitative combined. The minimum score on the MAT for regular admission consideration is a scaled score of 403.
All students considering graduate-level courses in human services should do so with the understanding that graduate study differs in quality expectations from undergraduate study. Graduate study requires that students be increasingly self-directed and possess strong analytical skills. Students are not guaranteed a master’s degree by attending and completing courses. Exit requirements must be met in all programs.
Admission to the College of Health, Education, and Human Services is based on the candidate’s written statement of purpose, consideration of undergraduate and/or graduate cumulative grade point average, submission of satisfactory scores on either the MAT, GRE, or other required examination, letters of recommendation and a personal interview.
Waiver of GRE/MAT
Candidates to Human Services programs may not be required to submit passing GRE or MAT scores if their cumulative undergraduate GPA is a 3.3 or higher. Candidates already possessing a master’s degree from an accredited university or college in the United States also do not have to submit GRE and or MAT scores.
Program Learning Outcomes
Counseling Graduates will learn theories and techniques for counseling individuals, families and groups, and administration and interpretation of psychometric assessment and will practice and build skills in both a required practicum and an internship. Students will integrate theory and best practices in the application of counseling, consultation and human development skills, design and evaluate research methods, procedures, and purposes of assessment and testing in counseling, demonstrate knowledge and understanding of current legal and ethical issues that affect the practice of Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC), demonstrate cultural humility when working with diverse populations and addressing issues related to equity, inclusion and justice in education and articulate the roles and responsibilities of the Licensed Professional Counselors as defined by the American Counseling Association.
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