Master of Arts in Counseling - Clinical Mental Health

Clinical mental health counseling is an effective method of incorporating psychotherapy, practical problem resolution, and crisis management into a holistic system designed to support human dignity and generate positive outcomes in mental health treatment.
Becoming a counselor is a complex and emotional process. In addition to standard academic learning, counselor education involves a personal journey in which students bring their whole and authentic selves to the learning process. The Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree encourages students to explore their own learning and emotional journey through seeking their own personal counseling experience.
The Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling will prepare the student to excel as a mental health counselor in a variety of clinical settings, from educational, corporate, and healthcare institutions to local nonprofits, community agencies, and private practice. Our two year program will provide students with the face-to-face interaction and hands-on learning opportunities necessary to hone their counseling skills, while engaging with expert faculty, who are dedicated to their success. As a graduate of UNC Charlotte's counseling program, students can confidently and competently begin making a positive impact in the lives of individuals, couples, families, and their community as a clinical mental health counselor.
Our program is accredited by the Councils for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Professions (CACREP), which ensures the quality of our curriculum, the experience of our instructors, and the academic and experiential rigor of our program in preparing our students for their future professions.
From the first course, students will be trained to develop their cultural competency skills and learn to work with a diverse client population. This will enable future counselors to connect with and advocate for individuals from various religious, socioeconomic, ethnic, gender identity, sexual orientation, and racial backgrounds to provide the therapeutic and practical problem resolution counseling they need to lead healthier, happier lives.
Students can tailor their degree program to align with their interests by incorporating elective courses in areas such as: grief and loss counseling, crisis counseling, counseling and spirituality, counseling adolescents, play therapy, and many others. Students can even elect to perform an independent research study for course credit, under the guidance of a faculty member, in any relevant topic for which courses are not available. Students can also earn (if interested) a certificate in disciplines such as Play Therapy, Gerontology, and Addictions while completing their degree.

In addition to the general requirements for admission to the Graduate School, the criteria for admission to the M.A. in Counseling program include an applicant's potential success in forming effective interpersonal relationships in individual and small-group contexts, aptitude for graduate-level study, career goals and objectives, openness to self-examination, and potential for personal and professional self-development. Students are not required to have an undergraduate major in any particular field to enter the counseling program. Admission decisions are based on applicants individual profiles and made by a committee of program faculty. Applicants with the highest profile rankings are invited to campus for an interview process, the number invited is determined by the number of anticipated openings in the program.

For non-native English language speakers: official and satisfactory scores on the English language proficiency scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) are required. A minimum score of 83 on the Internet-based TOEFL or a minimum overall band score of 6.5 on the IELTS is required for admissions consideration.

Our admissions requirements are as follows:
Possession of a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited university
Overall GPA of 3.0