The Department of Counselor Education offers a Master of Science degree program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. The program meets the educational requirements for counselor licensure in all fifty states, as well as the Federal government requirements to work with veterans and individuals receiving Medicare or Medicaid. Completion of this program will also qualify graduates to immediately sit for the National Certified Counselor (NCC) examination. The clinical mental health program will effectively prepare graduates for a broad range of career possibilities, including working in community settings, hospitals, educational institutions, VA treatment centers, and private practice settings.
In preparation for employment, WCU's programs offer a vast number of field placement sites with experienced supervisors as well as professional field experience coordinators who offer assistance in securing the best placement options available.
Our faculty are counselling professionals with real-world experience bringing their teaching to life. Many have authored the textbooks used in our courses. Additionally, each candidate in the program has a full time faculty member advisor to help make the most of their graduate experience.
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program prepares students to be effective mental health counselors and provides the educational requirements for counselor licensure, while earning an M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. The 60-credit hour program consists of:
• core counseling courses,
• clinical mental health specialty courses and
• 700 hours of field work.
The comprehensive program results in a strong foundation for serving the mental health needs of the community.
Curriculum
The M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is a Full-Time Program which consists of four specific curricular elements: the 27 credit Common Core (6 credits of which will be provided by the Department of Professional and Secondary Education), 15 credits of CMHC specialty coursework, nine credits of elective coursework (that can be taken within the department or in other departments), and nine credits of field experience coursework. Each student is required to pass a comprehensive exam that requires the student to take the knowledge gained through coursework and apply it to a real world case scenario.
For more information about the modules taught on this course, please visit the website:
http://catalog.wcupa.edu/graduate/education-social-work/counselor-education/clinical-mental-health-counseling-ms/ Accreditation
The Clinical Mental Health Counselling program is not yet CACREP-accredited, as it was recently launched and cannot be accredited until a first cohort of students are prepared for graduation. However, the Department of Counsellor Education is currently preparing application for accreditation of the Clinical Mental Health Counselling program and will seek accreditation as soon as possible. All of our master's programs satisfy the core educational requirements for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counsellor (LPC) in Pennsylvania and most other states.
Read less
