Master of Arts Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Union Institute & University’s Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling prepares you for certification or licensure as a professional counselor or clinical mental health counselor. Our CACREP accredited program will also equip you for future doctoral studies in counseling and related fields – without sacrificing your job or your income. Our flexible, online master’s degree program offers supervised practicum and internship experiences as required by state and national agencies and credentialing bodies.

60 Total credits
$795 Cost Per Credit Hour
TBA Next Start Date

Union Institute & University’s Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling prepares you for certification or licensure as a professional counselor or clinical mental health counselor. Our CACREP accredited program will also equip you for future doctoral studies in counseling and related fields – without sacrificing your job or your income. Our flexible, online master’s degree program offers supervised practicum and internship experiences as required by state and national agencies and credentialing bodies.

  • 60 credit hour program
  • Full & part-time options
  • January, May, and August start dates
  • Residencies held twice a year

Admission Requirements

Admission is open to applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or a recognized international institution of higher education. The admission decision is based upon the following: (1) a cumulative GPA of 3.0, (2) official transcripts from all previous institutions, (3) completed online application and personal statement detailing personal and professional goals, (4) resume or curriculum vitae, (5) 3 professional references, including one from a person qualified to evaluate your potential for clinical work, (6) English proficiency (if applicable), and (7) individual interview.

A Unique Hybrid Learning Format

Union’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling program features online learning for courses, combined with face-to-face residency experiences, twice each calendar year at our Cincinnati, Ohio academic center. By attending these biannual residencies, you will get a chance to interact with your professors and colleagues in person.

Healthcare & Mental Wellness

Advanced Training & Degree

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Pursue Licensing & Certification

Literature & Writing

Start a Foundation for Your Doctoral Research

CACREP Accredited

Our CACREP-accredited program is led by scholar-practitioners. They are leaders within the counseling education field, while active in counseling private practice, schools and mental health agencies. Our educators pride themselves on being able to teach the theories, techniques and skills required to become a counselor. Using decades of combined counseling experience, they help prepare students to become advanced practitioners in the field of counseling and to build connections to the broader counseling professional network.

Dr. Becky Morrissey Ph.D, LPCC-S, LICDC-CS

Program Director

becky.morrissey@myunion.edu
937.243.2403

Vital Statistics & Systemic Program Evaluation

During the 2020-2021 academic year, 11 students completed their Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. The pass rate for students who took the NCE and/or NCMHCE credentialing exams is 100% (9 students have taken the exam). Of those graduating students, 100% completed their degrees in the expected completion time period as discussed in the graduate handbook. The program's estimated completion date is 86% overall. Job placement rates immediately after graduation are at 100%.  Alumni have secured counseling positions in counseling private practices, community mental health agencies, schools, and counseling private practices. Additionally, 3 alumni from the 2020-2021 graduating class have been accepted and begun doctoral programs in Counselor Education & Supervision.

As outlined by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP, 2016), this report is written to comply with Section 4: Evaluation in the Program, Standard D. This standard states that “the counselor education program faculty disseminate an annual report that includes, by program level, (1) a summary of the program evaluation results, (2) subsequent program modifications, and (3) any other substantial program changes. The report is published on the program website in an easily accessible location, and students currently in the program, program faculty, institutional administrators, and personnel in cooperating agencies (e.g., employers, site supervisors) are notified that the report is available”.

Additionally, this information will be posted annually on the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program’s website for Union Institute & University to keep all stakeholders and parties up to date on systemic program evaluation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Visit our tuitions page for a list of current tuition and fees. There are a number of federal and state student aid programs available to qualified students. A financial aid counselor can assist you with questions related to your specific circumstances. Our scholarship page lists many opportunities to help you meet tuition costs.

Licensure Disclosure

A state license in counseling is literally permission from a particular state to practice counseling or to call oneself a licensed counselor. Some states have a single license and some have a two-tiered system. The names of state licenses vary from state to state. Some examples are LPC, LCPC, LPCC, LMHC, LPCMH, LCMHC, LPC-MH. Though requirements for licensure vary from state to state, all require some combination of: a master’s degree; counseling experience and supervision; and a passing score on the NCE and/or NCMHCE. Some require a mental health jurisprudence exam of that state.

Note: Completion of the MA-CMHC degree does not automatically qualify students for certification or licensure in their respective states. Students should consult the appropriate state or national regulatory agency regarding licensure or certification requirements and processes for application. As stated in Union's catalog, the ultimate responsibility regarding licensure or certification remains with the individual student and not with the institution.

Additional information, including a breakdown by state.

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