Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling
The Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling is a 60-credit graduate training program designed to prepare students to be entry-level mental health counselors in a variety of settings including schools, community agencies, hospitals, and clinics. The program is designed for full-time study and has a strong clinical focus. It adheres to the standards for state and national accrediting groups. Students complete a 100 hour practicum and 900 hour internship allowing them to develop clinical skill-sets, while applying what they learned in academic courses. Students must also pass an exit exam (CPCE) that compares their knowledge in pertinent content areas to national norms. After graduating from the Mental Health Counseling program, students are required by the state to complete 3,000 post-graduate supervised hours and pass a state licensing exam in order to be granted a New York State License in Mental Health Counseling.
Areas of Focus
M.A. in Mental Health Counseling Graduation Requirements
Students must earn a minimum grade of B in all courses counting toward their degree. They must also pass the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) by earning a score higher than the national mean. Students, who do not receive a B or better in any core course, will have to repeat the core course in which they receive a grade below B. Electives in which students earn less than a B will not count toward graduation, and students may repeat that course or choose to take another elective in its place.
Students are expected to complete all degree requirements for the program in fulfillment of the master’s degree in mental health counseling within four years. This includes satisfactory completion of all coursework, internship, and the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE).
The Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE), tests your knowledge in eight core areas: Human Growth and Development, Social and Cultural Foundations, Helping Relationships, Group Work, Career and Lifestyle Development, Appraisal, Research and Program Evaluation, and Professional Orientation and Ethics. After passing the CPCE and working under a licensed supervisor for 3,000 hours, you will be eligible to take the New York State licensing exam to be licensed as a Mental Health Counselor (LMHC).
Resource Links
New York Mental Health Counselors Association
American Counseling Association
New York State Department of Education
Office of the Professions
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