Admission Requirements

Application for admission is made to the Graduate Admission Office where directions are given for securing transcripts of previous schooling and other necessary information. The review of the application and the admission decision is made by program faculty and is based on a comprehensive review of multiple criteria including the following:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, preferably with a major concentration in psychology, the behavioral sciences, and/or human services.
• Minimum undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0.
• Writing sample (to be completed at the time of personal interview).
• Three (3) letters of recommendation for academic and character references.
• Personal essay describing professional intent and pertinent background.
• Admission interview with the program director and/or faculty representative.
• Personal experience in counseling or growth-oriented processes is highly desirable.

The department understands that any single criterion may not reliably predict a candidate’s potential for success in a graduate program.  As such, candidates who do not fully satisfy one of the quantified criteria are still open to apply.

Note: Preferred application deadline for fall semester is August 15 and for spring semester is January 15.  All others will be reviewed based on available space.

Prerequisite Requirements - Semester Hours: 18

Note: Students must complete all prerequisite course work listed below prior to beginning the first sequence course in the counseling curriculum (COUN 223, Theories and Principles of Counseling).  The courses may be satisfied at either the undergraduate or graduate level, and online courses are accepted as long as they are from nationally accredited institutions and documented on transcripts.

• child psychology - 3 semester hours
• adolescent psychology - 3 semester hours
• personality theory or abnormal psychology - 3 semester hours
• psychology and behavioral sciences  (three other courses from areas such as social psychology, learning theory, behavioral science research methods, statistics for the social sciences, psychology of exceptionalities, family development theory, socio-cultural foundations, etc.) - 9 semester hours

Program of Study - Semester Hours: 60

Graduation Requirements

1. Completion of all program requirements.
2. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 in overall graduate course work.
3. Comprehensive Exam demonstrating proficiency in program knowledge base or receiving passing grade on the NBCC National Counselor Exam (NCE).

Additional Certification Option: Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC)

Students in the Mental Health Counseling program have an additional educational opportunity to pursue a specialized track in the area of alcohol and substance abuse practice. Interested students can complete the New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services’ (OASAS) educational requirements for the Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) designation. Those graduates who complete this specialization track would be eligible to register for the CASAC designation and thus qualify for the clinical experience component of the certification. This is an exceptional benefit because students who complete this specialization track as part of their graduate degree program of study will be credited with 4000 of the 6000 total hours required for full CASAC certification. Furthermore, if these students complete their 600 hours of MHC internship in a facility affiliated with OASAS, the 600 hours will count toward the remaining 2000 hours needed for full CASAC certification. This would serve to further lower the balance to 1400 post-graduation hours; as such, the time required for attaining full CASAC certification in NYS is decreased for these graduates.

The Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) prepares students to work with individuals, families, groups in a range of settings focusing on mental health and substance abuse. Students interested in earning the education portion toward their CASAC credential should speak to their faculty adviser regarding taking the addiction-related electives as well as applying to an OASAS-affiliated internship site.