The Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (MSCMHC) is a 60 credit-hour program. The program will be fully online incorporating both synchronous and asynchronous instruction and includes a culminating clinical internship experience (12 credit hours). The proposed program will follow the accreditation standards and criteria of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), https://www.cacrep.org, as the university intends to seek professional accreditation with CACREP.

MSCMHC program applicants will be selected based on their ability to succeed academically, personal qualifications necessary to function as counselors, and relevance of professional goals.

Personal Counseling

As Counselor Educators, the CMHC faculty believe there is value in and benefit from personal counseling for a variety of developmental, career, and relationship issues as well as for managing personal stress. Students are required to participate in at least 3 personal counseling sessions throughout the duration of the program. Proof that the student has met this requirement will need to be provided to the Program Director prior to completing COU 565 Counseling Professional Practice Capstone. An exit letter of attendance from the licensed clinician is sufficient documentation. This letter will be kept in the student's CMHC file. Please note the clinician must be licensed by the state where the student resides. Acceptable licensed clinicians include Psychologists, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, and Licensed Professional Counselors. Pastoral counselors and/or lay counselors are not accepted.

Drug Screening

The use of substances which interfere with the judgement and/or motor coordination of CMHC students (illicit drugs and/or alcohol) pose an unacceptable risk for clients, AU, the faculty, and clinical agencies. In compliance with CMHC Program requirements, all students must undergo drug testing prior to registering for COU 575 Practicum.

The program has the right to request that a student submit to additional testing for suspected substance abuse. Refusal by a student to submit to testing may result in the student’s dismissal from the CMHC Program. Results of the drug screening must be submitted to the Program Director, so the student is not delayed in registering for COU 575.

Admission Requirements

The program admissions committee will evaluate the applicants on the following.

1. Competitive GPA – cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale.
   • If the applicant has a cumulative GPA below 3.0 an additional essay will be required. 
     • Essay should address the challenges that contributed to the lower GPA and how the applicant would maintain a 3.0 GPA if enrolled in the MSCMHC program.
2. Two letters of recommendation /recommendation forms from professional references. 
3. Bachelor’s degree from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university.  Applicant must submit transcripts from all colleges and universities attended (to include graduate coursework if applicable).
4. A completed application including responses to short answer questions.
5. A successful interview process with faculty in the program.
6. Proof of a satisfactory criminal background check for all states of residence within the past 5 years with a residence verification statement. 

General Graduation Requirements

Students nearing completion of their degree must apply for program completion. Applications are accepted in the fall for spring graduation and in the spring for summer and fall graduation. Deadlines for applications are set by the University Registrar and distributed to students. Failure to meet the stated deadline may result in a delay in the time of graduation. The graduate program completion fee is $100.

To be eligible for graduation, students must be in good academic standing at the completion of their program of study.

Program-Specific Graduation Requirements

To graduate, students must have:

• A 3.0 GPA (minimum)
• Have no more than one (1) “C” on their graduate transcript (with a successful repeat of the course demonstrating a “B” or higher)
• Show completion of all 60 credit hours.
• A “B” or higher in every required course.
• Successful drug screening.

All students must apply for graduation with the Office of the Registrar; this should be done after registering for classes during the semester prior to the final semester.