According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), in excess of 43 million American adults battle mental illness problems annually. As you gain the skills to become a clinical mental health counselor, your clients will find comfort in the compassion and applicable knowledge you provide. Foster your experience by supporting a variety of unique clients striving for stability and mental wellness.

Throughout our online master's in counseling program, you'll:

• Cultivate a professional counseling pedigree by aligning with both legal and ethical standards which promote professionalism through client access, equity and achievement
• Establish socially-, culturally- and spiritually-appropriate best practices in professional counseling while advancing social justice and removing obstacles between counselors and clients
• Apply analysis of human growth and development and relevant environmental factors to promote optimum wellness for diverse clients across the lifespan
• Harvest helpful approaches to advocate for clients and support their unique career development pursuits, through applicable information and established global economic opportunities
• Develop appropriate and culturally-relevant counseling approaches, while becoming more adept at client consultation, treatment, intervention and prevention
• Discover and apply proven techniques for establishing and facilitating group counseling and collaborative efforts in an array of clients and settings
• Evaluate the needs of counseling clients validly and reliably through the application of basic testing principles, key statistical concepts and industry-appropriate procedures
• Effectively assess counseling research, programs and practices through a plethora of approaches for advancing the counseling profession and assimilating evidence-based, data-driven concepts into modern methods
• Apply culturally relevant strategies, techniques, theories and models of clinical mental health counseling to assess and plan treatment for mental health issues, abiding by legal and ethical codes of clinical and mental healthcare professionals

As a private, nonprofit university, UMS has one mission - to help you envision a successful future for yourself. The benefits of earning your online master's in counseling at UMS include:

• Affordability. Take advantage of some of the most affordable tuition rates in the nation
• Expert instruction. Receive education from instructors with relevant, real-world experience
• Minimal requirements. No GRE or GMAT required for admission
• Networking. Tap into our nationwide network of alumni for internship and career opportunities
• Student support. Rely on the constant support from dedicated and specialized academic, counselor educator, career and field experience mental health counseling advisors.

UMS Counseling Program Mission

We transform our students’ lives, and through them the lives of the clients and communities they serve. To achieve this, we deliver innovative, experiential counselor education, create an inclusive environment, and nurture authentic relationships. As a result, we empower new generations of counselors who are well-poised to take the next step in their professional journeys, well-prepared to have a positive impact on the lives of others, and who are grounded in ethical practice that promotes unconditional positive regard and cultural humility towards themselves and their clients.

Read our 2018 MA Counseling Annual Data Report.

Earning your online master's in counseling is your first step in the path toward licensure as a clinical mental health counselor. The online master's degree in clinical mental health counseling at UMS is intended to set you up for success in post-graduate fieldwork and help you establish the educational foundation necessary to prepare for the required licensing and entry-level professional counseling exams.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, career opportunities for mental health counselors are expected to increase 19% through 2024, faster than the average of all jobs.* Potential career paths include:

• Licensed professional counselor
• Licensed professional clinical counselor
• Licensed clinical mental health counselor

The Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling offered by University of Michigan Science is designed to prepare students to meet the educational requirements for licensure in most states.

UMS's MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree does not currently meet the requirements for licensure in Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Wisconsin. We are not enrolling students from these states at this time.

It is a student's responsibility to understand the specific requirements of the state in which they intend to apply for licensure and to be aware of any changes to those requirements. If they move to another state, the requirements for licensure will likely be different from the state where they currently reside, and they are responsible for determining the licensure requirements in the state to which they relocate. The American Counseling Association provides a directory of all state professional counselor licensure boards.

In addition to the 60 required academic credits, students must attend two five-day residencies, either in New Hampshire or in additional locations that may be named later. They must also complete at least a 100-hour practicum and two 300-hour internships during the program (some states require additional hours for licensure). In those states where additional practicum and/or internship hours or coursework is required, UMS will work with students to obtain the additional hours and will make electives available to fulfill additional course requirements wherever possible.

UMS does not guarantee that the completion of this program will result in state licensure or certification: In addition to successfully completing the educational requirements, students will need to meet other state licensure requirements. Students are responsible for understanding if a background check is required to apply for licensure and for determining if their own circumstances pose any barriers to licensure.

With our 60-credit master's in mental health counseling, you'll immerse yourself in development theory and treatment plans through the guidance of our experienced faculty - licensed counselors with national reputations. Coursework dives into understanding disorders, group dynamics, career assessments, addiction counseling and diverse populations.

The program emulates the profession, as you'll learn by observing, listening and talking. To prepare you for the face-to-face environment that the field requires, this program features video components, two on-site residencies, a 100-hour practicum and a 600-hour internship. (Some states may require additional fieldwork hours.)