EKU Logo
EKU Logo
Apply Now Get Info Search
Hero Image

Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Department of Clinical Therapeutic Programs

College of Education & Applied Human Sciences

Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Department of Clinical Therapeutic Programs

College of Education & Applied Human Sciences

On-Campus

Program

60 Credit Hours

to Graduate

Full-Time, In-State Tuition

$541 Per Credit Hour

Low-Cost Textbooks

For All Students

Empower Others to Accomplish Their Goals

Hone the competencies needed to become a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and engage in helping relationships with others as a responsible, growth-oriented professional. EKU’s Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling prepares professional counselors to work in a variety of mental health settings, including comprehensive care centers, regional mental health centers, hospitals, and other settings in which mental health services are provided.

Apply Now Schedule a Visit

Learn More

Loading…

Career Outlook

Employment of substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors is projected to grow 18 percent from 2022 to 2032.

– U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors advise people on a range of issues, such as those relating to alcoholism, addictions, or depression. They provide support, including for prevention, to help clients recover from addiction, modify problem behaviors, or improve mental health.

Mental health counselors advise individuals, families, couples, and groups. Some work with specific populations, such as children or older adults. Mental health counselors treat clients who have a variety of conditions, including anxiety, depression, grief, and stress. They also help with emotional health and relationship problems.

Mental health counselors operate in a variety of environments.

Employers Include:

  • Inpatient behavioral/mental health providers
  • Outpatient behavioral/mental health providers
  • Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities
  • Therapeutic private practices

The Office of Academic and Career Services is a one-stop shop for all your career and professional development needs.

Services Include:

  • Creating/updating your resume and cover letter
  • Interviewing tips and coaching
  • Career documents review
  • Job search

Why EKU?

  • Low-cost textbooks through EKU BookSmart
  • No application fee
  • Reduced tuition for active-duty military members and their spouses
  • CACREP accredited
  • Hybrid instructional model of predominantly online courses
  • Unique elective offerings, such a play therapy and mindfulness practices
  • Highly supportive clinical model, especially to help place students for their practicum and internship experiences
  • Personalized mentoring and guidance by faculty to help students make the most of their training experience

Curriculum & Admission

EKU’s clinical mental health counseling curriculum prepares you for a variety of rewarding career options that will allow you to improve the lives of others and become a leader in your field.

Clinical mental health counseling courses are taught by instructors with real-world experience and designed to provide skill sets that can be applied to diverse individuals with unique needs. Courses include counseling theory and practice, process and basic techniques of counseling, principles and practices of clinical mental health counseling, group counseling, child and adolescent counseling, addiction disorders counseling, family counseling, diagnosis and treatment, and tests and measurements.

A minimum of 60 credits are required to graduate.

View the degree requirements:

EKU Academic Catalog

Please review the admissions requirements before applying for this or any program. If you have questions about the program or are planning to register for classes, please speak to the program advisor.

Students must again complete a supervised practicum experience that totals a minimum of one hundred (100) hours* over a minimum of a 10-week academic term. Based on CACREP (2024) standards, each student’s practicum experience must/will include the following:

  • Completion of at least forty (40) hours of direct, face-to-face counseling service that contributes to the development of their counseling skills.
  • Weekly interaction that averages one hour per week of individual and/or triadic supervision throughout practicum by a Counselor Education Program faculty member, a student supervisor under the supervision of a Counselor Education Program faculty member, or a site supervisor in regular consultation with a Counselor Education Program faculty member.
  • Attendance for an average of 1½ hours per week of group supervision provided by a Counselor Education Program faculty member or a doctoral student supervisor under the supervision of a Counselor Education Program faculty member.
  • The opportunity to become familiar with a variety of professional activities and resources in addition to direct service (e.g., record keeping, assessment, supervision, information and referral, in-service and staff meetings, etc.).
  • The opportunity to develop program-appropriate visual/audio recordings for use in supervision or to receive live supervision of interaction with clients.
  • Evaluation of counseling performance throughout the practicum experience with feedback.

*Hours in excess of 100 in practicum cannot be carried over into internship. Only hours accrued both when enrolled in the internship course and during the days of semester in which the individual is enrolled in it may be counted toward internship hours requirements.

Internship is the final and culminating experience during students’ time in the clinical mental health counseling program. The internship requires completion of a minimum of six hundred (600) hours at a clinical mental health counseling site and bi-weekly attendance of class/group supervision sessions facilitated by the faculty/course instructor. Two-hundred and forty (240) of the 600 hours must be direct, face-to-face counseling services with the remaining three-hundred and sixty (360) hours be counseling related tasks outside of face-to-face counseling services. As students’ transition from practicum to internship, site supervisors typically begin to assign more complex client/student cases and offer the student increasing responsibility at the site. It is highly recommended that all student’s complete internship over two semesters regardless of whether or not their degree requires it. This allows students to accommodate the needs of their site and clients while managing their other life responsibilities without burning themselves out or missing important learning/skill development opportunities. Based on CACREP (2024) standards, each student’s internship experience must/will include the following:

  • Completion of at least two-hundred and forty (240) hours of direct, face-to-face counseling service that contributes to the development of their counseling skills.
  • Weekly interaction that averages one hour per week of individual and/or triadic supervision throughout practicum by a Counselor Education Program faculty member, a student supervisor under the supervision of a Counselor Education Program faculty member, or a site supervisor in regular consultation with a Counselor Education Program faculty member.
  • Attendance for an average of 1½ hours per week of group supervision provided by a Counselor Education Program faculty member or a doctoral student supervisor under the supervision of a Counselor Education Program faculty member.
  • The opportunity to become familiar with a variety of professional activities and resources in addition to direct service (e.g., record keeping, assessment, supervision, information and referral, in-service and staff meetings, etc.).
  • The opportunity to develop program-appropriate visual/audio recordings for use in supervision or to receive live supervision of interaction with clients.
  • Evaluation of counseling performance throughout the practicum experience with feedback.

Students may transfer up to 18 hours of credit from accredited institutions. Please note that a minimum of 15 credit hours in this degree program must be completed at Eastern Kentucky University.

Previously earned credits must be reviewed upon admission to EKU for appropriate articulation.

TermApplication
Deadline		Classes
Begin
FallApril 1August
SpringNovember 1January

Based on the Graduate School’s admissions requirements, our program requires the following for initial admission review and consideration:

  • A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution
  • An overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher on a scale of 0 to 4.0

If an applicant does not have an overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher, then one of the following must be met:

  • The individual’s undergraduate GPA in the final 60 credits of their degree must be a 3.25 or higher, or
  • The individual must submit Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores.

If an applicant needs to submit GRE scores, then the program maintains the following minimum requirements of these scores and the applicant must meet at least one of them:

  • A score of 146 or higher on the verbal section of the GRE
  • A score of 146 or higher on the quantitative section of the GRE

Please note that the GPA or entrance exam requirement is waived if the individual already holds a graduate degree regardless of the discipline.

In addition to the above minimum admissions requirements regarding an accredited undergraduate degree and GPA or entrance exam scores, all applicants must submit the following supplemental materials as listed below with their online Graduate School application:

  • A current resume
  • Official copies of transcripts
  • A writing sample
  • Three letters of recommendation

EKU’s Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Master of Arts in Education – School Counseling have received national accreditation by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

Accreditation demonstrates our commitment to the highest standards in educating and preparing professional counselors. It also means that we consistently identify and track the knowledge, skills and abilities we expect our students to achieve.

As part of our continued accreditation requirements, the EKU MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and MAED in School Counseling programs provide CACREP data about our program and its graduates every year.

CACREP Accreditation Reports

Vision & Mission Statement

The Counselor Education Program maintains the following vision and mission statements adapted from those of the Department of Clinical Therapeutic Programs in which it is housed:

Vision Statement

The Program’s vision is to graduate professionals who create a society in which individuals with mental health needs are supported to participate in life.

Mission Statement

As educators, clinicians, mentors, and scholars, the Program empowers future professionals and leaders to enhance the quality of lives of individuals with counseling and/or mental health needs and their caregivers, families, and communities through service, teaching, research, and advocacy.

To actualize its vision and mission statements, the Counselor Education Program maintains the following Program-Level Learning Objectives (PLLOs) for the students in each of its degree programs:

PLLO 1: As a result of participating in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, students with a Master of Arts degree in clinical mental health counseling will be able to construct their personal theoretical orientation for future clinical counseling practice.
 
PLLO 2: As a result of participating in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, students with a Master of Arts degree in clinical mental health counseling will be able to demonstrate the necessary dispositional counselor characteristics and [skill] competencies to clinically practice.

PLLO 3: As a result of participating in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, students with a Master of Arts degree in clinical mental health counseling will demonstrate knowledge in the eight common core areas of counseling practice.

PLLO 1: As a result of participating in the School Counseling program, students with a Master of Arts in Education degree in school counseling will demonstrate knowledge of the American School Counselor Association’s National Model for school counseling programming.

PLLO 2: As a result of participating in the School Counseling program, students with a Master of Arts in Education degree in school counseling will be able to demonstrate the necessary dispositional counselor characteristics and [skill] competencies to clinically practice.

PLLO 3: As a result of participating in the School Counseling program, students with a Master of Arts in Education degree in school counseling will demonstrate knowledge in the eight common core areas of counseling practice.

Enrolling & Advising Information

EKU’s College of Education and Applied Human Sciences is committed to delivering high-quality enrollment and academic advising for our students. We strive to create an atmosphere of mutual trust and meaningful engagement to help students reach their academic goals and have a rewarding educational experience.

Interested in enrolling? Reach out to your enrollment advisor.

Hannah Leabo

Enrollment Counselor

Call: 859-622-8610
hannah.leabo@eku.edu

Schedule an Appointment

Additional Contact Info

Admissions: 859-622-2106
Academic Testing: 859-622-1281
Big E Central (Financial Aid & Student Account Services): 859-622-2361
Military & Veterans Affairs Office: 859-622-2345

Student Stories & Features

  • Crickett Ravizee

    EKU Clinical Mental Health Counseling Student
    Connecting with my cohort has been my favorite experience. Its nice working with people who also have a drive to help others and want to better the world.

  • Kennedy Thurman

    EKU Clinical Mental Health Counseling Student
    Dr. Mi-Hee Jeon has been very beneficial in my courses and has shown me a totally different side of counseling.

  • Elizabeth Brubeck

    EKU School Counseling Graduate
    By earning my master’s, I was able to obtain my dream job at my dream school, a counselor at Fayette County Public Schools. This degree also allowed me additional experiences and opportunities that have aided my success in starting my career. Each professor that I have had in my undergraduate program, as well as my graduate program, have been so personal and passionate about their job. The professors in the counseling program are some of the best and I feel so lucky that I was able to learn from them. I see many of them as mentors and know that…

Quick Links

Upcoming Events

Calendars
Venues
Days of the Week
Time of Day
List
Grid
Plain
Tue
28

Chellgren Workshop – Preparing for Finals

at – calendar-day
Tue
28

EKU Wind Ensemble and Concert Band Performance

at – calendar-day
Wed
29

Maroon Madness College Visit

at – calendar-day
Wed
29

Chellgren Workshop – Preparing for Finals

at – calendar-day
Thu
07

Spring 2026 Graduation

May 7, 2026 at – May 8, 2026 at calendar-multiday
Fri
15

Pedagogicon

at – calendar-day

News & Updates

Making Every Word Count With Dyslexia Research

Dyslexia refers to a language-based learning disability, affecting as much as 15-20% of the population, according to the International Dyslexia Association. October as Dyslexia Awareness Month brings to light resources and learning support while celebrating dyslexia excellence. Motivated by her passion for helping children to learn—and inspired by her daughter who has dyslexia—Dr. Kellie Ellis, […]

Related Programs

M.S. in Psychology – Applied Behavior Analysis

Common Job Titles: behavior analyst, senior therapist, behavior consultant

Modalities: online

Credit Hours: 43

Master of Social Work

Common Job Titles: MSW, therapist

Modalities: online

Credit Hours: 31-62

Contact Information

Department of Clinical Therapeutic Programs

Wallace Building
Room 201

4366 Kit Carson Drive
Richmond, KY 40475

859-622-1125
cou.csdoffice@eku.edu

Department Directory
EKU Department of Clinical Therapeutic Programs Facebook