Clinical Mental Health Counseling | Master’s

The BGSU clinical mental health counseling program is committed to providing state-of-the-art training to prepare highly qualified, ethical and culturally competent professional counselors who advocate for social justice. The programs value an inclusive and diverse learning environment. To this end, our graduate mental health counseling programs offer opportunities that integrate learning discovery, scholarship and engagement that challenge traditional and non-traditional students to reach their academic and professional potential.

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The clinical mental health counseling program establishes high academic and professional competence standards consistent with state and national standards for licensure to practice clinical mental health counseling in mental health environments.

The clinical counseling program holds most classes face-to-face in the evening and cannot be completed online.

Program Highlights

The program may be completed full-time or part-time, with open enrollment in the fall or spring.
Emphasis is placed on personal growth, with in-depth self-awareness activities integrated into each course.
Faculty get to know each student in order to help them achieve their individual research or professional goals.
Students learn from professors who have been practitioners in their disciplines with a combined 40 years of field experience.
All undergraduate degrees may apply to the clinical mental health counseling master’s program.

Quality Classroom Experiences

Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling programs offer opportunities that integrate learning discovery, scholarship and engagement that challenge traditional and non-traditional students to reach their academic and professional potential. The programs hold most classes face-to-face in the evening and cannot be completed online. The Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling programs establish high standards of academic and professional competence consistent with state and national standards for licensure to practice in educational and mental health environments.

Stand Out in courses like

Play Therapy
Crisis Counseling
Legal and Ethical Issues in Counseling
Addictions and Substance Abuse Treatment
Diversity, Oppression and Social Justice
Interview and Observation
Abnormal Behavior

Our clinical mental health counseling classes are offered on campus, in the evenings, allowing students to pursue the degree while working.

Curriculum

Master’s level clinical mental health students are enrolled in either the clinical mental health counseling program in the College of Education and Human Development.

This master's level degree programs requires a diverse range of courses in clinical counseling. It is a 60-credit hour program that spans 2.5 to 3 years, including summer, for full-time students. Part-time students typically take two courses per semester.

Internships and Careers

BGSU sees high employment prospects for graduates of the master’s in clinical mental health counseling program. The profession as a whole is growing much faster than average.

Clinical Mental Health Counselor — CMHC graduates are well prepared to work in a variety of settings, including agencies, hospitals and private practice as clinical mental health providers diagnosing and treating mental and emotional disorders. This work can be reimbursed by insurance, and your degree can help you become licensed across the nation.

School Counselors — SC graduates can become licensed as K-12 school counselors, providing individual and group counseling services to students, while collaborating with teachers and family members to provide high quality care and working to promote mental health programming. School counselors work as part of the faculty to address achievement gaps and other critical concerns.

JOB Placement

The graduates in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program had a 90% employment rate in the counseling field within 180 days of graduating the program.

The graduates in the School Counseling programs had an 86% employment rate in the counseling field within 180 days of graduating.

GO FAR in your career

Mental Health Counselor
Mobile Therapist
Online Mental Health Counselor
Behavioral Health Counselor
Education
Mental Health Research

Average Starting Salary and BGSU Placement Rate

89% of graduates in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling master’s program were employed in the counseling field within 180 days of graduating from the program.

BGSU’s CACREP-accredited programs enjoy an outstanding reputation among counseling professionals. In fact, our students have over a 95% pass rate on the national counseling exam, and over 95% have found employment before graduating.

Couples counseling session involving the BGSU master in mental health counseling program

More Information

The Master of Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling programs are part of the School of Counseling and Special Education in the BGSU College of Education and Human Development

Admissions Information

To gain regular status admission, applicants must have a minimum 3.0 undergraduate grade point average (GPA) or 3.0 in at least nine credit hours of graduate-level courses. Applicants are required to submit scanned copies of official transcripts from all institutions attended. Upon admission, final official transcripts from each degree granting institution must be submitted. Applicants are also required to submit official scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)*.

*Due to COVID-19, BGSU is temporarily waiving the GRE and GMAT requirements for all applicants to any of the University’s graduate certificate and master’s degree programs through fall 2021. Although the GRE was waived, a written statement following specific prompts from the program is required.

Accreditation and Learning Outcomes

Bowling Green State University [BGSU] is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. BGSU has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 01/01/1916. The most recent reaffirmation of accreditation was received in 2012 - 2013. Questions should be directed to the Office of Institutional Effectiveness.

More information on accreditation

Professional Licensure

Bowling Green State University programs leading to licensure, certification and/or endorsement, whether delivered online, face-to-face or in a blended format, satisfy the academic requirements for those credentials set forth by the State of Ohio.

Graduates of the CMHC and SC programs will have met the requirements for Licensed Professional Counselors in Ohio and nationally as a result of BGSU’s CACREP accreditation. Students can expect to have the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to enter the workforce as ethical, dynamic and culturally competent counselors.

* Job placement and salary information was compiled by the Office of Academic Assessment through the Graduation Survey from AY2015-2018. The data are gathered around the time of Commencement and a follow-up survey six months post Commencement. For the salary question, data for programs with fewer than fifteen responses are not included. Salaries for those programs are from the National Association of Colleges and Employers Summer 2019 Survey. For questions regarding the data, contact assessment@bgsu.edu.

Updated: 11/20/2023 04:07PM