Clinical Mental Health Counseling MA
The School of Graduate and Professional Studies, in conjunction with WAU’s Department of Psychology, offers two Master of Arts degree programs, one in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (L.C.P.C. or L.C.A.D.C.) and the other in counseling psychology.The Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling prepares the student to function as a licensed counselor.
Admission
Admission to the Master of Arts degree program requires that a student have a bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field (social work, mental health, etc.) Applicants who do not meet the minimum 2.75 GPA requirement, but whose grade-point averages fall between 2.60 and 2.74, must also submit GRE scores of at least 150Â on the subject area Psychology examination in order to be considered for admission.
Students who possess a bachelor’s or master’s degree but in a unrelated area will be required to complete nine hours of upper-division psychology courses with a “B” or better before being admitted to the Master of Arts program. It is recommended that the student select from the following undergraduate psychology courses: Individual Counseling, Group Counseling, Psychological Testing, Theories of Personality and Abnormal Psychology.
Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (L.C.P.C.) program | 60 hours
Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (L.C.A.D.C.) program | 60 hours
The Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling prepares the student to be a counseling psychologist and to operate an independent practice. It is identical to the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology with an additional 21 hours completed after Field Experience I. The student will be eligible to take the state of Maryland licensure exam for the L.C.P.C. or L.C.A.D.C. upon completion of the Master of Arts degree and 2,000 hours of supervised clinical experience.
Required Courses | 60 hours | |
| CPSY 510* | Advanced Lifespan Development | 3 |
| CPSY 520* | Psychopathology | 3 |
| CPSY 530* | Systems and Theories of Psychotherapy | 3 |
| CPSY 540* | Counseling Techniques | 3 |
| CPSY 550 | Field Experience (125 hours). | 3 |
| CPSY 560 | Group Therapy | 3 |
| CPSY 571 | Ethical, Legal and Substance Abuse Issues for Counselors | 3 |
| CPSY 580 | Career Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 590 | Evaluation and Appraisal | 3 |
| CPSY 610 | Research in Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 620 | Marriage and Family Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 630 | Alcohol and Drug Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 640 | Multicultural Counseling | 3 |
| CPSY 645** | Alcohol and Drug Dependency | 3 |
| CPSY 655** | Addiction Counseling Theories and Approaches | 3 |
| CPSY 660** | Psychopharmacology | 3 |
| CPSY 665** | Psychotherapy in Alcohol and Drug Disorders | 3 |
| CPSY 680†| Practicum (275 hours) | 6 |
| CPSY 690‡ | Advanced Counseling Techniques | 3 |
| CPSY 699A‡*** | Clinical Internship (150 hours) | 3 |
| CPSY 699B‡*** | Clinical Internship (150 hours) | 3 |
| CPSY 699C‡*** | Clinical Internship (150 hours) | 3 |
| CPSY 699D‡*** | Clinical Internship (150 hours) | 3 |
| * Core program prerequisites must be met | ||
| ** LCADC requirement | ||
| *** LCPC requirement | ||
| †Prerequisites: Field Experience | ||
| ‡ Prerequisites: Field Experience and Practicum | ||
Additional Requirement:
Before students are permitted to graduate with a Master of Arts in clinical mental health counseling (60 hr.), they must provide documented evidence to indicate they have completed five hours of personal counseling before starting CPSY 680 Practicum. This requirement is considered a part of the student’s professional education program to become a highly effective counselor. Students need to be aware of their own mental health issues in order to function in a competent and ethical manner.
