All students interested in the Master of Arts Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Appalachian State University must apply through the Cratis D. Williams Graduate School. The Graduate School processes the applications and sends them to the Department of Counseling, Family Therapy, and Higher Education (CTH) for review. The Admissions Committee of the Clinical Mental Health Program will make a recommendation to the Graduate School regarding acceptance. The Department begins accepting students for the master's degree programs in early March for the following summer and fall sessions. Please note: no students seeking admission to the Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree program are accepted for a spring session entry.
In addition to the required online application form that must be submitted to the Graduate School through the online admissions process, prospective students must also submit a resume, complete a special admissions questionnaire required by the Department of Counseling, Family Therapy, and Higher Education (CTH), and submit references as part of the online admissions application. The CTH admissions questionnaire provides the department with important information regarding your goals and reasons for applying to an CTH program. The Master of Arts Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is now waiving GRE/testing requirements for qualified applicants. Exam Waiver information can be found on the graduate school page .
Admissions
Application deadline: February 1st
Group Interviews with the program faculty and current students will be conducted online in early March. An invitation for a group interview will be extended for a small percentage of those meeting initial program criteria and other admissions factors. Attendance at the group interview is required. Decisions for admission will be issued by mid-March 2024.
Matriculation
In addition to successfully navigating admission to the program, once enrolled, students will have to complete course work, receive favorable program reviews, be admitted into candidacy, pass the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE), and complete 700 hours of supervised fieldwork to successfully graduate from the program.
Tuition
Tuition is subject to change with each new academic year. Please check the student accounts website for most up to date information on the cost of tuition and fees. Appalachian State University has a competitive schedule of tuition and fees.
Financial Aid
To find out whether you may qualify for student loans, scholarships, or grants, please visit the Appalachian State University's Office for Student Financial Aid Website. Financial aid is available based on financial need as demonstrated by the information the student provides on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The graduate school also has a page with many financial support resources.
Graduate Assistantships
There are a limited number of assistantships available to Clinical Mental Health Counseling students each year ranging from 10 to 20 hrs a week. Assistantships may be offered to a student through the HPC department or through a university-wide department. For more information about graduate assistantships, visit the Graduate School website. To be considered for a graduate assistantship anywhere on campus, you must indicate your interest on your on-line application, to the graduate school, along with your most recent resume. You may also wish to submit a copy of your assistantship application to the HPC department as well.
Competitive Program
When making a recommendation to the Graduate School for Admissions, the Admissions Committee of the Clinical Mental Health Program considers the following documentation provided by the applicant: undergraduate G.P.A., graduate G.P.A (if applicable), references, resume, the HPC admissions questionnaire, and the group interview.
The GRE testing requirement has been waived for qualified applicants. The graduate school has a page listing the qualifications required for the GRE waiver, meeting these requirements does not guarantee admission. Please consider that some scholarships, grants and other funding sources may still require GRE scores.
Admission to the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program is quite competitive. The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program highly values diversity and welcomes applicants from a variety of academic, professional, and cultural backgrounds who are committed to the program's mission and objectives.