Students majoring in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling curriculum leading to a Master of Arts degree will take the courses listed below. This program is designed to meet the need for advanced preparation of counselors and other helping professionals who work in a variety of human service agencies (including mental health centers, social service agencies, business and industry employee assistance programs, and others). In addition to the core curriculum, students can select, in cooperation with their advisor, from a variety of elective courses that will help their individual career objectives.
Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Required Courses
CACREP Core Courses
- RES 5000 Research Methods (3)
- HPC 5110 Social and Cultural Diversity in Counseling and Therapy (3)
- HPC 5140 Counseling Assessment and Testing (3)
- HPC 5210 Career Development and Counseling (3)
- HPC 5220 Counseling Theory and Techniques (3)
- HPC 5225 Helping Relationships (3)
- HPC 5272 Individual and Family Development Across the Lifespan (3)
- HPC 5790 Group Methods and Processes (3)
CMHC Specialty Courses
- HPC 5120 Introduction to Clinical Mental Health Counseling (3)
- HPC 5752 Legal and Ethical Issues in Clinical Mental Health Counseling* (3)
- HPC 6120 Developmental Assessment and Diagnosis in Clinical Mental Health Counseling* (3)
Clinical Field Placement
- HPC 5900 Practicum in Counseling** (Prerequisites: HPC 5120, HPC 5220, HPC 5225, HPC 5752, HPC 5790 and approval of department chairperson; for clinical mental health counseling majors only) (3)
- HPC 6900 Internship in Clinical Mental Health Counseling** (Prerequisites: HPC 5120, HPC 5220, HPC 5225, HPC 5752, HPC 5790, HPC 5900, HPC 6120, and approval of department chairperson; for clinical mental health counseling majors only) (6)
Subtotal Hours: 42
Guided Elective Hours: 18
Total Hours: 60
** Both the practicum and internship have specific prerequisite requirements that must be met before enrollment. In addition, approval from the departmental chairperson is also required. Permission forms to take HPC 5900 and HPC 6900 are available in the HPC office and must be completed prior to registration.
Elective Courses
Students may take other graduate courses as electives provided that: (a) they have taken any necessary prerequisite for the course, and (b) the course is consistent with student's interests and career goals and is approved by his/her advisor. The following electives are examples of being seen as particularly relevant for the "typical" student.
Common Electives
- PSY 5560 Child Psychology (3)
- PSY 5565 Adolescent Psychology (3)
- HPC 5550 Equine Assisted Therapy (3)
- HPC 5565 Introduction to Play Therapy (3)
- HPC 5870 Creative Process, Movement & Therapy (3)
- HPC 5860 Dreamwork: Clinical Methods (3)
- HPC 6160 Gestalt Therapy (3)
- HPC 6290 Child and Adolescent Therapy (3)
- HPC 6350 Body/Mind (3)
- HPC 6360 Therapy and the Expressive Arts (3)
- HPC 6370 Intermodal Expressive Arts (3)
- HPC 6380 Therapeutic Writing (3)
- HPC 6390 Current Issues in Expressive Arts Therapy (3)
- HPC 6730 Sexual Abuse Counseling (3)