Empower lives every day.
Are you passionate about mental wellness and ready to make a real difference in people’s lives? If you are the person people turn to when they need to talk, clinical mental health counseling may be the career for you.
Marietta College’s flexible clinical mental health counseling program prepares you for a rewarding career in a high-demand field. Classes are delivered online, but students gather on the Marietta College campus for two brief, immersive summer residencies during their program. This low residency model encourages students to form strong bonds as they work through the advanced coursework together. During the residencies, students will meet their classmates, engage in community-based learning, build their professional networks and participate in reflective activities with their faculty.
Students will develop foundational knowledge of the profession, therapeutic skills, and cultural competence, preparing them to work with diverse populations across all developmental stages. As students, they will partner with agencies and facilities during their clinical experiences to bring needed and valued services to their communities.
The goal is to foster and develop those partnerships, broadening the reach of the program and supporting students as they transition into meaningful and impactful careers post-graduation.
COST:
$695 / Cost per credit hour
COURSES and CREDITS:
20 Courses / 60 Credits
DURATION:
Two years (full-time) / 15-week terms
Part-time is an option
DATES:
NEXT START: August 2026
Admission Terms: Fall, Spring
LEARNING FORMAT:
Online & Low-residency: 2 brief intensives
PRACTICUM REQUIREMENT:
Near the end of the program you will complete an internship practicum
Application requirements
- Completed online application
- 2 Letters of recommendation (1 academic + 1 professional)
- Essay based on program-specific prompt
- Resume or CV
- Virtual interview with the Program Director
- Official transcripts from all institutions attended
- Preferred college minimum GPA of 2.50 (overall, all sources)
The program engages in rolling admission process and will accept completed applications through the first day of class for the term of desired matriculation, provided all supporting documentation has been received.
Career opportunities
Mental health counselors are often employed by a community mental health agency in outpatient, partial hospitalization, long-term residential, or inpatient settings. But they may also work in private practice settings, hospitals and employee assistance programs in variety of roles, including school-based therapist, guidance counselor, case manager, behavioral interventionist, or crisis intervention counselor, among other positions.
Clinical mental health counseling is one of the fastest-growing jobs in Ohio, but the pace of growth may not satisfy demand. Future employment trends nationally are much higher than average according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Ohio is among states with the highest employment rates of mental health counselors.
The program prepares graduates for state licensure.
Reciprocity
Ohio is one of nearly 40 states participating in the U.S. National Counseling Compact. The Compact is designed to make it easier to obtain practice privileges in other states. Ohio and West Virginia are both member of the Compact.
Accreditation
While the program is not yet accredited by CACREP, it has been developed to align with CACREP standards, including curriculum, faculty qualifications, and clinical placement expectations. Once the program is eligible, Marietta College intends to pursue the CACREP application and self-study process.
Because licensure requirements vary by state, we encourage students to review the requirements for the state where they plan to practice. In Ohio, licensure as an LPC or LPCC is governed by the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board.
Professional Development Resources
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook: Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors
American Counseling Association (ACA) Website
ACA Licensure Requirements Info
American Mental Health Counselors Association Website