Program Mission

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Marietta College aims to prepare students to be effective, ethical, and professional clinical mental health counselors through the promotion of personal growth and academic excellence. The program curriculum emphasizes both scholarly rigor and experiential learning as the means to produce culturally competent, skillful counselors for work in mental health agencies and for service and leadership in the Counseling profession.

Program Objectives

Upon successful completion of the CMHC program at Marietta College, all students will be prepared to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of all aspects of the Counseling profession including history, organizational structures, professional roles and functions, ethics, standards, and credentialing;
2. Demonstrate the awareness, knowledge, and skills needed relative to the appreciation of culture and its impact on living in a modern society;
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the needs of individuals and groups at all developmental levels and the impact of cultural context upon that development;
4. Cultivate an understanding of factors related to lifestyle and career development;
5. Apply skills and knowledge of helping relationships which are informed by a variety of approaches;
6. Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of the therapeutic relationship and the role of theory and application in achieving client directed outcomes;
7. Increase the understanding of assessment and evaluation as it relates to individual and group approaches; and
8. Effectively communicate an understanding of research methods, assessment, analysis, and program evaluation relevant to the profession and practice of Counseling.

Program Features

• Low student-to-faculty ratio (12:1)
• Practicum and internship experiences
• Graduate Assistantship opportunities
• Student leadership and service opportunities

What can I do with this degree?

Graduates of this program are eligible to pursue licensure as a licensed professional clinical counselor (LPC) and a licensed professional clinical counselors (LPCC). Employment for graduates with this degree is commonly found in a variety of settings including community mental health agencies, hospitals and clinical environments, career centers, colleges and universities, and private practice; providing and coordinating counseling and psychotherapy for individuals and groups of people struggling with mental emotional disorders, substance abuse and personal, family, and social difficulties.

Masters of the Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Curriculum

The curriculum for the Masters of the Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is designed to accommodate students who are entering the MA program immediately following an undergraduate degree, as well as those students who are doing so to enhance or change their career trajectory. Courses are scheduled to meet in the evenings with each course meeting only one night a week. Each semester will include one course which will meet online. Courses scheduled during the summer will meet online at an accelerated pace. This schedule of courses will allow for students to earn their degree in as little as 22 months.

We use the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam (CPCE) as the comprehensive exam for the program. The CPCE is designed to assess counseling students’ knowledge of counseling information and is used by more than 270 universities and colleges.

Year 1

Fall 1

605	Counseling Theory	3 credit hours
610	Counseling Techniques	3 credit hours
686	Research and Evaluation in Counseling	3 credit hours
601	Professional, Ethical, and Legal Issues in Counseling	3 credit hours
Semester Credit Hours		12 credit hours

 

Spring 1

620	Group Counseling	3 credit hours
670	Practicum	3 credit hours
665	Social and Cultural Foundations of Counseling	3 credit hours
606	Counseling Across the Lifespan	3 credit hours
Semester Credit Hours		12 credit hours

 

Summer 1 (Online)

630	Appraisal of the individual	3 credit hours
640	Couples and Family Counseling	3 credit hours
660	Lifestyle and Career Counseling	3 credit hours
681	Elective	3 credit hours
Semester Credit Hours		12 credit hours

Year 2

Fall 2

635	Addiction Counseling	3 credit hours
645	Clinical Counseling Diagnosis	3 credit hours
690	CMHC Internship 1	3 credit hours
682	Elective	3 credit hours
Semester Credit Hours		12 credit hours

 

Spring 2

650	Treatment of Mental and Emotional Disorders	3 credit hours
655	Crisis and Trauma Counseling	3 credit hours
690	CMHC Internship 2	3 credit hours
683	Elective	3 credit hours
Semester Credit Hours		12 credit hours

Total Graduate Credit Hours: 60

Apply for MA in CMHC

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Marietta College welcomes students and professionals from all academic backgrounds. Successful applicants to the CMHC program at Marietta College will complete an application form, provide copies of all undergraduate transcripts, showing a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0. Those students who do not meet this minimum GPA requirement will be required to submit suitable GRE scores. Applicants who already hold a graduate degree will not be required to take the GRE. Applicants will also be required to submit recommendation forms completed by 3 professional references and be subject to an admissions interview. 

Admission Requirements

1. Names and email addresses for 3 professional or academic references
2. Essay addressing the applicant’s interest and motivation in becoming a Counselor 
3. Completion of bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 3.0 GPA on a 4-point scale 
4. All undergraduate transcripts showing degree and ANY graduate course work (Official copies required upon conditional admission)
5. Official GRE scores if GPA is below 3.0
6. Completed Application

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling faculty also require an interview for all students seeking admission into the program. This interview provides you an opportunity to discuss educational and career goals. When we have received all of your application materials, you will be and given instructions on whom to contact for the interview.

Admission Forms

CMHC Application
CMHC Application Reference Form (PDF)

Vaccine Policy

The Vaccine Policy for graduate students can be viewed on the Center for Health & Wellness page.

Program Outcomes and Statistics

During the 2021 academic year, the program had 10 students enrolled fulltime. In May of 2021 the program graduated its first cohort of students. 5 students enrolled at the beginning of the cohort. Three graduated (60% completion rate), one of these students took and passed the NCE (100% pass rate). One student withdrew from the program while another is on a leave of absence. All three (100%), of our graduates are employed full time.