Master of Arts in

Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Upon completion of our 60-credit master’s degree program—including passing the NCMHCE licensure exam (which students typically take immediately following graduation) and applying to the state for licensure, you will have a tLMHC credential, which you will have for two years while completing 3,000 hours of experience. This is done at a place of employment. After those two years, you would be able to practice independently with an LMHC license.

This program does not require an undergraduate degree in psychology. Having either a psychology, education, social work, or equivalent degree is acceptable. Applicants must have completed at least 9 credits of coursework in the behavioral sciences.

Immediately following receipt of all application materials, your file will be reviewed by the program director to determine whether to move forward with an interview.  You will then be contacted with information about your next steps. After completion of your interview (or after review of your file), you will be notified of an admission decision via email within one week.

The curriculum in this program meets requirements for each of these states for licensure.

Effective fall 2024, each course will be held just one morning per week, always ending prior to noon, on the beautiful Loras campus (one to two courses in the core curriculum plus summer electives will be online or hybrid). This will allow students the time to both focus on their preparation as mental health counselors and balance needs outside of academia. Practica and internships are primarily field experiences with regular meetings on campus.

White a fall start is preferred, students may choose between spring, summer, or fall terms.

Students can transfer a maximum of 12 graduate credits into the program from a previous institution. The courses must be comparable in course description and learning outcomes to coursework offered at Loras and approved by the program director.

Most students complete the program within three years by taking three courses per semester and summer electives.

As a general rule, students will spend four to six hours per week outside of classroom instruction on class-related work for each class.

Yes, students are required to attend the Graduate Student Orientation prior to beginning coursework so they can become familiar with the faculty, campus services, and their peers.

The practicum experience is one-hundred hours, occurring during the summer term and allows the student to observe therapists in action as the students become ready to move towards independent practice.

Students will meet with the practicum and internship coordinator to discuss their career goals and which placement locations might best fit their interests. Students will then interview at appropriate sites to help determine their placement.

When entering the practicum and internship experiences, students will need to be prepared to be at their site during the day, with most sites operating only Monday through Friday. While some students continue employment, all will lessen their work hours to at least part-time to allow time to complete these experiences.

Students should be aware that their current employment will not count towards either of these experiences, as they need to be completing activities that mental health counselors complete at their employment. Practicum and Internship experiences in mental health counseling are not paid opportunities.

Practicum and internship experiences occur in the last three semesters of the student’s program. Internship occurs during the fall and spring semesters as students move to work with clients individually, with 300 hours of experience during each semester.

Students should plan to be at their site approximately eighteen hours per week with two hours in group supervision class each week. Students will meet with the practicum and internship coordinator to discuss their career goals and which placement locations might best fit their interests.

Students will then interview at appropriate sites to help determine their placement. When entering the practicum and internship experiences, students will need to be prepared to be at their site during the day, with most sites operating only Monday through Friday. While some students continue employment, all will lessen their work hours to at least part-time to allow time to complete these experiences.

Students should be aware that their current employment will not count towards either of these experiences, as they need to be completing activities that mental health counselors complete at their employment.  Practicum and Internship experiences in mental health counseling are not paid opportunities.