Application Process Opens October 15

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program welcomes a diverse student population and encourages applicants of different ages, from different social, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds, and with different abilities and learning styles. The program provides the coursework necessary for students to become Licensed Professional Counselors in community mental health centers, community agencies, mental health facilities, and private practice settings. Accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), the three-year, 60-credit-hour program leads to the awarding of both the Master of Arts and the Educational Specialist degrees. Graduates are also eligible to become Board Certified Counselors.

We offer small, experiential classes that rarely involve more than eight to ten students. Our dynamic and student-focused faculty members have been the recipients of national ACES awards, along with numerous other honors at the regional, state, university, college, and department levels. Students receive constant feedback and supervision throughout their training. We place great emphasis on personal and professional growth and the practical application of skills at our on-campus practicum and community-based internship sites.

During the 2023-2024 academic year, 27 students were enrolled in the JMU Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program. The total number of graduates during this academic year was 10. In recent years, we have typically admitted nine or ten students into the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program each fall semester. Our full-time students complete the program in three years and our part-time students usually complete the program in five years. Our completion rate for full-time and part-time students in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program for the graduating cohort was 100%.