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M.A. in Clinical
Mental Health Counseling

Degree Type

  • Master of Arts

Format

  • Online

Location

  • Online

Credit Hours

  • 60

Accreditation

  • Higher Learning Commission (HLC)

Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

The importance of mental health and wellness is critical and vocations in the field of behavioral health have become an important part of holistic health care. With a growing need for qualified counselors, Cornerstone University has designed an innovative, top-ranked degree program to prepare you to facilitate wellness, emotional health and empowerment in diverse individuals and groups.

At the heart of a counselor is the desire to help people establish wellness, develop healthy coping styles and overcome maladaptive strategies. Professional counselors support their clients through clinical and ethical competence coupled with a willingness to journey alongside people experiencing pain, loss and trauma. The M.A. in clinical mental health counseling degree will prepare you clinically for a future career as a Licensed Professional Counselor.

83%

Of Master of Arts in clinical mental health counseling alumni have obtained their limited license or full license as a professional counselor (LLPC or LPC).

3

Program Concentrations

7:1

Student-to-faculty ratio.

Licensure and Continued
Professional Development

You must become a Licensed Professional Counselor to work in any facility as a professional counselor within the state of Michigan. We have designed the M.A. in clinical mental health counseling degree program to meet the graduate school licensure requirements in Michigan. Upon graduation, you will qualify to apply for your Limited License as a Professional Counselor (LLPC).

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Admission Requirements

  • Application
  • Three recommendations
  • Transcripts
  • Minimum 2.7 GPA from accredited undergraduate school
  • Interview with counseling faculty

Careers

Graduates of the M.A. in clinical mental health counseling program at Cornerstone, go on to serve in a number of diverse settings and post-graduate counseling placements.

Opportunities

  • Community mental health agencies
  • University/college counseling centers
  • Inpatient psychiatric services
  • Foster/adoption counseling services
  • Refugee counseling services
  • Church-based counseling centers
  • Private practices
  • School-based counseling centers
  • Veterans' services
  • Child/adolescent counseling services
  • Treatment centers for disordered eating
  • Treatment centers for addictions
  • Hospice services

Michigan Counseling Licensure

The M.A. in clinical mental health counseling program at Cornerstone University is designed to meet the educational requirements for the state of Michigan for the limited license professional counselor credential (LLPC). In Michigan, the limited license is known as a provisional licensure. Four steps need to be completed before applicants can progress from the “limited” license (LLPC) to the “full” license (LPC). These requirements are completed after students earn their M.A. in clinical mental health counseling degree. They are as follows:

  • Complete 3,000 hours working as a counselor.
  • Attend supervision for at least 100 of those hours with a LPC who has completed the supervision requirements as outlined by the state of Michigan.
  • Pass the National Counselor Exam (NCE).
  • Allow no less than two years and no more than 10 years to pass before applying.

Please visit the Michigan Board of Counseling for more information regarding Michigan state licensure.

Out-of-State Counseling Licensure

If you are seeking to pursue licensure in other states, please review the requirements of that state to determine if the M.A. in clinical mental health counseling curriculum at Cornerstone University aligns with the state’s requirements. Cornerstone University is not liable for students seeking to pursue licensure out of the state of Michigan. It is your responsibility to contact the state for which you are seeking licensure to confirm curricular alignment. Information regarding the licensing boards for each state is available below. Additionally, NC-SARA maintains a list of contact information for each state’s licensing board.

Networking

As you begin your degree program, we encourage you to consider getting involved in professional organizations for counseling professionals. These organizations offer professional development opportunities related to the field of counseling.

Comparison of Helping Professions: LPC, LMSW and LP

You might be curious about the differences between the LPC (licensed professional counselor), LMSW (licensed master social worker) and the LP (licensed psychologist). While each of these careers can have an outcome of doing the work of counseling, the identity of a clinical mental health counselor is unique and distinctive with a focus on development across the lifespan, wellness, holistic health and empowerment of clients.

Each course touched on relevant information that kept me immersed in the field and connected me to a lot of resources.

Christine Davenport (M.A. ’19)

Faculty

The core counseling faculty at Cornerstone University all have professional counseling and supervision experience, areas of clinical specialization and are engaged in research and scholarly activity. They value getting to know their students and act as faculty advisers to mentor and guide students throughout their educational journeys and on the path to a future career as a Licensed Professional Counselor.

The adjunct counseling faculty at Cornerstone University are practicing clinicians who offer their unique skill sets in the field of counseling.

Related Programs

Cornerstone offers several options for students interested in clinical mental health counseling. Take a look at some of the other degree programs offered by the university.

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Hours

MON - FRI: 8 a.m. - 5. p.m.
SAT & SUN: Closed

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