Master of Arts in Counseling (MA in Counseling)
Purpose
- Prepares you to practice as a clinician
- A Master's in Counseling allows you to work in diverse settings, including schools, substance abuse programs, marriage and family counseling, and mental health counseling
- Individuals with MA in Counseling degrees can work with individuals, groups, and families
Program Length
- Master's in Counseling programs typically take about 2-3 years to complete
- Some schools offer accelerated programs that take 18 months to complete
- Requires additional post-graduation hours of supervised clinical work
Licensure
- Most states require at least 3,000-4,000 supervised clinical hours in no less than two years and no more than six years before licensure
- Pass the state-specific licensure exam (e.g., National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Exam and the California LPCC Law and Ethics Exam)
Program Specialization Examples
- Some programs offer specializations, for example, school counseling
Work Settings
- Private practice
- Examples of work include career counseling, counseling in a college setting, and behavioral health counseling in a medical setting
Graduate admissions requirements (in addition to general requirements)
- Generally, programs recommend taking certain courses during undergraduate education, such as theories of personality/counseling, development through the lifespan, and a psychopathology course
- Paid or volunteer experience working with people of diverse backgrounds is one of the more heavily weighed factors in admissions decisions
- Each program will have varying requirements for courses, GRE, personal statements, and other prerequisites
Example Programs & Tuition Cost
Santa Clara University’s MA in Counseling Program
Palo Alto University’s MA in Counseling Program