Admission requirements

Admission into the M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling & Marriage and Family Therapy program is competitive and based on a number of factors, including your undergraduate GPA, personal statement and an interview with the department. To answer some questions you may have about the program, check out our FAQs . If you have further questions, please contactus and a staff member will get back to you soon.

 

Please Note: The Ánimo Emphasis is not currently offered in the M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling & Marriage and Family Therapy program (Part-time evening cohort).

Requirements checklist

For admittance into the program, you must have completed the following minimum requirements and prerequisites:

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) with a minimum 3.0 GPA
• Three letters of recommendation with at least one letter from an academic reference (exceptions for the academic reference requirement can be made)
• A detailed personal statement (approximately 1,000 words) should include the following (please double-space your personal statement and use headings to organize your writing): 
  • Personal biography, including childhood and later-life significant life experiences, that contribute to your aspirations in becoming a counselor. Please include the most important aspects of your life experience that you want the admissions committee to know about and why they are important to who you are as a person.
  • The counseling profession and our Department place a high value on social justice. Discuss what motivates you to be an advocate for social justice. You can draw from your own life experiences, other people’s experiences you’ve witnessed, a book or books you have read, and/or news events you have followed.
  • Discuss your motivation and suitability for entering the counseling profession. Do not discuss your educational experiences. They can be listed in your resume.
  • Discuss your long-term professional goals and how you believe this program will prepare you for them.
• An interview with department faculty
• Completion of prerequisite courses with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Read below for more information about prerequisites.
• Resume of Curriculum Vitae (CV). Please attach a 1-2 page resume or CV, that includes your educational history and your volunteer or paid mental health or related experiences. Be sure to include a description of your particular responsibilities in your paid or voluntary mental health-related work experiences. Please feel free to include courses completed with grades, course number, year taken, and institution where earned if applicable.

The GRE is not required for admissions.

How to apply

Applications for Spring admission open in August. You can view application instructions and dates, or start your application, on our Apply page. If you would like to receive application updates, join our email list below.