Counseling, M.S. Clinical Mental Health Counseling Concentration

The Master of Science (M.S.) in Counseling program prepares students with a high level of evidence-based, ethical, and culturally responsive skill sets to serve clients. The Clinical Mental Health Counseling concentration prepares you to conceptualize, assess, diagnose, and treat individuals, groups, and families in a variety of settings. These settings include, but are not limited to, inpatient, outpatient, in-home care, and private practice settings.

All of CED’s programs are CACREP accredited and are in person on the UNCG main campus. All programs are full-time with courses offered predominantly during the day between 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Program Distinctions

• The CED Department has consistently been recognized as a top counseling program by the U.S. News & World Report, ranking in the Top 10 list for more than two decades.
• Within North Carolina, CED is the Top Graduate Program for Counseling.
• Within CED is the Nicholas Vacc Counseling and Consulting Clinic, an in-house training clinic where all students engage in the practical experiences working with clients.
• In our counseling program, master’s students are provided with intensive clinical supervision from the department as they develop their counseling skills in clinical practicum and internships.
• Our students in Clinical Mental Health Counseling can select from various evidence-based practice courses, gaining knowledge and skills in practices such as dialectical behavior therapy and motivational interviewing.

The Student Experience

• In the Clinical Mental Health Counseling track, you will have many opportunities to develop clinical counseling skills. Beginning in your first semester, you are engaging in hands-on practicum experiences with almost every content class you have. You will work with clients under close clinical supervision in the Nicholas A. Vacc Counseling and Consulting Clinic, and in a 600-hour internship in a local community agency, hospital, residential care facility, or private practice that matches your desired setting and specialty area.
• Sample courses include counseling diverse populations, trauma and crisis in counseling, and diagnosis and treatment planning as well as evidence based practice courses such as dialectical behavior therapy and motivational interviewing.
• Each year, approximately 32-38 master’s students are recommended for admission into the full-time/day-time counseling program by an Admissions Committee, which consists of program faculty.

After Graduation

Graduates of the program are well-prepared for success as a clinical mental health counselor in various settings, including but not limited to, community counseling agency, outpatient mental health agency, private practice, hospital or medical setting, or college counseling center. You are also well trained, depending on how you specialize, to work with children, adolescents, young adults, or adults with various mental health diagnoses and concerns.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The deadline to apply for the master’s program is November 15. Admission is for the fall semester only. Applications that are not completed by the respective deadlines are not reviewed. Please contact the Graduate School to confirm all required information has been received there.

Application criteria for application for master’s program includes: 

1. Complete online graduate school application.
2. Two professional letters of recommendation for master’s students (at least one of which should be an academic reference).  
3. Resume or curriculum vitae detailing work experience, volunteer experience, and research background. 
4. Three written statements are required for master’s applicants. These include: (1) Personal statement, (2) approach to learning, and (3) self in social and cultural context. See below for a description of each of these statements. All statements should be in 12-point font and double spaced.
5. Undergraduate and, if applicable, graduate transcripts.
6. If your undergraduate GPA was a 2.75 or below, please complete a statement that contextualizes your earlier academic performance and how you are now prepared to be successful in a graduate program.

*Please note: GRE scores are not required for application to the master’s program.

Personal Statement (2 pages)
Please describe your interest in pursuing a master’s degree in counseling and your aspirations post-graduation. Discuss what you believe positions you to function successfully as a professional counselor, and how you have come to the decision to pursue graduate training in a helping profession, along with anything else that helps to describe you.

Approach to Learning (2 pages)
In a graduate program, you will encounter students who have different learning styles, life experiences, and value systems than your own. Discuss how you show up in a learning environment with people who hold perspectives and opinions that are challenging for you.

Self in Social and Cultural Context (2 pages)
Counselors provide services to clients who represent a range of values, cultural backgrounds and lived experiences. Please discuss the following: My life and experiences have positioned me to embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion in the following ways.

Transcripts
Applicants may either upload official transcripts that have been issued by their institution’s Registrar’s Office onto their online application or order official transcripts that should be mailed to the Graduate School at the following address:  

The Graduate School
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
241 Mossman Building
1202 Spring Garden Street
Greensboro, NC 27412  

Online Application
We use a completely electronic application process.

All applicants should include the following supplemental documents as attachments to their online application: 

• Personal Statement 
• Approach to Learning
• Self in Social and Cultural Context 
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae

Timeline and Interviews
The admissions committee will begin reviewing applications after the application deadline. Selected applicants will be invited for an interview early in the spring semester. Participation in the interview process is mandatory for selected students. Applicants are notified of their admission status usually within two to four weeks after all interviews are completed; typically, students receive notification no later than April 15.