Master's in Counseling - Clinical Mental Health

UNC Greensboro’s Master’s in Counseling with a concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counseling prepares compassionate, skilled professionals to help individuals, families, and communities navigate life’s challenges. Through a nationally recognized, CACREP-accredited program, students will build the clinical knowledge, ethical foundation, and hands-on counseling experience needed for professional licensure and meaningful careers in community agencies, hospitals, private practice, and other mental health settings. With early clinical training, close faculty mentorship, and a strong emphasis on evidence-based practice and culturally responsive care, students graduate ready to make a lasting impact in the lives of those you serve.

master’s in clinical mental health counseling Program Distinctions

UNCG’s Department of Counseling and Educational Development (CED) has earned a longstanding reputation for excellence in counselor preparation and consistently ranks among the nation’s top graduate counseling programs. The department’s Ph.D. program reflects decades of leadership in preparing counselor educators and advancing the counseling profession. Within North Carolina, CED is rated as the top graduate counseling program and comes in fourth nationally in U.S. News & World Report rankings. The program has been rated among the top 15 in the country for more than three decades.

UNCG students begin developing clinical skills in the Nicholas A. Vacc Counseling and Consulting Clinic, the department’s on-campus training clinic. Students work with real clients while receiving close supervision from experienced counselor educators before transitioning to community internships.

Clinical training begins in the first semester. Nearly every skills-based course includes hands-on practice, allowing students to steadily build confidence before completing a 600-hour internship in settings such as:

• Community mental health agencies
• Hospitals
• Residential treatment facilities
• In-home services
• Private practices

Students can often select internship sites that align with their career goals.

Each year, the program’s admissions committee—made up of counseling faculty—selects approximately 32 to 38 students for admission to the full-time Clinical Mental Health Counseling master’s program. Students complete the program on a full-time schedule, with most courses offered during the day between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

The Master’s in clinical mental health counseling Student Experience

Master’s in Clinical Mental Health students receive extensive clinical supervision throughout practicum and internship experiences. Rather than simply completing required hours, they receive ongoing feedback from faculty who are nationally recognized for counselor education, helping them refine assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and counseling skills.

In addition to core counseling preparation, students can develop expertise in evidence-based approaches such as:

• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
• Motivational Interviewing
• Trauma and crisis counseling
• Diagnosis and treatment planning

This emphasis prepares graduates to use interventions supported by current research rather than relying solely on traditional counseling techniques.

The curriculum emphasizes culturally responsive counseling, ethical decision-making, advocacy, and serving diverse populations across the lifespan. These themes are woven throughout coursework and clinical experiences rather than treated as standalone topics.

How to Apply to UNCG’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master’s Program

The deadline to apply for the master’s program is November 15. Admission is for the fall semester only. Complete your application by the appropriate deadline to ensure the admissions committee reviews it. Contact the Graduate School to confirm it has received all required application materials.

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) Experience and background, (2) Ethical decision making, and (3) Personal statement. 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.

Experience and background (2 pages) 

Reflect on your developmental history, personal experiences, and background. Consider how these have shaped you into the person you are today. Please describe how your background will impact your effectiveness with clients, both in terms of your strengths and limitations.

Ethical Decision Making (2 pages) 

The American Counseling Association’s Code of Ethics states “Counselors refrain from referring prospective and current clients based solely on the counselor’s personally held values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. Counselors respect the diversity of clients and seek training in areas in which they are at risk of imposing their values onto clients, especially when the counselor’s values are inconsistent with the client’s goals or are discriminatory in nature.”  

This statement reflects the expectation that counselors provide services to individuals from all backgrounds, regardless of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or religion. Describe how you will uphold this ethical standard by thoughtfully navigating the complex issues that may arise when working with individuals whose backgrounds, identities, or perspectives differ from your own.

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 other information that helps to describe you.  

GPA (up to 2 pages) 

If your undergraduate GPA was below 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.  

Reference Letters 

Submit two professional references from people whom you have worked with in a workplace or educational context (e.g., instructor, adviser). These individuals should be able to describe you as a worker or learner and know you well enough to discuss your potential for success in a graduate program in counseling.  

Transcripts
Applicants can either upload official transcripts issued by their institution’s Registrar’s Office through the online application or request that their institution mail official transcripts directly 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 
• Experiences and Background
• Ethical Decision Making
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae

Timeline and Interviews
The admissions committee begins reviewing applications after the application deadline. The committee invites selected applicants to interview early in the spring semester, and participation in the interview process is required. Applicants typically receive an admission decision within two to four weeks after interviews conclude and no later than April 15.

Upon Graduating with your master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling

Graduates of the Master’s in Clinical Mental Health program leave UNCG prepared to become ethical, culturally responsive, evidence-based clinical mental health counselors. They meet the educational requirements for professional licensure, gain extensive supervised clinical experience, and are ready to provide high-quality mental health services in community agencies, hospitals, private practice, college counseling centers, and other behavioral health settings.

The U.S. Department of Education requires that all higher education institutions advise students as to whether their curriculum provides them with the eligibility to apply for a professional license and/or certification in the state for which they plan to practice. The U.S. Department of Education requires that all higher education institutions advise students as to whether their curriculum provides them with the eligibility to apply for a professional license and/or certification in the state for which they plan to practice. As such, please review UNC Greensboro’s status by state. You should note whether the program either “meets”, “does not meet”, or if there “has not been a determination” of the program’s status in the state for which you plan to practice. Licensure Reciprocity Information (please search “By Program” and type in Counseling, MS, Clinical Mental Health Counseling Concentration)