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Graduate Program Master of Science, Clinical Mental Health Counseling

The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs accredited logo

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program (CMHC) is a 60 credit hour program that meets the educational requirements for licensure in the state of Florida as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC). This program is practitioner-oriented in the sense that students are required to complete a demanding field - based internship of 1,000 supervised hours before graduation. The counseling curriculum offers a unique blend of courses to provide the skills and knowledge necessary for becoming a competent counseling professional. Solid academic performance and experiential mastery are required.

Highlights

Admissions Requirements

University Requirements

  • A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or its equivalent from a foreign institution with a GPA of 3.0 or higher in all work attempted in the last 60 credit hours of undergraduate study. No specific degree or other pre-requisites are required.

Additional Program Requirements

  • Official transcripts from all attended institutions
  • Competitive GRE General test scores (300 and above on the combined verbal and quantitative scales, taken within the past 5 years - Institutional Code: 5490).
    • If you have completed a masters or higher degree from an accredited institution, the GRE may not be required
     
  • Letter of intent describing:
    • Reasons for seeking admission to the CMHC program
    • Short and long-term educational, research, and professional goals
     
  • Three recommendations, preferably with at least one from a current or former faculty member. Recommenders are required to complete a rating form and may also submit a letter if they choose.
  • Resume
  • A personal interview will be required for the top competitive candidates. Applicants will be contacted by the CMHC program if selected to participate in the interview process.

Mission

The mission of the UNF Master's Program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is to provide comprehensive training for individuals who wish to counsel diverse populations in a variety of mental health settings. This program provides students with an intellectually stimulating and supportive environment which encompasses academic rigor and promotes excellence, ethical and professional integrity, and effective interpersonal communication and therapeutic skills. Curricular experiences include opportunities to explore the life-span, social, and cultural foundations of behavior; practice psychotherapeutic and diagnostic skills; and complete extensive field experiences in order to apply knowledge and skills in professional settings.

The program prepares mental health counselors to fulfill the following roles:

  • Provide direct counseling services to individuals, groups, and families
  • Assist clients in making responsible decisions and in developing skills of self determination
  • Provide resources, referrals, and information to assist clients in coping with societal, economic, and other barriers
  • Serve as models and mentors to clients as they pursue optimum levels of mental health
  • Advocate for clients’ rights through participation in community, state, and national organizational efforts
  • Become leaders in community agencies in efforts to facilitate delivery of optimum mental health services.

The CMHC curriculum is focused on preparing counseling professionals for employment in various settings including:

  • Community mental health centers
  • Psychiatric hospitals
  • Residential treatment facilities
  • Outpatient mental health clinics
  • Rehabilitation agencies
  • Social service agencies
  • Employee assistance programs
  • Treatment centers
  • Correctional institutions
  • Crisis centers
  • College counseling centers
  • Private practice

Program of Study

Major: Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Degree: Master of Science

Informational text

Please note the following:

  • Refer to the UNF graduate catalog for prerequisites to individual courses.
  • Unless a course is identified as repeatable for credit, you may receive credit for a course only once. However, your GPA will reflect all repeated courses.
  • Program Director approval is required prior to registering for course work at another institution.
  • With Program Director approval, graduate level course work may be transferred from another regionally accredited institution.
  • It is mandatory to follow the program course sequence. You must contact the program director for any changes in course sequence to be considered.

Major Requirements (51 credits)

  • MHS6430 Intro to Family Counseling (3 Credits)
  • MHS6486 Human Dev Across Lifespan (3 Credits)
  • MHS6404 Theories in Clinical MHC (3 Credits)
  • MHS6700 Legal, Prof, Eth in Counseling (3 Credits)
  • MHS6941 Clinical Counseling Skills (3 Credits)
  • MHS6876 Clinical Research Evaluation (3 Credits)
  • MHS6070 Psychopathology (3 Credits)
  • MHS6428 Counseling Diverse Populations (3 Credits)
  • MHS6510 Group Counseling (3 Credits)
  • MHS6205 Assessment and Evaluation (3 Credits)
  • MHS6305 Career Counseling (3 Credits)
  • MHS6800 Practicum in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (3-6 Credits)
  • MHS6401 CMHC in Community Settings (3 Credits)
  • MHS6450 Addictions Counseling (3 Credits)
  • MHS6470 Sexual Issues in Counseling (3 Credits)
  • MHS6830 Internship in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (3 Credits)

Major Electives (9 credits)

SELECT 9 HOURS FROM THE FOLLOWING:

  • MHS6402 Overview of Brief Counseling
  • MHS6916 Conceptual/Research Independent Study in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  • MHS6930 ST: Special Topics in Counseling
  • MHS6930 ST: Expressive Arts and Creativity in Counseling
  • MHS6930 ST: Animal Assisted Therapy
  • MHS6930 ST: Grief and Loss
  • MHS6930 ST: Psychotherapy with Children and Adolescents