Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Mental health counselors offer guidance to individuals, couples, families and groups who are dealing with issues that affect their mental health and well-being. Effective mental health counselors are as excellent of communicators as they are listeners. Possessing a strong compassion towards others allows a mental health counselor to form genuine connections with their clients. Through Grand View's program, you will further develop your understanding for client-counselor relationships and maintaining professional boundaries. With scientific evidence and research as your backing, you will be prepared to employ an informed approach to your practice.

Grand View University’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling graduate program provides a commitment to excellence and is devoted to training highly skilled counselors who are dedicated to serving the needs of individuals and their communities. The program prepares working professional students for fulfilling careers in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

Our online, eight-week courses allow you to work around your schedule. Each week, you will be expected to review the course materials, participate in learning activities and complete required assignments. In addition to the course curriculum, you will be required to attend two in-person weekend residencies at Grand View University. Both on-campus and online classes are led by faculty who are practitioners, leaders and researchers in the field of counseling and whose work is prominent in the field.

Graduates prepare for licensure in Iowa as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and licensure in other states with appropriate consultation and adjustment to the curriculum.

Grand View University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Why Grand View?

No GRE required.
Students are able to transfer up to 12 credit hours of equivalent graduate work from regionally accredited schools. (B or better).
60 credit hour program.
Spring and Fall cohorts.
The MS in CMHC is designed to prepare graduates to qualify to sit for licensing exams and to meet the academic licensure requirements of many state counseling boards. (Although it is the individual’s responsibility to understand and comply with all state licensure requirements.)
Online with two in-person weekend residencies; coursework involves substantial student-to-student and faculty-to-student engagement and interaction.
Internships and practicums can be completed in your geographical area. The program entails substantial internship hours, per licensing requirements, to build counseling skills.

Admission and Program Requirements

Admission Requirements

Application to the CHMC program and meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Admissions decisions for complete files will be done on January 15 for fall start. Any remaining completed applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis thereafter and placed on a waitlist until there is an opening in the fall class.

A baccalaureate degree or a degree completion plan that meets the requirements of the program.
Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or greater (based on all hours attempted), or a GPA of 2.75 or higher in the last 60 hours of undergraduate studies.
Complete the application for admission.

Submit the following:

Personal Statement and Essay for following prompts:

The following essays should be typed and double-spaced.

Part I: Autobiographical Essay (750 words or less)

Describe your motivation and commitment to the counseling program at Grand View University. Include specific assets that you would bring to the University and the profession, as well as areas in which you would most like to grow academically and professionally. Identify your short and long term goals as a professional counselor.

Part II: Personal Reflection Essay (500 words or less)

The Professional Code of Ethics requires that counselors do not condone or engage in discrimination against individuals based on age, disability, ethnicity, race, religion, spirituality, gender, socio-economic, etc. Furthermore, counselors are aware of—and avoid imposing—their own values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. With these ethical expectations in mind, how will you begin the process of reflecting on and addressing any personal attitudes, beliefs, assumptions, or feelings that may prevent you from working with a client who has a different identity or a social status than your own?
2 Letters of Recommendation (either academic or professional).
Professional Resume.
Official transcript from Baccalaureate granting institution.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

The following requirements will be met after acceptance but prior to the start of classes:

Background Check
Liability Insurance
ACA student membership (American Counseling Association)
A non-refundable enrollment deposit of $125.00 will be required following acceptance to hold a student’s position in the class and will be applied to the first semester charges after the first week of the term when enrollment has been verified.

Course Requirements

This is an online program with two in-person weekend residencies.

Requirements (60 credits)
Professional Counseling Orientation	3 credits
Counseling Diverse Populations	3 credits
Human Growth & Development	3 credits
Career Counseling	3 credits
Counseling and Helping Relationships	3 credits
Group Counseling	3 credits
Assessment and Psychological Testing	3 credits
Diagnosis & Treatment Planning	3 credits
Research and Program Evaluation	3 credits
Psychopathology	3 credits
Counseling Theories	3 credits
Marriage/Couple and Family Therapy*	3 credits
Professional Ethics	3 credits
Addictions	3 credits
Crisis Intervention	3 credits
Introduction to Play Therapy and Techniques*	3 credits
Psychopharmacology	3 credits
Counseling Children and Adolescents*	3 credits
Counseling Practicum	3 credits
Internship I	3 credits
Internship II	3 credits

*Elective: Students must complete 2 of the 3 elective courses in order to fulfill the 60 credit hour program requirement.

View Course List

Career Opportunities

Explore these possible career options.

This program will...

Deliver a high quality education that meets the Iowa Board of Behavioral Sciences Examiners licensing requirements as well as the national standards of the Center for Credentialing & Education by enhancing knowledge of counseling and counseling concepts.

Provide high engagement and hands-on experiences that prepare students to become professional counselors to meet the demands of their clients in an unpredictable society.

Prepare students for licensure in counseling.

Provide education to train counselors to uphold ethical standards in their practice and community.

Develop practitioners who become lifelong learners by providing a curriculum that educates about the research process, proper use of assessment and importance of continuous re-evaluation.

Enhance students’ employability intro entry level professional counseling positions.

Did You Know?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the career outlook for mental health counselors (2018), is 22% job growth from 2018-2028.

Approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. experience mental illness in a given year, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

With an increasing demand of treatment, National Council for Behavior Health reports a shortage of more than 15,000 mental health professionals by 2025.

Rasmussen Center

Dedicated in 2008, the 42,851 square-foot $8.5 million building houses the departments of art, education, history, criminal justice, political studies, psychology and sociology, as well as general-purpose classrooms, art studios, computer labs, the ALT Center, faculty offices, and various student amenities.