Department of Counseling
Mental Health Counseling, M.S.
MC’s Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling prepares students to become licensed counselors in Mississippi.
Pursue Mental Health Counseling in the Clinical Setting
The counseling profession is estimated to grow by 28 percent in the next 10 years as more people seek treatment for mental and behavioral healthcare and addictions.
Develop The Skills to Guide Patients Through Mental Health Treatment
The Mental Health Counseling program (M.S.) prepares professionals to work in mental and behavioral healthcare settings, including hospitals, regional centers, and agencies. Mental Health Counselors use the biopsychosocial model to plan treatments for mental disorders and other conditions.
Mission of the Program
The mission of the Mental Health Counseling Program is to help students acquire core competencies, as well as specialized knowledge and skill, necessary to perform effectively as mental health counselors. Completion of the program will assist graduates in making application for licensure as a professional counselor (LPC), as well as National Counseling Certification.
The program wishes to recruit students from diverse backgrounds who demonstrate character, maturity, scholarship, leadership, church/community involvement, and interest in the counseling profession. Students participating in the Mental Health Counseling Program receive training in the theories, models, and techniques of professional counseling with specialized preparation in work with adult and child clients, their families, and other members of the behavioral healthcare team in agency, hospital, and other mental health treatment settings. Students are expected to complete supervised clinical training in approved sites.
- Students will develop the knowledge, skills, and practices of mental health counseling in order to provide competent care for differing populations within a multicultural and pluralistic society informed by research and evidence-based practice.
- Students will develop and maintain the skills necessary to establish ethically appropriate and effective therapeutic relationships with clients from diverse backgrounds.
To become a counselor in Mississippi, they must have a master’s degree in counseling, have finished their supervised hours and passed the NCE and the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE).
Whatever path to professional certification that they pursue, our counseling students are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to practice in a variety of behavioral healthcare settings, including private practice, hospitals and agencies, and even pursue a doctoral degree later in their career.
In addition to our M.S. in Mental Health Counseling, Mississippi College also offers a M.S. in Marriage and Family Counseling and an M.Ed. in School Counseling.
Clinical Training
Our CACREP-accredited degree in mental health counseling incorporates training in the theories, models and techniques of professional mental health treatment and management. Our master’s program prioritizes specialized preparation to work with adults and children, address the concerns of their families and collaborate with other members of the behavioral healthcare team. Specifically, the coursework of the M.S. in Mental Health Counseling addresses individual and group counseling theories and skills, lifestyle and crisis counseling, assessment and treatment planning, in addition to psychopathology and case conceptualization. All training is provided within an ethical and multicultural framework.
At Mississippi College, all of our counseling programs emphasize the importance of experiential training through the incorporation of simulations and role play into the coursework. In addition, students complete two clinical internships to build a solid foundation in behavioral health treatment as well as pass the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam. Students are expected to complete supervised clinical training in approved sites.
Course Requirements
A minimum of 60 semester hours must be completed by taking the following courses:
Tier I – Pre-practicum (courses must be taken prior to Practicum)
Tier II – Pre-Internship I (courses must be taken prior to Internship I)
Tier III – Pre-Internship II (courses must be taken prior to Internship II)
Tier IV – Pre-graduation (courses must be taken prior to graduation)
CC - Core Courses: (courses must be taken prior CPCE)
|
Tier |
CC |
|
TITLE |
HOURS |
|
Tier I |
CC |
COU 6501 |
Legal, Ethical and Professional Issues in Counseling |
3 |
|
Tier I |
CC |
COU 6502 |
Theories of Personality and Counseling (cross-listed with PSY 6502) |
3 |
|
Tier I |
CC |
COU 6506 |
Multicultural Counseling (cross-listed with PSY 6506) |
3 |
|
Tier I |
COU 6669 |
Foundations, Contextual Dimensions, and Knowledge and Skills of Mental Health Counseling |
3 |
|
|
Tier I |
CC |
COU 6515 |
Lifespan Development (cross-listed with PSY 6515) |
3 |
|
Prerequisites for COU 6503: COU 6501, 6502, 6506, 6669, 6515 |
||||
|
Tier I |
CC |
COU 6661 |
Use and Interpretation of Tests (cross-listed with PSY 6661) |
3 |
|
Tier I |
CC |
COU 6503 |
Helping Relationships (Methods and Techniques in Counseling) |
3 |
|
Tier II |
CC |
COU 6662 |
Techniques of Group Counseling |
3 |
|
Tier II |
COU 6663 |
Practicum in Counseling and Therapy (requires completion of 18 hours in practicum prerequisites including COU 6503 Helping Relationships) |
CR/NC |
|
|
Tier II |
CC |
COU 6504 |
Research-Methods and Procedures (cross-listed with PSY 6504) |
3 |
|
Tier II/III |
COU 6536 |
Psychopathology III – Assessment & Treatment |
3 |
|
|
Tier III |
CC |
COU 6665 |
Lifestyle and Career Counseling |
3 |
|
Tier III |
COU 6817 |
Crisis Counseling (cross-listed as PSY 6817) |
3 |
|
|
Tier III |
COU 6701 |
Internship in Counseling I |
CR/NC |
|
|
Tier IV |
COU 6702 |
Internship in Counseling II |
CR/NC |
|
|
Tier IV |
COU 6999*** |
Comprehensive Exam |
CR/NC |
|
|
Can be taken during any semester prior to graduation |
||||
|
COU 6666 |
Introduction to Marriage and Family Counseling |
3 |
||
|
COU 6667 |
Addictions Counseling |
3 |
||
|
|
|
SPECIALIZED COURSEWORK: 9 SEMESTER HRS |
TITLE |
HOURS |
|
|
|
Elective |
In consultation with advisor (electives may vary each semester) |
3 |
|
|
|
Elective |
In consultation with advisor (electives may vary each semester) |
3 |
|
|
|
Elective |
In consultation with advisor (electives may vary each semester) |
3 |
***COU 6999 is the exit exam course. This is not a physical or on-line class; however, you must enroll in COU 6999 and successfully complete this comprehensive exam (Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam; CPCE) 1-2 semesters prior to your expected graduation semester.
For the most up-to-date list of courses and requirements, please consult Mississippi College’s course catalog.
Mental Health Counseling, M.S. Admissions
Our master’s program in Mental Health Counseling wishes to recruit students from diverse backgrounds who demonstrate character, maturity, scholarship, leadership, church/community involvement and interest in the counseling profession. Applicants must have a GPA above 3.0 in their prior undergraduate work from an accredited college or university and meet the general admissions requirements for becoming a Mississippi College graduate student. Applicants must also complete a successful interview process before being admitted into the program.
While prospective students may apply year-round, application deadlines for the upcoming semesters are:
- June 1 for Fall Semester
- October 1 for Spring Semester
Consult the detailed admissions requirements for further information on applying to our M.S. in Mental Health Counseling.
