Counseling — Clinical Mental Health Concentration

Master of Science (MS)

Master’s Program

Modes of study:

In person

Turn your compassion into a meaningful career with a master’s degree in counseling from USM. Our nationally accredited program (CACREP) provides training in the dynamic aspects of the mental health system. You engage with classmates, receive support from experienced faculty, and develop your professional identity through rewarding field placement experiences.

State & national credentials

Prepare to sit for the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) and the National Counselor Examination (NCE)

Pursue an area of expertise

Choose electives for a specialization in Family Systems or Substance Misuse Counseling

Prep for success

USM students have a 99% pass rate on their licensing exams — and 100% receive paid positions after graduating

Credit hours

63 required credit hours. Most courses are equal to 3 credit hours.

Visit Academic Catalog

Program duration

Study full-time and finish in as few as 2 years or study part-time and finish in 4 years.

Department & School

Admissions

Formal interview required. Apply by February 15 for fall term, October 1 for spring term. No GRE requirement.

View application process & deadlines

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Transformative learning

Mental health counselors are facilitators, collaborators, advocates, and lifelong learners. The counseling curriculum at USM challenges your critical thinking, reflectivity, and reflexivity. You explore the interconnections between mind and body health. You collaborate to build your diagnostic and ethical decision-making skills. Along the way, you gain the confidence to advocate for community resources, multiculturalism, trauma-informed care, and social justice.

Curriculum overview

Community partnerships

USM has long-standing partnerships with hundreds of community partners across the region, including 80 agency sites and more than 60 area schools. Your field placement experience matches you with an organization that aligns with your professional and personal interests. You work and learn alongside licensed experts, providing services for a diverse range of clients.

A counselor has an individual session with a patient.

A student talks with another student in class.

Experience beyond the classroom

Your field study provides the on-site clinical experience you need to succeed in direct client care. During your practicum, you refine your skills and develop your therapeutic style. Your studies culminate with an intensive on-site internship, where you collaborate with a licensed practitioner to demonstrate the skills, concepts, and theories you’ve learned.

Explore field experience

Where can you go with a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling?

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Licensure & certification

Program graduates qualify to become a conditionally Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC-c) in Maine. Those pursuing expertise in Substance Abuse can also qualify to apply for their CADC (Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor) depending on field placement site.

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What to expect when you study for a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling at USM

Gain clinical experience: During your required practicum and internship hours, you develop and enhance your counseling skills with supervision and support.
Prepare for your licensing exams: When you graduate, you’re qualified sit for the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) and the National Counselor Examination (NCE) and to apply to be licensed as a conditional clinical professional counselor (LCPC-c) in Maine.
Study with expert faculty who hold doctorates in Counseling and years of practical experience in the field.
Pursue an area of interest: If you choose, you can take specialized electives that will allow you to pursue your interest in the following areas: children, family systems, use of the creative arts, mind-body approaches, spirituality, or substance misuse.

A Counselor Education faculty member explains program requirements.

Expert faculty

Our faculty are deeply committed to student success, often involving students in their research and presentations. They engage in continuous scholarship related to areas such as counselor self-care, altruism and moral courage, rehabilitation and aging, suicide awareness, and resiliency.

Meet your professors

Nationally accredited

Our program is accredited through the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP).

View accreditation and program outcomes

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Graduate student support

Our Office of Graduate Studies connects you with opportunities for professional development, scholarships, and graduate assistantships. They also foster our graduate student community through Peer Mentorship and the Graduate Student Board.

Browse resources

Admission information: MS in Counseling with a Concentration in Clinical Mental Health

Application deadlines

Deadline	Fall term start	Spring term start
Final	February 15	October 1

Admissions decisions will be sent out approximately three weeks after the interviews. Additional details about interviews are provided below.

Applicant must have a bachelor’s degree, from a regionally accredited college or university, and have earned a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) in a baccalaureate degree program; Applicants who do not have a 2.5 overall GPA must enclose a letter asking for special consideration, in which they provide evidence of an ability to complete graduate studies successfully. Without such a letter, applicants who fail to meet eligibility requirements may be automatically denied.

Applicants are required to provide the following materials:

General requirements

Application: Online application
Application fee:
- In-state, out-of-state, and Canadian applicants: Free to apply
- International applicants: Submit US $50 fee to apply
Transcripts: Official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended, excluding the seven campuses of the University of Maine System (UMS transcripts are accessible to USM). A transcript is official when sent directly from the institution.
- International College transcripts: In addition to an official copy of the transcript, we require an official evaluation of college-level transcripts approved by one of the following transcript analysis agencies
  - National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES)
  - Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE)
Resume: Submit a resume or CV that outlines professional, volunteer, and community experience.
Students whose first language is not English may be required to take one of the following: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or the Pearson Test of English (PTE) or Duolingo. Applicants must submit official scores as part of the application process. See additional information regarding test scores and requirements.

Additional requirements

Essay: For the essay, candidates are asked to address the following two statements. Your answers for both statements should be limited to about 750 words (approx 2-3 pages) combined. It will be evaluated in terms of clarity of expression, grammatical construction, and other facets of English composition, as well as the quality of responses.
- 1. In the form of a brief autobiography relate your experience that has led to your interest in the counseling profession.
- 2. As counseling professionals, we are constantly seeking areas in ourselves that bear examination and change. As future practitioners, you will be witness to a wide variety of client experiences. Please discuss areas in yourself that may challenge your ability to empathically listen to client experiences that are different from your own.
Recommendations: Three letters of recommendation attesting to the applicant’s knowledge of current scholarship, capacity to connect theory and practice in posing and solving educational problems, achievement of excellence in educational practice, and demonstrated capability and motivation to engage in advanced graduate study.
Interview with faculty: The admissions process requires a formal interview. Applications will be reviewed and qualified applicants will be invited to interview. Interviews can take place in person or via video call, depending on availability. Candidates to be interviewed will be rated on three areas of personal criteria: understanding of and commitment to the counseling field, self-awareness, and thinking skills/decision-making ability.

Transfer Credit

A maximum of six credit hours may be approved as transfer credit, provided these credits were earned no more than three years prior to matriculation and grades of B or better were received. Additional transfer credit may be approved by the program chair in exceptional circumstances, including certificates of graduate study program courses. Students who complete the MHRT-C before admission may request up to the 15 credits taken for transfer upon admission to the Rehabilitation Counseling concentration provided they meet approval criteria.

Graduate students in master’s level counseling programs at other accredited universities may transfer into the program if they take their final 21 hours, including the internship requirement, in USM’s counselor education program.

Professional Licensure and Certification Notice

Students with a criminal record who are pursuing degrees leading to application for professional licensure or certification should contact the appropriate licensure or certification body prior to matriculation to ensure eligibility.

What are the international student application instructions?

What are the English proficiency test score requirements?

Where do I send my application materials?

Next steps

Our graduate admissions counselors are here to answer you questions about the admissions process, our academic programs, and student support services.

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