Quick Links

Masters of Arts in Mental Health Counseling

Applications accepted beginning January 15th

program Description

The Masters of Arts in Mental Health Counseling program at Baruch College prepares its graduates to be professional practitioners in a variety of mental health settings (e.g. clinics, hospitals, counseling centers, outreach programs, and private practice settings). Students graduating from this program will be prepared to be generalists in mental health counseling with an added focus in the area of “health counseling.”

Mental health counseling is a field within the practice of professional counseling. Mental health counselors work with individuals, families, and groups to address and treat emotional and mental disorders in order to promote positive mental and behavioral health outcomes.

The program provides students with a comprehensive background that emphasizes both academic coursework and supervised clinical internship training. This 60 credit master’s program operates on a cohort model whereby all students complete the same program of study. Enrollment is offered on a full-time basis only, and the program is designed in a lock-step sequence where courses taken each semester are outlined in advance.

The MHC Program is designed specifically to address the needs of those training for the mental health counseling license. When graduating from the program students are prepared for practice in a variety of settings with diverse populations. The program is approved by the New York State Education Department and meets all of the NYSED standards. After 3000 hours of supervised post-degree experience, a graduate of this program would be eligible to take an exam for licensure.

Full Time Status:

We currently only accept students who are able to attend full-time during the day. Classes meet two full days weekly during the fall and spring semester, and half days every day during the winter and summer sessions.

Applicants currently working in appropriate mental health settings may obtain support of their employer to complete this program once they are admitted.
Sponsorship involves making an agreement to support the student in the program by maintaining an employment or internship relationship along with a commitment to providing a supervised internship experience in the second year of study.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, an undergraduate GPA of at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent) from an international institution, and relevant professional or volunteer experience. Applicants should also possess a minimum of 15 credits in psychology courses with at least one course in each of the following areas:

Abnormal Psychology
Statistics
Research Methods

Applicants without the prerequisite psychology courses who are strong students (GPA of 3.3 or above) with good understanding and motivation related to mental health counseling may apply and will be considered for admission. Related internship and work experience are desirable.

Applicants should provide a personal statement including discussion of related course work, work, internship, and/or personal experiences. Applicants should submit three letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with the applicants’ professional and academic experience. Please provide at least two academic references.

While there is a minimum GPA required for admission, and most successful applicants will possess a strong GPA, there are always exceptional circumstances. These include students who performed poorly years ago but have since performed well in academic or work settings, and students who have had health or extenuating personal issues, that may have impacted their academic performance, but subsequently sustained a higher level of performance. Please address any such issues in the personal statement.

Spring & Part-time Admissions

Currently we do not offer spring or part-time admission. All students begin in the fall semester of each academic year.

Mental Health Counseling Program Faculty

The faculty comprises active clinicians and researchers with clinical, supervisory, medical center, hospital, agency, and private practice backgrounds.

The core faculty who teach and supervise student progress are concerned about the challenges, and difficulties inherent in the human condition; our curriculum reflects these concerns as well as fulfills New York State requirements for licensure as a mental health counselor. We address cultural and social issues as they emerge and change in our diverse and challenging world. Graduates will be prepared to work with adolescents, adults, families, groups, and organizations, using their counseling skills. We believe that counseling professionals ought to have a lifelong learning commitment that will support their continued professional development and commitment to human growth.

Application Requirements

The Mental Health Counseling Program requires the following application materials:

Personal statement (3 pages maximum) describing your interest in the field and any special experiences or circumstances related to your application.
Complete official transcript from all postsecondary institutions attended. Transcripts must include the student’s personal information, courses, grades, GPA, and graduation degree notation. Internet and fax copies of transcripts are not suitable.
Three letters of reference, at least two of which should come from college instructors or academic settings.

Total credits required to complete the program is 60.