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Online Master's Degree: Clinical Professional Counseling

Clinical Professional Counseling
Master of Science
DEGREE AT A GLANCE
  • 60 credits
  • Transfer up to 12 credits
  • All courses available online
  • Program-specific admission requirements
  • Available to MD residents
  • Next cohort: fall 2025
TUITION RATES
  • $534 per credit (in-state)
  • $659 per credit (out-of-state)
  • $336 per credit (military)
  • Other fees may apply
Apply Now

Earn a Master of Science in Clinical Professional Counseling at University of Maryland Global Campus and build the skills, knowledge, and expertise to help you become a trained professional in an important field. Benefit from a comprehensive, rigorous curriculum designed to help you access career-focused information in a convenient online program. Learn from expert faculty members who blend practical experience with theory and techniques to help you develop a solid foundation in mental health and wellness. Become a professional mental health counselor who can help serve this critical field. Apply to UMGC today!

Please note: The application deadline for the fall 2024 term has passed. The application period for the next cohort (fall 2025) is April 1–June 1, 2025. Please review the program-specific admission requirements in preparation for your application to this degree program.

Build a Solid Foundation for a Career in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

At its core, this online master's degree program emphasizes UMGC’s goal of helping students develop an understanding of ethics and civic awareness alongside personal, theoretical, and professional competencies; job-seeking skills; and capacity for lifelong learning. As you progress through the online program curriculum, you will take increasingly specialized coursework in crucial clinical mental health counseling-related subject areas. 

In this program, you’ll benefit from a curriculum that begins with a self-paced onboarding course and continues to help you build career-focused skills in the following course groupings: 

  • Foundational courses in professional orientation, applied counseling theory and techniques, human development, and multicultural/diversity knowledge and awareness. 
  • Core courses in advanced theory, application, and techniques that incorporate psychopathology and diagnosis, group counseling, and research methods and program evaluation. 
  • Specialized courses to help you build advanced knowledge and practical applied skill-development in clinical mental health counseling specialties, including substance use and dependency; career development; behavioral disorders; and marriage, couples, and family.

See Courses & Program Info

View a complete list of program courses; eligibility requirements; field experience details; NCE, LGPC, and LCPC information; and more.

Gain Guided Experience in Mental Health & Counseling Services

This program is designed to help learners like you become clinical professional counselors equipped with therapeutic, progressive diagnostic, and consultative skills. We aim to promote personal and professional growth through coursework and supervised field experiences, enhancing your ability to deliver client-centered, culturally responsive, and ethically competent mental health counseling services.

Our program focuses on helping students achieve the following: 

Lead with Knowledge, Ethics, & Empathy

This online master's degree program is designed to help you prepare for mental health counseling-related employment as a licensed practitioner. Graduates may be prepared to work in various settings, including mental health centers, drug and alcohol treatment programs, correctional institutions, healthcare settings, social service agencies, private practice, and business and industry.

Christina W., Fort Drum, NY

18%
Job Growth
Employment for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors is projected to grow 18 percent by 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations. 
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | Occupational Outlook Handbook | Last Reviewed: April 30, 2024
122M
Residents Without Care
More than 122 million U.S. residents (more than a third of the population) live in areas with a shortage of mental health counseling professionals.
Source: Health Resources & Services Administration | “Health Workforce Shortage Areas” | Last Reviewed: April 30, 2024
3K
Clinical Hours Needed
The Maryland Department of Health requires 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience in professional mental health counseling over three years for master’s-level applicants.
Source: Maryland Department of Health: Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists | “Professional Counselors” | Last Reviewed: April 30, 2024

Practice Real-World Skills in Your Coursework

Throughout the online master's degree program, your instructors will assign coursework that will help you prioritize real-world skills and hands-on experiences. You may engage in course projects that include the following:

  • Interviewing practicing mental health counselors that work in different contexts (e.g., school, community, private practice) gaining insights into their use of assessment tools and current trends in the field of practice.
  • Role-playing and simulations, readying you to conduct intake interviews or create treatment plans.
  • Experiential modules like mock counseling sessions and group exercises that help you apply what you learn in a practical context.
  • Program evaluations, working collaboratively with classmates to evaluate, analyze, and generate actionable recommendations for program enhancement.
  • Case studies that apply professional standards and develop ethical decision-making

Explore UMGC Insights

Gain insight and delve deeper into a range of topics, including clinical mental health counseling, mental health and wellness, psychology, student networking, and more.

 

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Current Program
Clinical Professional Counseling
Master of Science

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