Clinical Mental Health Counseling Track

Clinical Mental Health Counseling overview

The clinical mental health counseling track of Messiah University’s Master of Arts in Counseling program equips you to become a licensed counselor. Emphasizing faith integration and a commitment to professional excellence, the program equips you to counsel individuals, couples and families across the lifespan in a variety of clinical and community settings. You’ll benefit from a collaborative learning environment where coursework is integrated across counseling specialties—mirroring the interdisciplinary approach essential to effective mental health care.

Throughout the program, you’ll engage in hands-on learning experiences and intensive skills practice that foster personal growth, knowledge of evidence based practice, and lasting relationships with peers and faculty mentors. Messiah supports students wishing to take both the NCE and NCMHCE counseling exams and has strong pass rates for both.

The curriculum for the Master of Arts in counseling is designed for busy professionals and includes both theory and field experiences.

VIEW SAMPLE COURSE PLANS

Counseling

Clinical Mental Health Counseling tuition cost

 
2025-2026

Next steps for admissions

Applying for admission to a graduate program at Messiah University is the first step to making your personal and professional goals a reality.

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Continuous accreditation

Messiah University's Graduate Program in Counseling has earned a nationally recognized reputation for delivering excellent online counselor education and has been continuously accredited by CACREP since 2012.

Faith committment

Our program effectively integrates faith commitments with academic distinction. We value each student as a unique person who deserves respect and encouragement as demonstrated by Jesus Christ. Students can expect supportive interaction from our faculty, administration and staff as a part of this commitment to gracious Christianity and our distinct Christian educational mission. In recognition of the important role faith and spirituality plays in our clients’ lives, we offer students the opportunity to be trained in Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy while in the program. 

Mentoring by experienced faculty 

Students in Messiah’s counseling program learn from faculty with different theological perspectives and global experiences who embrace students’ cultures, beliefs and backgrounds. Our faculty, who are experienced counselors, engaging teachers and accomplished scholars, are well equipped to mentor students as they seek to define their counseling specialties. All student advising is done by core faculty who assist students in creating a customized plan of study, which includes choosing elective courses to promote career planning. 

Online and classroom delivery 

We offer a flexible blend of instructional methods, ensuring personalized interaction and support along with student-paced learning. With regular synchronous sessions and optional on-campus intensives, students benefit from both virtual convenience and face-to-face skill development. This approach allows for program completion in students’ desired timelines, empowering them to achieve their academic and professional goals efficiently from wherever they are.

A national network of field placement and support 

In Messiah’s counseling program, we prioritize the success of our students by fostering network of alumni and quality field experience sites, built over many years. We offer extensive placement support for field experience, with dedicated full-time and part-time staff guiding students all along the way.

Tele-mental health training 

In the Graduate Program in Counseling, students from across the United States and around the world engage through meaningful virtual interaction. We offer structured tele-mental health training as a part of our program to prepare students for technological innovation that works alongside face-to-face counseling.