Program type:

Major
Format:

On Campus
Est. time to complete:

3 years
Credit Hours:

60
Gain new perspectives with a counseling master's and focus on the clinical mental health counseling track.
UNT's Master of Science in Counseling Counseling and Human Development Center offers rigorous classroom education and supervised experience in individual counseling, as well as couple, family and group counseling. at our Child and Family Resource Clinic, Center for Play Therapy, and Consortium for Animal-Assisted Therapy.

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Why Earn a Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master's?

The clinical mental health counseling track meets academic specifications for state certification and licensure as a professional counselor. Our program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. Our Master of Science and Master of Education degree programs prepare you to work in a variety of counseling settings.

This track prepares you for counseling positions in college and university mental health centers, private counseling agencies, drug abuse centers, child protective services, child counseling clinics, family counseling centers, pastoral counseling settings, and business and industry. This track gives you the opportunity to counsel a broad range of clients. You’ll choose to specialize in work with children, adolescents, college populations or adults.

We also offer continuing educational opportunities to our graduates to help them maintain high standards of care using the current best practices.

Many of our faculty members are renowned experts in the field. They’ve earned recognition from the American Counseling Association, Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, Texas Counseling Association and Chi Sigma Iota International Honor Society for students, professional counselors and counselor educators. Their research interests include:

  • Counseling methods and techniques
  • Current issues in the discipline
  • Measurement and evaluation
  • Theoretical perspectives

More targeted research has been conducted on suicide prevention, mental health services for low-income clients, counseling and play therapy in schools, near-death experiences and spiritual transformation.

We also have received the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision’s Outstanding Program Award, and its Publication in Counselor Education and Supervision Award multiple times.

Marketable Skills
  • Use and critique theory for advocacy purposes
  • Knowledge application and integration
  • Design and evaluate effective educational interventions
  • Leadership ability
  • Design/use assessment results to inform for improvement

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master's Highlights

College of Education ranked 1st in the North Texas region among public graduate schools, 3rd among public graduate schools in Texas, 68th among public graduate schools and 89th overall in the nation by U.S. News & World Report
College of Education ranked 9th in Texas and 66th in the South by Best-Education-Schools.com
Many faculty members are recognized experts in their field, earning recognition from the American Counseling Association, Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, Texas Counseling Association and Chi Sigma Iota international honor society.
Each year, our program offers conferences where nationally known speakers present current perspectives on counseling issues.
UNT's Center for Play Therapy encourages children’s development and emotional growth through play therapy, a dynamic interpersonal relationship between a child and a trained therapist. The center provides training, research, publications, counseling services and scholarships. It also acts as a clearinghouse for literature in the field.
The College of Education is regionally and nationally recognized for excellence in preparing teachers, administrators, counselors, kinesiology and health promotion specialists, play therapists and other educators.

What Can You do With a Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master's?

The Master of Science prepares you to work in a variety of counseling settings, such as:

  • Business or industry
  • Community agency
  • Church
  • Private practice
  • School or university

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master's Courses You Could Take

Systems, Leadership and Ethical Program Development in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (3 hrs)
Principles, practices and ethics of counseling in clinical mental health settings with special attention to counselor functions, services, leadership, ethical program development and ethical program evaluation.
Career Development and Information Resources (3 hrs)
Survey of career development and counseling with emphasis on the occupational, career and educational information service.
Diagnosis and Treatment Planning in Counseling (3 hrs)
Principles of culturally sensitive biopsychosocial assessment and case conceptualization leading to appropriate counseling treatment plans or referral within a managed care framework. Diagnosis according to the most recent edition of the DSM and evidence-based treatment planning are studied.
Abnormal BehaviorEffects of Trauma and Crisis Intervention (3 hrs)
Provides the basic theoretical foundations of trauma and crisis intervention, including the effects of crisis and traumatic events on the development of abnormal behaviors. Principles of crisis intervention during trauma-causing events as well as treatment of long-term trauma-related effects are examined. Students learn crisis theory, crisis intervention models, and practical skills for effective crisis intervention in response to traumatic events. In addition, students learn long-term interventions for trauma-related symptoms.
Addiction Counseling (3 hrs)
Etiology and principles of addiction as well as counseling practices relevant to substance abuse and addiction counseling.
Ethical, Legal and Professional Issues in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (3 hrs)
History and philosophy of counseling and clinical mental health counseling and ethical, legal, professional, and emerging issues specific to clinical mental health counseling.

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