Professional Counseling, Mental Health Counseling Concentration, M.Ed.

Admission Requirements

Students apply separately to the College of Graduate Studies and the Professional Counseling program. Admission to the Professional Counseling program is not automatic for students meeting minimum admission requirements. Admissions decisions for the Professional Counseling program will be made after reviewing all materials and determining the applicant’s capacity, suitability, and preparation for graduate study in this area.

Successful applicants for the Master of Education in Professional Counseling with a concentration in Mental Health typically have demonstrated the following:

1. 3.00 or higher undergraduate GPA. (If an applicant’s GPA is lower than 3.00, Mental Health Counseling faculty will consider applicant’s academic performance during the last 60 hours of his or her undergraduate program.)
2. An undergraduate major or minor in psychology is not required but applicants are expected to have completed courses in basic statistics, research methods, and abnormal psychology (with minimum grades of B in all courses).
3. A combined Verbal + Quantitative score of 291 (current scale) or 900 (former scale) or higher on the GRE with scores on both the Verbal and Quantitative measures of the test above 146 and 140 respectively (current scale) or 400 (former scale). 
4. Positive references on three letter of recommendation forms.
5. A written essay/statement of purpose on the supplemental application form in which the applicant’s reason for pursing a master’s degree in mental health counseling is congruent with the focus/emphasis of the program.
6. Resume that includes name, address, and phone number of applicant; school applicant attended and applicant’s major, minor, and grade point average; honors and awards; and employment and volunteer experiences. 
7. If invited, participation in a half-day interview within the first six (6) hours of coursework (invitation based on how the applicant compares to other applicants in relation to the previous six requirements). The interview is conducted by Mental Health Counseling faculty and a practicing mental health counselor and school counselor. Applicant must receive a positive recommendation from the faculty and counselors for program admission.

Note: Meeting minimum requirements for program admission does not guarantee admission as applicants are selected on a competitive basis.

Application Procedures

All application materials are to be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies.

Application materials for Summer/Fall admission must be submitted by March 1; October 1 is the deadline for Spring admission.

Applicant must

1. submit an application with the appropriate application fee (online at www.mtsu.edu/graduate/apply.shtml);
2. submit official transcripts of all previous college work;
3. submit official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE);
4. submit a current vita;
5. complete and submit a Professional Counseling Program supplemental application. This is available online at www.mtsu.edu/edu_leadership/. A copy of this application is also available in the Section XVI: Program Forms at the end of the program handbook at www.mtsu.edu/edu_leadership/professional_counseling/docs/Handbook.1.15.11.pdf.
6. submit recommendation forms that are specific to the counseling program. These are available at www.mtsu.edu/edu_leadership/ (Adobe pdf format). If possible, two of the recommendations should come from faculty who can attest to the applicant’s academic abilities. The third can come from someone who has either supervised the applicant’s work, has been a colleague, or has known him/her for at least three years (other than family).

Professional Counseling faculty will review all completed application files (all of the above), and if minimal requirements are met, will arrange with the applicant for participation in an admissions interview in March or October. The admissions committee consists of Professional Counseling faculty members and at least one practicing mental health counselor and school counselor.

Following the admissions interview, Professional Counseling faculty will make admissions decisions. The following are considered in the decision-making process:

1. input from regular, adjunct, and affiliate program faculty (if the applicant has taken or is currently taking classes);
2. input from practitioners who served on the admissions committee;
3. each applicant’s potential success in forming effective interpersonal relationships in individual and small-group contexts;
4. each applicant’s aptitude for graduate-level study, including technological competence and computer literacy;
5. each applicant’s career goals and objectives and their relevance to the program; and
6. each applicant’s openness to self-examination and personal and professional self-development.

Applicants will be formally notified of the admission decision by the College of Graduate Studies within 30 days of the admissions interview. If accepted into the Professional Counseling program, the applicant must within two weeks notify the program coordinator of his/her intention to enter the program.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Education in Professional Counseling degree with a concentration in Mental Health Counseling requires completion of 61 semester hours.

Candidates must successfully complete a written comprehensive examination prepared by the professional counseling faculty (may be taken no more than twice).

Curriculum: Professional Counseling, Mental Health Counseling

 Candidate must complete 61 hours in the following course of study:

Program Notes

A 100-hour combined practicum in a middle school setting and the MTSU Center for Counseling and Psychological Services is required. In addition, a 600-hour internship in a mental health setting is required.

Candidate must

1. file a degree plan in the College of Graduate Studies prior to the completion of 21 credit hours;
2. file a Notice of Intent to Graduate form in the College of Graduate Studies within the first two weeks of the term in which candidate intends to graduate.