Counselor Education - Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Master of Science)

Application Deadlines

Deadline dates for applications and receipt of all required application materials are:

Date Event
July 1 Fall Admission
November 1 Spring Admission
April 1 Summer Admission

Any exceptions to these deadlines must be granted by the graduate program chair.

Application Materials Required for the MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Applicants for a master’s degree education program must submit all of the following documentation to Graduate Admissions to be considered for admission:

Graduate Admissions
Jacksonville State University,
700 Pelham Road North
Jacksonville, Alabama
36265-1602

  1. Completed JSU Graduate Application for Admission.
  2. Non-refundable $35.00 application processing fee.
  3. Official transcripts from the baccalaureate degree awarding institution and all transcripts from institutions where post-baccalaureate work has been completed. To be considered for admission, applicants must hold a degree from an institutionally accredited institution or its foreign equivalent. (Students who have previously attended JSU do not need to request a transcript from the university.) 
  4. Background check. Any candidate applying for admission to a state-approved teacher education program or the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program shall be required to be fingerprinted for a criminal history background check through the Alabama State Department of Education to the Alabama Bureau of Investigation (ABI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Instructions for completing the background process can be found here.

    Note: Admission decisions to Clinical Mental Health Counseling are not necessarily totally determined by the background check results; conversation will ensue regarding appropriate field placements and career options.
  5. Professional resume.
  6. Statement of Goals: Summary (typed, one page, double-spaced) of the applicant’s reasons for pursuing the program.
  7. Letter of Expectations: Summary (typed, one-page, double-spaced) of what the applicant expects is required for this master’s program.
  8. Three Graduate Reference Forms completed by individuals who can provide qualitative assessment of the applicant’s potential for success in graduate coursework. Reference forms will be submitted electronically. Instructions for submission will be sent through email to the applicant upon submission of the online graduate application.
  9. International student applicants must see the International Student Applicants section of this catalog for other application and enrollment requirements.
  10. Applicants whose packages are complete will be contacted to schedule an appointment for a writing sample and an interview with faculty members of the program.

Admission Requirements for the MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Applicants are admitted on a selective basis by the faculty members of the program, upon review of the completed application package.             

Minimum Requirements for the MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

An overall 3.00 GPA is required on all coursework attempted for the master’s degree. Transfer credit cannot be used to raise the GPA to the required 3.00.

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Jacksonville State University is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

Course Title Credits
Basic Requirements
ECG 501Assessment in Counseling3
EFD 500Research in Education3
EPY 525Lifespan Development3
Core Requirements
ECG 506Professional Counseling Orientation and Technology (Required first semester of enrollment)3
ECG 523Social & Cultural Diversity in Counseling3
ECG 525Pre-Practicum: Skills & Techniques in Counseling3
ECG 526Professional Ethics and Legal Issues3
ECG 553Theory and Process3
ECG 556Career Development3
ECG 585Practicum: Applied Skills & Techniques in Counseling3
ECG 591Group Procedures in Counseling3
ECG 595Clinical Experience I in Mental Health Counseling3
ECG 596Clinical Experience II in Mental Health Counseling3
Clinical Mental Health Counseling Concentration Courses
ECG 530Couple, Marriage and Family Counseling3
ECG 540Psychopathology: Diagnosis and Treatment of DSM Disorders3
ECG 558Counseling Children/Adolescents3
ECG 560Substance and Behavioral Addictions in Counseling3
ECG 565Psychopharmacology3
ECG 588Crisis Counseling Intervention Strategies3
ECG 589Psychological First Aid & Disaster Counseling3
Total Hours60

60 Graduate Semester Hours Required for this Degree

Graduation and Comprehensive Exam

A comprehensive exam is required for this degree; please see the graduate advisor for full details. All students must apply for graduation by the given deadline of the semester in which they plan to graduate. Please see the Graduation and Comprehensive Exam section of this catalog for more information.