Counseling: Clinical Mental Health Concentration, M.A.

• Our program is accredited by the Councils for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Professions (CACREP), which ensures the quality of our curriculum, the experience of our instructors, and the academic and experiential rigor of our program in preparing our students for their future professions.
• Students can tailor their degree program to align with their interests by incorporating elective courses in areas such as: grief and loss counseling, crisis counseling, counseling and spirituality, counseling adolescents, play therapy, and many others. Students can even elect to perform an independent research study for course credit, under the guidance of a faculty member, in any relevant topic for which courses are not available. Students can also earn (if interested) a certificate in disciplines such as Play Therapy or Gerontology while completing their degree.
• Students will learn from and work alongside our experienced faculty and collaborate on research into growing areas of interest within the clinical mental health field. Many of our professors also work in private practice, thus keeping them engaged with the ever-evolving communities they serve and connecting their students with ample local networking and educational opportunities.
• Upon completion of their degree, students will be eligible to take the National Counselor Exam (NCE), which certifies you to apply to become a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate (LCMHCA) in the state of North Carolina. Students can also complete post-graduate certifications in areas such as school counseling, play therapy, gerontology, public health, community health, and nonprofit; or pursue field experience in a variety of other capacities.

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university
• Overall GPA of 3.0
• Transcripts from all universities attended
• Responses to four short answer questions explaining your interest in UNC Charlotte’s counseling program
  • Responses should fully address all components of the prompt for each question.
• 3 letters of recommendation from professional references
  • Examples of professional references may include former or current professors, former or current employers, and former or current supervisors of volunteer organizations you participate in.
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae
• A completed application and paid application fee

Core Courses

Concentration Courses – plus 4 electives

• Students can further their personal and professional growth beyond the classroom by getting involved with student organizations, such as the international counseling honor society Chi Sigma Iota and the program chapter Mu Tau Beta, which has won numerous awards and accolades for excellence.
• Our community outreach, social engagement, and professional development offer abundant opportunities for our students to participate in service learning and career networking both on-campus and in area mental health services.
• Students are also encouraged to submit proposals to various professional organizations and associations, such as the American Counseling Association (ACA), the North Carolina Counseling Association (NCCA), and the Licensed Professional Counseling Association of North Carolina (LPCANC). These proposals often result in presentations at annual regional and national conferences which provides both professional exposure, public presentation practice, and networking opportunities for the students who attend.

Current tuition rates are available through Niner Central. There are several sources of funding available to assist in paying for a graduate program at UNC Charlotte, including graduate assistantships, loans, scholarships, and grants.

• Graduate assistantships are paid, part-time employment positions on campus that may include funding for tuition, health insurance, and/or a living stipend. The Department of Counseling does not guarantee or assign Master’s Counseling students to graduate assistantships, however students are encouraged to research assistantship opportunities available on campus through Hire-a-Niner.

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Wondering if you are considered in-state or out-of-state for tuition? Learn more about residency requirements.