Completion Requirements

Completion Requirements

• 95–102 total quarter credits
  • Foundation course (6 cr.)
  • Core courses (75 cr.)
  • Capstone or Thesis (5–12 cr.)
  • Field experience (9 cr.: Practicum: 100 hours; Internship: 900 hours)
• Professional Development Plan, Program of Study, Licensure Plan  
• 12 days of residency (Two 6-day residencies)

For a personalized estimate of your time to completion, call your enrollment advisor at 1-866-492-5336.

Curriculum

The courses are delivered in a prescribed sequence. Each 12-week quarter, except for the first and last quarter, includes two concurrent 12-week courses.

Course Code	Course Title	Credits
	Quarter 1
COUN 6000	Foundations for Graduate Study in Mental Health Counseling	6
	Quarter 2
COUN 6705	Professional Identity and Ethics in Counseling	5
COUN 6100	Introduction to Mental Health Counseling	5
	Quarter 3
COUN 6722	Counseling and Psychotherapy Theories	5
COUN 6331	Interviewing and Observational Strategies	5
	6-day residency required by end of third quarter
	Quarter 4
COUN 6305	Statistics 1	5
COUN 6723	Multicultural Counseling	5
	Quarter 5
COUN 6315	Tests and Measurement	5
COUN 6215	Lifespan Development	5
	Quarter 6
COUN 6720	Diagnosis and Assessment	5
COUN 6753	Vocational Psychology and Counseling	5
	Quarter 7
COUN 6726	Couples and Family Counseling	5
COUN 6250	Group Process and Dynamics	5
	Quarter 8
COUN 6785	Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation	5
COUN 6728	Substance Abuse Counseling	5
	Quarter 9
COUN 6310	Research Design	5
COUN 6671	Practicum	3
	Quarter 10
COUN 6682	Internship	3
COUN 6800	Capstone Project	5
	Quarter 11
COUN 6682	Internship	3

Thesis Option

This program does not require a thesis. However, upon consultation with an advisor, you may choose to take two 6-credit-hour thesis courses (COUN 6390) instead of COUN 6800 Capstone Project. The thesis option extends the program by at least one quarter.

Course Descriptions

For students interested in forensic psychology, Walden offers a M.S. in Forensic Psychology program. Learn more.

Note on Licensure

Walden University’s M.S. in Mental Health Counseling is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), which is a requirement for licensure in many states. The M.S. in Mental Health Counseling program is designed to prepare graduates to qualify to sit for licensing exams and to meet the academic licensure requirements of many state counseling boards. Because no graduate program can guarantee licensure upon graduation, we encourage students to consult the appropriate agency to determine specific requirements. For more information about licensure, students should visit the National Board for Certified Counselors at www.nbcc.org/stateboardmap and contact the appropriate licensing body. International students are encouraged to identify and contact their appropriate licensing body.