Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Online)
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Sacred Heart University’s Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is a 60-hour CACREP-accredited degree program with a nationwide curriculum designed to prepare students to meet the educational requirements for licensure in many states.
Our online master’s program readies students to assist individuals experiencing significant life stress and presenting problems such as: low selfâesteem, job loss, depression, substance abuse, grief, anxiety, family violence, relationship issues, eating disorders and other mental health-related challenges.
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is designed to meet the highest level of accreditation standards for counseling programs and has a foundation in The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) 2016 Standards. It will meet the academic portion of licensure requirements in a majority of states throughout the U.S.
Mission
Sacred Heart University’s (SHU) Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is uniquely designed with the mission, vision, and values of SHU at its heart. In the spirit of whole person wellness, the philosophical tenants of counseling, as a field, align well with SHU. With careful attention to the comprehensive standards set forth by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), SHU’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is designed in a way that focuses on integrity, respect, and the ethical care of our students and those they serve. Building on SHU’s experience of delivering academic excellence in a low-residency, online format allows for broader outreach to diverse student populations.
The Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program strongly supports SHU’s Farrington College of Education & Human Development’s goal of preparing educational leaders to “personally and professionally make a difference in the global community.” Additionally, the program aligns to Sacred Heart University’s Core Values. Specifically, the program is committed to excellence by actively pursuing truth and knowledge through teaching and scholarship of its faculty and students. The program is committed to the common good of society by addressing significant (and growing) societal issues. It explicitly recognizes the dignity and worth of every human being by focusing on prevention, resilience, and holistic well-being.
Learn more about the online Clinical Mental Health Counseling program can further your education and prepare you to make a difference.
Methods of Instruction
The 60 hour Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree at Sacred Heart University is a low-residency, online program. Students complete two (2) week-long, on-ground residency experiences at the Sacred Heart campus in Fairfield, CT. One residency occurs in students first term within the program, and the second residency occurs in the term prior to students commencement of their clinical experience courses. Courses within the program include both asynchronous and synchronous instruction and is conducted through the learning management system, Blackboard. During the final terms of the program, students will have clinical placements in a clinical mental health counseling setting.
Dual Degree Program
Students apply to the Bachelor’s-Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) 4+2 Dual Degree Program as incoming freshmen and are admitted directly into the graduate program at the same time as their admission as undergraduate students. Students in the 4+2 CMHC Dual Degree program complete their baccalaureate degree in four years of undergraduate study and complete the Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in two years of graduate study.
Licensure & Disclosures
Visit the CMHC Licensure & Disclosures page for details.
Accreditation
The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), has granted accreditation to the Clinical Mental Health Counseling MA degree program at Sacred Heart University through March 31, 2032.