Clinical Mental Health Counseling

CACREP accredited until March 31, 2032.

The Master of Education degree in Counselor Education with a specialization in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is designed to prepare graduates to assess, diagnose and treat clients with mental disorders as well as those with problems in living. Graduates will have completed all the academic requirements to become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in Florida. The emphasis of this Master's degree program is on developing skills in counseling individuals, families and groups, using the best theoretical and research-based practices. The goals are to help clients to become stabilized and to achieve as optimal functioning as possible.

Preparing for Your New Career

The 60 credit hour Master's degree program provides a solid foundation in counseling theories and techniques with specialty courses in issues in mental health counseling practice, psychopathology, substance abuse counseling, and human sexuality counseling. During the practicum and internship that total 750 hours, students are assigned to mental health agencies where they specialize in areas of interest to them. They provide individual counseling, family counseling and lead groups.

Where are MHCs Employed?

FAU graduates in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling work in a variety of agencies, including community mental health centers, psychiatric hospitals, university counseling centers, domestic violence agencies, adolescent run-away agencies, sexual assault treatment centers for adults and for children, substance abuse treatment centers, marriage and family counseling centers, eating disorders agencies, women's centers, elder centers, hospice, employee assistance programs, career counseling centers and private practice. To become licensed in Florida, graduates must counsel under an approved supervisor for two years and take the state licensing exam. Many of our graduates later become administrators in their agencies, and some develop their own private practices and some pursue doctoral work in counseling or psychology.

Program Overview

Consult the FAU Course Catalog for course descriptions and other details.

Required Courses for Full-Time Student

Core Counseling Courses
MHS 5005 Processes in Counseling
MHS 5428 Multicultural Counseling for Diverse Populations
MHS 6220 Appraisal and Evaluation in Counseling
MHS 6340 Career Development
MHS 6401 Counseling Theories and Techniques
MHS 6430 Family Counseling
MHS 6482 Lifespan Development
MHS 6510 Group Counseling
MHS 6700 Legal, Ethical, and Professional Issues in Counseling
MHS 6710 Counseling Research and Evidence-based Practice
STA 6113 Statistics

CMHC Specialty Courses:
MHS 6070 Psychopathology
MHS 6450 Substance Abuse Counseling
MHS 6466 Traumatic Stress, Trauma and Crisis Counseling
MHS 6470 Counseling and Human Sexuality
MHS 6701 Issues in Mental Health Counseling
MHS 6800 Practicum in Mental Health Counseling
MHS 6830 Internship - Mental Health Counseling**

CMHC Elective Course:
MHS 6930 Special Topics

** Internship must be taken over two semesters for 3 credits each semester (300 clock hours of field placement per semester).

All courses are 3 credit hours (please see the note above regarding Internship).

Note: A maximum of eighteen credit hours of course work taken in the Department of Counselor Education at Florida Atlantic University prior to admission may be approved toward program requirements.

Interested in Our Combined M.Ed./Ed.S. program?

This combined program in Counselor Education pairs the 60-credit Master of Education program with the Specialist in Education program . Students enrolled in this program apply once and are eligible to graduate with their master's degree after they have completed 60 credits of coursework. After completing an additional 12 credits for a total of 72, students would receive their Specialist in Education degree.

How to Apply

The Clinical Mental Health Program only admits for Fall entry terms (once per year). The next entry term cycle is Fall 2027. The application deadline is January 15, 2027. Read more about our Admission Requirements and Apply Now.

The GradCas application portal will open in September 2026 for submissions.