MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Help Patients Find Healing and Hope with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Counseling
You love learning about the intricacies of the human mind. You are passionate about counseling because it offers restoration and healing to hurting people. You want to make a difference in your community and serve those around you who are suffering.
Does that sound like you? If so, you may want to pursue Liberty University’s Master of Arts (MA) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree. Our program can help you develop the knowledge, values, and skills to help prepare for a career as a licensed counselor. You can discover how to utilize counseling methods that account for ethical, spiritual, and scientific considerations.
As a Christian university, Liberty approaches the study of mental health from a biblical perspective. Our seasoned faculty can help equip you to promote the mental health and holistic wellness of clients across diverse populations. To help foster your success, we offer a rigorous curriculum, valuable guidance from faculty, and carefully structured practicums and internships.
If you want to help people overcome major life challenges while showing them Christ’s love, Liberty can help. Partner with us and prepare to help your patients find healing and hope.
Please note: Each state has unique requirements for becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor. Be sure to research the requirements in your state.
Credit Hours
View CoursesNext start date: Aug 18, 2025
CACREP Accredited
Highlights
Highlights of Our Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master’s Program
Study in an Accredited Program
Liberty University’s master’s in clinical mental health counseling is CACREP-accredited, which means it meets rigorous national standards. This accreditation can help you build confidence in the quality and credibility of your education.
Study Under Experienced Counselors
Your professors bring years of real-world counseling experience into the classroom. They’ve worked in diverse settings, such as agencies, schools, churches, and private practices, across the globe, offering you a well-rounded perspective.
Prepare for Licensure
This program can help equip you to pursue credentials like Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC), or National Certified Counselor (NCC). You’ll receive training aligned with professional standards to support your goals.
Gain Experience That Makes a Difference
You’ll have opportunities to work with anti-sex trafficking organizations both in the U.S. and internationally. These experiences can deepen your understanding of trauma and enhance your ability to serve vulnerable populations.
Connect Through Leadership and Service
By joining Liberty’s chapter of Chi Sigma Iota (CSI), the international counseling honor society, you can expand your professional network. CSI offers a space for academic recognition, collaboration, and growth in the counseling community.
Career Potential
What Can You Do with a Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling?
Liberty University’s MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling can help prepare you to pursue the following occupations:
- Faith-based mental health institutions
- Mental health agencies
- Mental health hospitals
- Public or private practices
- Residential treatment facilities
#4 Best College Campus in America
At Liberty, you’ll find an affordable, high-quality education designed to help equip students like you for the real world. Our commitment to excellence has earned us recognition as the #4 Best College Campus in America by Niche.com.
Earning your degree from a nonprofit university with state-of-the-art resources like ours can help set you apart from your peers.
Courses
What Will You Study in Our Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program?
At Liberty University, we seek to Train Champions for Christ. Our master’s degree in clinical mental counseling can help you develop an approach to counseling based on leading research and biblical principles.
This degree provides a foundational series of core courses to help you develop a diverse skill set. Some of the topics you’ll study include ethical and legal issues, multicultural counseling, counseling theories, and psychopathology. Within the specialization courses, you will receive advanced training in crisis counseling, clinical diagnosis, and substance abuse treatment.
Most importantly, you will complete practicum and internship courses so you can apply your knowledge in a real-world setting. You’ll gain experience working directly with clients while meeting regularly with an onsite supervisor. These field experience courses aim to help hone your skills and professionalism by offering exposure to the counseling field.
Throughout this program, you will:
- Analyze the dynamics of marriage and family relationships
- Explore how spirituality — particularly the Christian worldview — informs counseling practice
- Have the freedom to select an elective course based on your interests and career goals
- Learn how to design and evaluate effective mental health programs
- Prepare to assess, diagnose, and counsel clients according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
- Receive training in group dynamics, leadership approaches, and group counseling methods
- Study critical methods in evidence-based practice and assessment techniques
Additional Degree Information
Featured Courses
COUC 504 – Multicultural Counseling
COUC 515 – Research and Program Evaluation
COUC 546 – Psychopathology
COUC 667 – Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Planning
Degree Information
- This program falls under the School of Behavioral Sciences
- View the Degree Completion Plan
- Check out our course catalog
- Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total
BENEFITS
Why Choose Liberty’s Master’s in Mental Health Counseling?
Hands-On Training
You will gain real-world experience by completing extensive practicum and internship hours. Additionally, we offer research and study abroad opportunities in the United States and around the world. For instance, you could work with various organizations to help serve victims of sex trafficking and trauma.
Valuable Mentorship
In this program, you’ll study under professors with terminal degrees and years of counseling experience. Our faculty are ready and eager to help you prepare for a career as a licensed mental health professional.
Career Preparation
Our master’s in clinical counseling can help you prepare to sit for licensure exams in the state of Virginia. If you want to pursue licensure in a state other than Virginia, be sure to research the requirements for licensure in your state.
Admissions
How Do You Become a Master’s in Clinical Counseling Student?
Every application is reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and all applicants must submit the following documents and meet the minimum requirements for admission:
- Admission application
- Official transcripts showing a regionally or nationally accredited bachelor’s degree with at least a 2.7 GPA for admission in good standing
- Contact information for 2 recommenders from professional sources (i.e., not family/friends)
- Undergraduate prerequisites (can be taken after admission): 3 credit hours in statistics (can be MATH 201)
- Students seeking admittance into this program and planning to finish it outside of the U.S. will be required to sign an International Disclosure Agreement (login required)
- Self-certification form (for students who are in the final term of their bachelor’s degree)
- Personal Statement
- Please describe in 200-250 words why you desire to become a counselor and indicate the type of counselor certification you plan to seek after graduation.
- Describe in 200-250 words an occasion in which you have interacted with an individual or a group of individuals from another culture. Identify the cultural differences which were present and how you demonstrated respect for those differences.
- Describe in 200-250 words how you form effective interpersonal relationships with others in individual and group settings.
- Students must include a sentence stating their agreement to the Department of Counselor Education and Family Study’s Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Mission Statement and Diversity Statement. See the Master of Arts Clinical Mental Health Counseling Handbook.
- Current Liberty undergraduate students seeking preliminary acceptance into a graduate program must complete a degree completion application through their ASIST account
Have Questions?
We’ll make sure you have the information you need to take your next step.