A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution is required before starting the program. A bachelor's degree in any subject is acceptable. For full admission applicants must have received a least a cumulative 2.5 GPA or better.

Application materials include an information form, three references, and other information can be found on the School of Counseling How to Apply webpage.

Note: GRE scores are not required as part of the application materials.

Applications to the master's degree program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling are accepted on a rolling basis. Applicants are strongly urged to apply as early as possible (by December for Fall admission, by August for Spring admission). Admission interviews usually begin in January for the Fall admission cohort, and September for the Spring admission cohort. New admits will not be accepted once the program reaches cohort capacity.

Once all application materials are received, the Program Coordinator will contact each applicant to schedule a personalized interview. We strongly believe that it is important to speak with and learn about each applicant in person (beyond what is written on paper). This also provides applicants with the opportunity to ask questions of their own, and to make sure that the program will fit their professional goals.

Approximately 40 students are accepted to the program annually - approximately 20 each Fall and Spring semester. The Program attempts to maintain a small cohort of students in order to provide individualized attention and a positive learning experience for each student. Students range in age from early to older adulthood. The majority of student in the program live in or near the Greater Akron area. However, students are from a variety of cultural backgrounds. The program encourages applications from diverse student populations and actively attempts to mentor students from underserved ethnic cultures.

The primary goal of the CMHC program is graduating successful Licensed Professional Counselors/Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors. The following criteria are considered: (a) the applicant’s cumulative GPA, (b) references from past employers and professors, (c) the applicant’s professional goals (listed on the application supplement form), (d) volunteer work or employment related to helping others/advocacy/human development, and (e) interactions during the interview process.

The program consists of 60 semester credits, and the average student attends the program for 2-1/2 years before graduating. Students may attend the program full-time or part-time and may take any number of credits desired each semester. Students who work part-time while taking coursework may attend the program for 3 to 3-1/2 years.

The Graduate School allows master’s degree students a total of 6 years to complete their degree.

The Graduate School allows master’s degree students to transfer graduate credits equaling up to 20 credits. In order to transfer credits into a master’s degree program:

1. the course must have been at the graduate level (i.e., not an undergraduate course)
2. the course must have been a graded course (i.e., not pass/fail or satisfactory/unsatisfactory),
3. the student must have received a grade of “B” or better in the course,
4. the course must directly substitute for one of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master’s Program courses, AND
5. the transfer must be approved by the student’s Faculty Adviser.

The Program offers many benefits to students and graduates:

• CACREP accreditation continuously since 1985 (a founding CACREP-accredited program).
• International recognition as one of the most internationally awarded chapters of Chi Sigma Iota since 1985.
• An average pass rate of 95-100% on the state counselor licensure examination (National Counselor Exam) compared to a 76-80% national pass rate.
• An average pass rate of 98-100% on the program comprehensive examination (nation-wide Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination).
• Supervised clinical training in the state-of-the art Clinic for Individual & Family Counseling.
• A 98-100% internship placement and a high post-graduation employment rate compared to similar programs in Northeast Ohio.
• A diverse student and faculty body (i.e., differing ethnicities, ages, cultures/backgrounds, physical exceptionalities, genders/gender identities, and nationalities).
• A unique academic focus on diversity, advocacy, and social justice work.

During Fall and Spring semesters didactic (non-clinical) coursework is offered once weekly Mondays → Thursdays after 4pm so students can maintain other life obligations. During Summer semester courses are offered during late afternoons and evenings for course variety. During Practicum and Internship students are usually required to perform clinical work some morning/afternoon hours and some evening hours.