Admission: MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Master of Arts (MA) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Admission Requirements
Please review your student checklist (login required) for information on the specific documents and requirements needed for your admission.
Liberty University’s online master’s in clinical mental health counseling degree is designed to equip you with the specialized training you need to gain state licensure and become a Professional Counselor (LPC)*.
By earning this online LPC degree, you will enhance your understanding of human psychology through field-tested techniques and learn best practices for promoting the mental health and holistic wellness of clients in diverse communities.
*Individual state licensure requirements may vary, please verify licensure requirements for the state in which you reside.
Admission Requirements
- Apply online or over the phone with an admissions counselor by calling (800) 424-9596.
- A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required).
- Send official college transcripts (mailed as sealed, unopened copies or sent via a direct electronic transcript system). A regionally or nationally accredited bachelor’s degree with at least a 2.7 GPA is required for admission in good standing. Applicants who have earned a master’s degree or at least 12 graduate credits from an accredited institution will be assessed on the basis of the master’s-level degree work. Please note – once accepted into the program, a 3.0 graduate GPA is needed to maintain good academic standing in the program.
- Unofficial transcripts can be used for acceptance purposes with the submission of a Transcript Request Form.
- Students must have 3 credit hours in statistics (can be MATH 201) either on their transcripts or must complete this requirement as a prerequisite to specific graduate courses.
- Contact information for 2 recommenders from professional sources (i.e., not family/friends). This form can be submitted online (login required) or to luoverify@liberty.edu – 1. Name 2. Position/Title 3. Email 4. Phone 5. Place of Employment 6. Mailing Address. These individuals should be qualified to address the applicant’s ability to complete the graduate-level work, disposition, ability to become a counselor, and their maturity, motivation, and ethics. Some examples of individuals that may be suitable include professors, employers, or leaders in an organization where the applicant volunteers. Please note: This contact information must be less than 1 year old.
- Statement of Purpose
- 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.
- Complete the form agreeing to the Department of Counselor Education and Family Study’s Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Mission Statement and Diversity Statement.
- Students seeking to be admitted into this program and planning to finish it outside of the U.S. will be required to sign an International Disclosure Agreement (login required).
- Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy.
Alternate Pathway for Admission
Students who do not meet the required 2.7 GPA can potentially be placed into the Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Studies.* Upon successful completion of this certificate with at least a 3.0 GPA, these students can be reevaluated for the MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program.
*In order to be eligible for the alternate pathway, admission requirements for the graduate certificate must still be met.
Department of Counselor Education and Family Studies Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Mission Statement and Diversity Statement
Mission
The mission of the Department of Counselor Education and Family Studies (CEFS) is to produce ethically and spiritually aware mental health counselors who possess the knowledge, values, skills, and personal disposition to promote the mental health and holistic wellness of clients across diverse populations with unique worldviews.
The CEFS purpose is to accomplish this mission by the professional development of the mental health counseling student across the following domains:
- Attainment of scholastic competence in all coursework,
- Acquisition of, and ability to apply counseling skills with a diverse population to a standard acceptable by licensed professional counselors,
- Demonstration of emotional and mental stability and maturity in interaction with others, including the ability to maintain healthy boundaries, communicate appropriately, successfully manage personal anxiety or uncomfortable feelings, work collaboratively with others and resolve interpersonal conflict
- Adherence to the Professional Identity and Standards outlined by the American Counseling Association’s Code of Ethics and Liberty Graduate Student Code of Honor, and
- Demonstration of the ability to integrate faith and spirituality into counseling where appropriate in an ethically competent manner.
Commitment to Diversity
Liberty University is a school founded upon fundamental Christian values like grace, truth, and love for all persons. As believers in Christ, we must demonstrate our commitment to loving others (Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-34; Luke 10:25-28).
- We approach Counseling as a profession that fosters holistic human growth and development in the cognitive, emotional, behavioral, relational, and spiritual domains of life.
- Our Counseling approach also supports the worth, dignity, potential, and uniqueness of others who are made in the image of God. This means for us that all persons possess dignity and worth because they are unique subjects of Divine Creation. Our vision is focused on nurturing an academic community of diverse people and ideas and assuring that diversity enhances academic excellence and individual growth.
- Our faculty and students are comprised of persons that represent various national, ethnic, spiritual, and denominational backgrounds. Learning to be respectful and appreciate other cultures will add to each student’s experience at Liberty. For that reason, we are committed to nurturing and training a diverse student body in an atmosphere of mutual respect and appreciation of differences.
- The School of Behavioral Sciences provides an academic community for students, faculty, and staff to teach and learn from the experiences of others and to submit personal values and assumptions for reflection and critical examination. Student learning, professional, and personal growth occurs in a climate that encourages a deepened appreciation of differences. Therefore, we do not discriminate in our educational and counselor training programs on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, national/ethnic origin, sexual orientation, and physical or mental disability.
While recognizing the importance of all dimensions of diversity as mentioned above, the School of Behavioral Sciences adheres to the following initiatives:
- To increase, through recruitment and retention measures, the diverse representation of students, faculty, and staff;
- Promote the full implementation of professional standards of practice and multicultural counseling competencies across the curriculum and in specialized courses;
- To include issues of diversity throughout the instructional programs and professional development activities;
- To develop graduate assistantships opportunities to serve diverse student groups;
- To provide departmental opportunities for students and faculty to engage in the exchange of ideas and information related to diversity; and
- To maintain ongoing educational opportunities and equality of access to our academic community.
- To equip students to ethically utilize spirituality as a force for healing when and where appropriate.
Students in the MA program must exhibit the American Counseling Association’s standards and ethics of the counseling profession regarding sensitivity to and celebration of diversity.
Licensure Information
The 60-hour Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree is designed to lead to professional licensure as outlined by individual state boards of counseling. Before enrolling in a licensure program at Liberty University, students should consult the rules and regulations regarding professional counseling for their particular state. More specifically, students should be aware of the following before enrolling in one of Liberty University’s counseling programs:
- State regulations regarding licensure opportunities if an applicant has a previous felony conviction.
- State regulations regarding the type and number of academic courses and practicum/internship hours.
- The state accreditation requirements for educational institutions.
- The state regulations and requirements for online graduate education programs.
Preliminary Acceptance
If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:
- Be in your final term and planning to start your master’s degree after the last day of class for your bachelor’s degree.
- Submit an official/unofficial transcript to confirm that you are in your final term. The preliminary transcripts must show a minimum of 105 completed credit hours.
- If you are a current Liberty University student completing your undergraduate degree, you will need to submit a Degree/Certificate Completion Application.
- Send in an additional, final official transcript with a conferral date on it by the end of your first semester of enrollment.
Disclosure Statement
Enrollment in one of the master’s-level licensure programs does not guarantee a degree from Liberty or qualification for professional licensure. Students are responsible for meeting all academic and professional requirements for graduation. Further information regarding these academic and professional requirements are outlined in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Handbook. Students enrolled in an MA in Counseling licensure program are responsible for knowing the material outlined in this handbook. Further, it is the sole responsibility of the student, not the program, to obtain information regarding prerequisites for licensure as outlined by their particular state board of counseling or marriage and family therapy.
Transcript Policies
Unofficial Transcript Policy
An unofficial copy of your college transcript can either be faxed from the institution, printed from the school’s official site, or be an opened copy that you may have in your possession. Before sending unofficial college transcripts, please make sure they include the following:
- Your previous school’s name or logo printed on the document
- Cumulative GPA
- A list of completed courses and earned credit broken down by semester
- Degree and date conferred (if applicable)
Official College Transcript Policy
An acceptable official college transcript must be issued directly from the institution in a sealed envelope with a signature across the back. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements.
Official college transcripts are not required initially for acceptance if unofficial transcripts are provided; however, if the student uses unofficial transcripts to earn acceptance, all official transcripts must be received within 60 days of the admissions decision. Failure to send all official transcripts within the 60-day time frame will prevent registration.
Liberty University Admissions Contact Information
Email for Sending Documents
luoverify@liberty.edu
Address to Send Transcripts
Liberty University Online Admissions Verification
1971 University Blvd.
Lynchburg, VA 24515
