Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Curriculum and Schedules
Students can complete the program in 2 years in a full-time, accelerated plan or through a more flexible and less time-intensive 3-year schedule. The sequence is subject to change.
The 60-credit Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program requires coursework that goes above and beyond the course areas required by both the New York State Education Department (NYSED), Office of Professions eleven core curriculum content areas and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) eight common core curriculum areas, below.
| NYSED Core Content Areas | CACREP Common Core Areas |
| Professional Orientation & Ethics | Professional Counseling Orientation & Ethical Practice |
| Social & Cultural Foundations of Counseling | Social and Cultural Diversity |
| Human Growth and Development | Human Growth and Development |
| Lifestyle and Career Development | Career Development |
| Counseling Theory and Practice | Counseling and Helping Relationships |
| Group Dynamics | Group Counseling and Group Work |
| Assessment and Appraisal | Assessment and Testing |
| Research and Program Evaluation | Research and Program Evaluation |
| Psychopathology | |
| Foundations of Mental Health Counseling | |
| Clinical Instruction |
The Program exceeds these areas by requiring coursework in essential clinical areas that most other master’s programs do not require, namely:
- Crisis & Trauma Intervention
- Psychopharmacology for Counselors
- Substance Abuse Counseling
- Family & Couples Counseling.
Further, the Marist Program exceeds the NY State field experience requirements by requiring a minimum of 700 supervised clinical field experience (Practicum and Internship) hours rather than the State’s required minimum of 600 hours.