Reviewed Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors opinions or evaluations.
Counselors are mental health professionals who help others improve their mental health, process traumatic life events, and learn healthy relationship skills. They also support individuals dealing with challenges such as substance abuse, behavioral or eating disorders.
If you plan to pursue a career as a counselor, a master’s degree in counseling is a critical step. Before beginning a master’s in counseling program, however, you should understand what this degree entails. Use our guide to discover what courses you can expect to take as a counseling graduate student, which concentration might further your academic and career goals, and how to apply to your chosen program.
Getting a master’s degree in counseling can open up career opportunities in school counseling, marriage and family therapy clinical mental health counseling and more. However, the path to earning this degree isn’t always straightforward.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through the step-by-step process for how to get a master’s degree in counseling, from researching programs to graduating.
Step 1: Make Sure a Master’s Degree Is Required for Your Career Goals
The first step is confirming that you need a master’s degree to achieve your career aspirations.
Many counseling roles like school counselors, mental health counselors, and marriage and family therapists require a master’s degree to get licensed and practice. However, some entry-level counseling jobs may only expect a bachelor’s degree.
So before committing the time and money to a master’s program, research the minimum education requirements for the counseling career paths you’re interested in pursuing. This can help ensure a graduate degree will be necessary and worth the investment.
Step 2: Choose an Area of Focus
Once you’ve confirmed a master’s is required, the next step is narrowing down your area of focus within the counseling field.
Some common concentrations for a master’s degree in counseling include:
-
Clinical mental health counseling – Focuses on helping clients overcome significant emotional and mental health challenges.
-
School counseling – Prepares you to handle academic, social, and developmental issues faced by K-12 students.
-
Addiction counseling – Teaches approaches for treating addictions and promoting positive lifestyle changes.
-
Marriage and family therapy – Centers on relationship dynamics and intervention strategies for couples and families.
-
Rehabilitation counseling – Equips you to improve quality of life and independence for people with disabilities.
Selecting a concentration helps guide your graduate program search in step 3. It also starts shaping the knowledge and skillset you’ll develop through your master’s coursework.
Step 3: Research and Apply to Graduate Programs
With your counseling focus identified, you can start researching and applying to master’s in counseling degree programs.
Here are some factors to consider when evaluating programs:
-
Accreditation: Attending an accredited program is crucial for getting licensed after graduation. Make sure the program has regional accreditation along with specialized accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
-
Program format: Decide if you want to complete your degree online, in-person, or through a hybrid model. Consider factors like flexibility, learning style, and access to local programs.
-
Program length: Master’s degrees in counseling typically take 2-3 years to complete full-time. Programs offering accelerated formats can be finished more quickly.
-
Cost: The average annual tuition for a master’s program is around $35,700 per year. Compare costs across different schools and don’t forget to factor in additional expenses like fees, books, and housing.
-
Admissions requirements: Requirements may include minimum GPA, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, admissions essays, and relevant experience. Make sure you meet all requirements before applying.
-
Specializations: Some schools offer sub-concentrations or tracks within the major counseling focus areas. Consider specializations that align with your specific career goals.
Once you’ve researched programs that fit your needs, submit your applications and all required materials before the given deadlines. Many master’s programs require interviews as part of the admissions process as well.
Step 4: Complete Prerequisite Coursework
After getting accepted, your next step is completing any prerequisite coursework required by your program.
Typical prerequisites include undergraduate classes in:
- Introduction to psychology
- Abnormal psychology
- Developmental psychology
- Statistics
- Research methods
- Personality theory
These classes provide baseline knowledge in psychology and research that will be built upon in your master’s program. Most programs require you to complete prerequisites before starting grad courses.
Step 5: Finish Your Graduate Coursework and Clinical Requirements
Now it’s time for the meat of earning your master’s in counseling – your graduate coursework and clinical experience.
You’ll take core courses in areas like:
- Counseling theories and techniques
- Group counseling
- Psychopathology and diagnosis
- Legal and ethical issues
- Assessment
- Multicultural counseling
You’ll also take specialized courses for your chosen concentration.
Most programs require 100-300 hours of hands-on clinical experience through practicums and internships. You’ll work under the supervision of a licensed counselor to apply your skills with real clients.
These clinical requirements are often completed concurrently with coursework and may extend your time to degree completion.
Step 6: Pass the National Counselor Exam
Before graduating, you’ll need to pass a national certification exam such as:
- National Counselor Examination (NCE)
- National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE)
These exams assess your knowledge and mastery of core counseling concepts. Your school will help prep you for the appropriate exam based on your concentration.
Plan to spend 6-10 weeks studying before taking the exam. Allot time to take practice tests and focus on your weak areas.
Step 7: Pursue State Licensure
After graduation, there’s one more big step – pursuing state-level licensure.
Requirements vary widely by state but generally include:
- Completing additional supervised clinical hours
- Submitting transcripts and exam scores
- Passing a state exam like the National Counselor Exam
- Submitting fingerprints and background checks
Completing these requirements and maintaining your license over time allows you to legally practice as a counselor in your state.
Step 8: Search for Counseling Jobs
With your degree and license in hand, you’re ready to begin applying for counseling jobs in your specialty area.
Your graduate program’s career center can help connect you with job and internship opportunities. You can also search listings through professional associations like the American Counseling Association.
It’s common to start out in an entry-level counseling role after graduating. With work experience, you can advance to higher positions and salaries over time.
Key Takeaways
- Confirm a master’s degree is required for your desired counseling career path.
- Select a concentration like clinical, school, addiction, rehabilitation, or marriage counseling.
- Research and apply to accredited graduate programs that fit your needs.
- Complete any prerequisite undergraduate coursework required by your program.
- Finish your master’s degree coursework and clinical experience requirements.
- Pass a national counselor certification exam before graduating.
- Pursue licensure in your state after finishing your program.
- Search for counseling jobs related to your specialty area.
Earning a master’s degree in counseling is a big investment, but it allows you to transition into a meaningful and fulfilling career. Following these key steps helps streamline your path through graduate school and licensure. With hard work and commitment, you’ll be ready to improve lives through a counseling career.
Common Courses in a Master’s in Counseling Program
Your exact courses depend on which program you choose, but most curriculums combine core counseling classes with electives that you can tailor to suit your goals and interests.
Below are some common courses for master’s in counseling programs.
Ethical practice courses ground counseling majors in their identities within the counseling profession, offering a broad understanding of the various directions a career in counseling can take. This course also teaches the basis of legal and ethical practice within counseling, helping students become more aware of their own unconscious biases and beliefs so they can practice ethical mental healthcare and assist future patients effectively.
This class focuses on different intervention strategies, teaching both the theory behind these strategies and how to put them into practice. Some such strategies include contingency management, reality therapy, modeling and different types of cognitive therapy.
This course studies humanistic theories that are founded in the “human-existential” philosophical school of thought. Some of these theories include person-centered and Gestalt therapies. Degree seekers study these theories to learn how they apply to various types of therapeutic intervention including reflection, confrontation and awareness.
Concentrations for a Master’s in Counseling
Within your master’s program, you can also choose a focus or concentration. A concentration can help prepare you for the specific counseling or mental health position you want to pursue after graduating. Choosing a counseling concentration relevant to your career goals can also equip you for any state or federal licensing exams required for your prospective position.
Next, we explore some popular concentrations for counseling master’s students.
Aspiring substance abuse counselors should consider a concentration in this subject area. In addition to core courses, counseling students who concentrate in substance abuse counseling take classes like clinical treatment and the psychopharmacology of illicit and illicit drugs. These courses focus on substance abuse therapies and treatments.
Students in this concentration may complete a clinically supervised internship specific to substance abuse counseling. Those aiming to become licensed clinical professional counselors may apply their internships toward any postgraduate supervised clinical experience hours required for licensure.
If you’re wondering how to become a mental health counselor, this concentration is a great place to start. A mental health counseling concentration takes a holistic approach to an individual or a group’s mental health, accounting for mental, emotional, educational and vocational experiences and issues. Mental health counselors work in a variety of fields, including community clinics, private offices and inpatient settings.
Can I Get My Master’s in Counseling Online?
How do I get a Master’s in counseling?
1. Finish a bachelor’s program A four-year bachelor’s degree from a college or university is required before you can apply for a master’s in counseling degree program. While some graduate schools accept students from all majors, some may require a bachelor’s degree in counseling or a related field.
How much does a Master’s in counseling cost?
On average, master’s degrees cost about $35,700 per year. Because it generally takes about two years to complete a master’s program, you can expect to pay between $50,000 and $85,000 in total for your master’s in counseling degree. Online degrees, however, are often cheaper than in-person or hybrid programs.
What are the requirements for a Master’s in counseling program?
Most master’s in counseling programs require each applicant to have a bachelor’s degree in an area related to counseling, a 3.0 GPA, and at least two references. Some master’s in counseling program admission requirements include scores from standardized tests, like the GRE.
What can I do with a Master’s in counseling?
You can take a master’s in counseling in many directions thanks to the variety of concentrations available. This degree can apply to various mental health careers, such as school counseling, substance abuse counseling and mental health counseling. Many master’s programs include internships as part of their curriculums.
