Counseling Program Overview

No.

We take all majors/minors.

Yes, the program offers Graduate Assistantship opportunities, which are
awarded through a competitive application and interview process. When positions
become available, details—including role descriptions, tuition remittance, and
stipend information—are emailed to counseling students. Assistantship openings
are typically posted during the summer for the upcoming academic year. Both CMU Online students and Hybrid students are eligible to apply.

Yes, the program offers 2-3 donor-funded scholarships to those enrolled in courses at the time of
application. The scholarship application and process are
currently changing, and further details will be posted. We have fulfilled the
application process for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Students should apply to the site they plan to attend. Space is limited so transferring from online to on-campus or on-campus to online is discouraged.

Yes, you may choose to complete two concentrations. Because you will be completing coursework and internships required for both concentrations, your program will exceed 60 credit hours. Please see the Counseling Student Handbook for more information.

In the state of Michigan, the only reason to complete two concentrations is if you want to be a school counselor AND provide counseling outside a school, in a state outside of Michigan.

Step 1 – Initial review: Faculty review all applications and rate applications on a rubric that rates the following: GPA, prior experience, quality of recommendation, quality of writing in the Statement of Purpose, and if Statement of Purpose meets guidelines.

Step 2 – Initial decision: Faculty determine if an applicant should move to interview, waitlist for an interview, or be denied.

Step 3 – Admission interview: Applicants moved to interview are emailed with interview times. Applicants attend a one-hour virtual group interview that requires responding to questions, reading an article and engaging in a non-facilitated group discussion with each applicant in the group.

Step 4 – Admission decision: Faculty either accept the application for admission, waitlist for admission or reject.

The CMU Counseling Program currently has limited ability to take applicants each semester. Acceptance is competitive. The faculty review all applicants and strive to make decisions quickly but response time may vary. 

Practicum and internship sites that offer evening (after 5:00 p.m.) and weekend hours are extremely rare.  Students should plan their work schedules around completing practicum and/or internship hours during a regular workday. 

No, practicum and internship are capstone experiences that occur at the end of your program.

Maybe, but only if your current employer has a position that only a master’s level clinician or school counselor should perform.

Yes, but we don’t recommend it for the total experience.

Yes! The CMU Counseling Program has a dedicated Practicum &
Internship Coordinator to assist with site placement and site supervisor
approval. While our out-of-state network is growing every semester, it is not
uncommon for students to have to expand their willing-to-travel radius to
secure a site.

No. Becoming a mental health professional requires time to learn and apply complex concepts. The full-time program takes 2.5 years, the part-time program takes 3.5 years.

No, licensing and accreditation requirements require students to complete all required coursework.

Master of Social Work: Students are trained to be either a therapist, a school social worker who provides services to children diagnosed with learning disabilities in a K-12 setting, a case manager in a hospital setting (like a care coordinator), or an administrator. The focus of the program is on social/systemic explanations for individual problems. Students who want to be therapists learn skills during their internship while taking courses in all areas of social work. They begin the internship immediately and learn as they go. This degree is best for individuals who want a broad education with options to work in many areas. In Michigan, the license for Master Level Social Work is LLMSW or LMSW.

Master's in Psychology: Students are trained to work with clients as a therapist. The difference between psychology and counseling is the heavy focus on assessment and pathology in psychology. Psychology students learn to administer and score IQ tests and personality tests.They are not trained in career counseling and take three courses in assessment. They complete the internship at the end of the program. This degree is best for students who want to do assessment/testing or go on to a Ph. D in Psychology. In Michigan, the license for a Master's in Psychology is a TLLP or LLP.

Master's in Counseling: Students are trained to be clinical mental health, school or addiction counselors. A counseling program’s focus is to train students to provide individual and group counseling, career counseling, consultation, assessment, diagnosis and crisis, and trauma counseling. Counseling programs focus on wellness. Students learn counseling techniques from faculty, practice in a 100-hour practicum, and complete an internship at the end of the program. This degree is best for individuals who want to work directly with clients in a variety of settings, but not for students who might want to work in a hospital at some point as a care coordinator or a social work administrator. In Michigan, a Master's in Counseling is a LLC or LPC.

• Apply for LLC (Limited Licensed Counselor).  As an LLC professional, you must accumulate 3,000 hours (roughly two years working full time) of supervised clinical experience.  Additionally, you will need 100 hours of direct supervision to be eligible for your LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor).  LPC licensure in Michigan requires a passing score on the National Counselor Exam (NCE).  The CMU Counseling Program partners with NBCC (National Board for Certified Counselors) on the NCE.
• You must pay the license fees and obtain a criminal background check.  Complete a one time Human Trafficking training before obtaining the license.
• Complete ongoing training on Implicit Bias before obtaining a license and for license renewal. 
• For steps on School Counseling endorsement or licensure, please see the School Counseling concentration page.

The CMU Counseling Program meets many states’ educational requirements for licensure, and all three concentrations are CACREP accredited. State licensure requirements differ and periodically change. We recommend you check with the state licensure guides or the state education department to determine if our program meets the requirements. You can also check our state licensure list posted on our website. This list is reviewed periodically and republished with updates.