Program Overview
| Program Coordinator | Melanie Hill, (845) 257-3475, hillm@newpaltz.edu |
| Program ID | 293 |
| Credits | 60 |
| Program Length | MS can be completed in 2 years if enrolled full-time, but students must complete degree within 5 years |
| Modality | In-person |
| Full-time/Part-time | Full-time or Part-time |
| Transfer Credits | 9 |
| Capstone | Internship |
| Licensure/Certification | NYS Mental Health Counseling Licensure |
Program Description
The 60-credit Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling serves both students looking to become licensed as mental health counselors and those seeking to eventually proceed into doctoral programs. The curriculum covers mental health counseling practice and research, in addition to necessary coursework in human growth and development, social and cultural foundations, helping relationships, group work, career and lifestyle development, appraisal, research and program development, and professional orientation. Practicum and internship experiences provide unique, varied, and intense hands-on mental health counseling training experiences under the supervision of licensed professionals.
The degree is registered with the New York State Education Department (NYSED) as meeting the educational requirements for mental health counseling licensure in New York.
The M.S. in mental health counseling degree can be completed full-time in two years, including summer classes. Students may attend part-time, but all degree requirements must be completed within five years after admission to degree candidacy.
Admission Requirements
The Counselor Education Department’s Admissions Committee reviews all completed applications. Please prepare the following items for inclusion in your online application:
Required
- Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution
- One official copy of transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work.
Please send OFFICIAL transcripts to:
Office of Graduate Admission,100 Hawk Drive, Hopfer Admissions Center, New Paltz, New York 12561-2442 - Minimum grade point average of 3.0 for all undergraduate work or strong evidence of recent academic achievement.
- Successful completion of 9 undergraduate credits in the social sciences (e.g., psychology, sociology, education, philosophy, anthropology, political science, history, economics, geography, criminology, gender studies, communication).
- An updated resume.
- Response to the essay admissions questions.
- Completed dispositions self-assessment.
- Three professional letters of recommendation from persons familiar with your professional/academic activity, interpersonal skills, and overall qualifications.
- International students must meet these additional requirements for admission: International Graduate Admissions | SUNY New Paltz.
Preferred
- Coursework in any of the following: abnormal psychology, personality, counseling theories, lifespan development, culture/diversity, behavioral assessment, group behavior, inferential statistics, social science research methods.
- Applied human services experience - can be volunteer, paid, or an internship.
Application Deadline
| February 1 | Fall Admission |
This is a firm deadline, applications submitted after February 1st will not be considered.
This program leads to NYS licensure as a mental health counselor and can be completed full-time in two years, including summer classes:
Two Year Study Plan
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| COU501 | Ethics and Professional Identity in Mental Health Counseling | 3 |
| COU510 | Counseling Theories | 3 |
| COU515 | Counseling Skills | 3 |
| COU520 | Career Development, Counseling, and Assessment | 3 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| COU540 | Psychopathology | 3 |
| COU575 | Human Growth and Development | 3 |
| COU545 | Group Dynamics and Counseling | 3 |
| Plus, one of the following: | ||
| COU530 or COU565 |
Practicum in Mental Health Counseling or Disaster Counseling and Crisis Intervention |
3 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Summer | ||
| COU570 | Substance Use and Addictions Counseling | 3 |
| Plus, one of the following: | ||
| COU530 or COU565 |
Practicum in Mental Health Counseling or Disaster Counseling and Crisis Intervention |
3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| COU525 | Multicultural Counseling | 3 |
| COU771 | Internship in Mental Health Counseling 1 | 3 |
| COU555 | Assessment | 3 |
| COU505 | Professional Roles in Mental Health Counseling | 3 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| COU550 | Couple and Family Counseling | 3 |
| COU610 | Research Methods and Program Evaluation | 3 |
| COU772 | Internship in Mental Health Counseling 2 | 3 |
| Elective Course | 3 | |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Summer | ||
| COU585 | Contemporary Issues in Counseling 1 | 3 |
| COU585 | Contemporary Issues in Counseling 1 | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 60 | |
- 1
Repeatable course.
This program leads to NYS licensure as a mental health counselor and can be completed on a part-time basis in three years, including summer classes:
Three Year Study Plan
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| COU501 | Ethics and Professional Identity in Mental Health Counseling | 3 |
| COU510 | Counseling Theories | 3 |
| COU515 | Counseling Skills | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| COU540 | Psychopathology | 3 |
| COU545 | Group Dynamics and Counseling | 3 |
| COU575 | Human Growth and Development | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Summer | ||
| COU565 | Disaster Counseling and Crisis Intervention | 3 |
| COU570 | Substance Use and Addictions Counseling | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| COU525 | Multicultural Counseling | 3 |
| COU520 | Career Development, Counseling, and Assessment | 3 |
| COU505 | Professional Roles in Mental Health Counseling | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| COU530 | Practicum in Mental Health Counseling | 3 |
| COU550 | Couple and Family Counseling | 3 |
| COU610 | Research Methods and Program Evaluation | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Summer | ||
| COU585 | Contemporary Issues in Counseling 1 | 3 |
| COU585 | Contemporary Issues in Counseling 1 | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Fall | ||
| COU771 | Internship in Mental Health Counseling 1 | 3 |
| COU555 | Assessment | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| COU772 | Internship in Mental Health Counseling 2 | 3 |
| Elective Course | 3 | |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 60 | |
Graduate Checklist
-
Apply for graduation via my.newpaltz.edu under “Graduation” tab according to the schedule in the academic calendar.
-
Resolve any pending admission conditions (outlined in your acceptance letter) and/or missing documents if applicable.
-
Review your progress report via my.newpaltz.edu to ensure that you have completed all program requirements.
-
Remember that only two grades below a B- may be applied to your plan of study
-
Contact your advisor if you need to amend your plan or process transfer credit.
-
Ensure that you are in good academic standing with a GPA (Grade Point Average) of 3.0 or higher.
-
Pass your capstone or culminating assessment.
-
Complete your degree within the specified time limit outlined in the Program Overview.
Academic Good Standing, Transfer Credits, and Degree Deadline
- Students must maintain an average grade of B in graduate-level courses.
- The Counselor Education Graduate Program may accept up to nine credits of graduate work taken elsewhere in which a grade of B or better was earned.
- All degree requirements must be completed within five years after admission to degree candidacy.
Assistantships
Teaching assistantships are available to selected students each year. Current stipends are $5,000 per year plus a six-credit tuition scholarship per semester. Assistantship duties involve assisting in faculty teaching. Inquiries should be addressed to the Director of the Counselor Education Graduate Program. Other means of financial support is available to selected students each year in positions such as:
- Assistant in the Office of Psychology and Counseling Graduate Programs,
- Academic Advisor to undergraduate psychology students,
- Graduate Intern at the Career Advising and Development Center, and
- Technical Assistant at the Disability Resource Center.
For further information, contact the Office for Psychology and Counselor Education Graduate Programs.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate intellectual curiosity and a commitment to continually expanding their counseling knowledge and proficiency.
- Understand and model the professional standards and ethics of their profession.
- Attend to their own personal growth, as well as that of their clients, through utilizing supervision, valuing interpersonal feedback, and engaging in ongoing self-evaluation.
- Show mastery of the research process and understand its central role in counseling practice and conducting program evaluation.
- Are open-minded and respectful of multicultural and intellectual diversity.
- Use their counseling knowledge to function as compassionate and caring practitioners, advocates, and leaders within their profession and within the communities they serve.
