Graduate Degrees in Mental Health Counseling

Make a Positive Impact as a Clinical Mental Health Counselor: Begin at Bridgewater

Designed to meet the burgeoning needs in our health care and social services sectors, 51�Թ��’s master’s in mental health counseling combines hands-on learning with in-person coursework to empower a new generation of well-trained counselors. As a student in our master’s in clinical mental health counseling degree, you’ll learn the ethical standards and best practices of the field while also studying the cultural and social issues affecting the profession.

Housed in the Department of Counselor Education, our mental health counseling programs are more affordable than other CACREP-accredited master’s degrees. Through your coursework at BSU, you’ll be prepared for the licensure process and a rewarding career as a mental health counselor.

Clinical mental health counseling graduate programs built for your busy schedule

Most of our master’s in mental health counseling coursework is taught in the evening. We offer two mental health counseling master’s programs that take as little as two years. Plus, we offer a master’s in mental health counseling and a mental health dual program, which allows you to obtain licensure as both a mental health counselor and school adjustment counselor.

Master’s in Mental Health Counseling Program Highlights

Dr. Katherine Bender teaching a small circle of students in desks

Gain expertise from leaders in the field

BSU’s mental health counseling master’s programs feature faculty members who are licensed counselors with experience in everything from marriage and family counseling to mental health counseling, suicide prevention and intervention and student affairs. Whatever your career aspirations, you will gain the knowledge and skills to succeed professionally through our accredited mental health counseling programs.

Study in our small clinical mental health counseling master’s programs

Our accredited mental health counseling programs offer courses that rarely exceed 15 students. This means you can easily connect and network with classmates and faculty members. Small classes also mean our faculty have more time to help advise you on how to customize your mental health counseling graduate program to your interests.

students sitting around a table in a classroom

Move your career forward at an affordable price

BSU’s master’s in clinical mental health counseling offers the same tuition rates for both in-state and out-of-state students. Our students can apply for the Damon Fund for Graduate Counselor Education Scholarship and are eligible for graduate assistantships, which enable you to gain experience and offset tuition and fees.

Get first-hand experience outside the classroom

Our mental health counseling graduate programs offer multiple fieldwork and internship opportunities to students in clinics, educational and governmental institutions, health care centers and hospitals, preparing you for the myriad of settings your master’s in clinical mental health counseling degree will take you.

Take your learning beyond the classroom

BSU is home to a chapter of Beta Sigma Chi, an international honor society dedicated to academic and professional excellence in counseling. Getting involved is a great way for students in our mental health counseling master’s programs to connect with other counseling graduate students as well as to share research at symposiums and in leading academic journals.

Cutting-edge master’s in mental health counseling facilities

Our master’s in clinical mental health counseling students have access to our new, on-campus counselor education lab. This space allows master’s in mental health counseling faculty to supervise and provide real-time feedback on your developing clinical skills.

Program of Study for Master’s in Mental Health Counseling

No matter which of our accredited mental health counseling programs you choose, you will learn from leading experts who use dynamic and innovative teaching methods in the classroom. You can complete our 60-credit-hour mental health counseling graduate programs in as little as two years, taking courses such as:

Counseling Substance Related and Addictive Disorders
Counseling Theories and Techniques
Marital and Family Counseling
Multicultural Counseling
Psychopathology

You’ll also have the opportunity to pursue elective coursework, fieldwork and internship experiences at clinical sites throughout southeastern Massachusetts. Through our mental health counseling graduate programs, you’ll be prepared to move forward personally and professionally.

Admission Requirements and Program Details

Click any link below to reveal each program's admission requirements and program description.

Program details from 2024-2025 Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog

Program Director: Dr. Katherine Bender

Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Jobs

BSU’s accredited mental health counseling programs prepare you to work with a variety of clients within community counseling agencies, employee assistance programs, inpatient hospital settings and mental health agencies.

Our master’s in clinical mental health counseling also propels graduate students to doctoral studies at places such as Ohio University, Pennsylvania State University, the University of Idaho and the University of Northern Colorado.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Careers estimates that jobs in substance abuse, behavioral disorders and mental health are expected to grow

23%

over the next decade.

Graduate Funding Opportunities

The College of Graduate Studies provides various opportunities for graduate students to receive funding while working towards their degrees. Appointments are competitive and are determined by undergraduate and/or graduate grade point averages, pertinent experience, educational preparation and interviews. For information on assistantships, fellowships and conference funding awards, please visit our Graduate Funding Opportunities page.

The MEd program in Mental Health Counseling is eligible for unsubsidized student loans and applicants are encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. For more specific questions, please visit the Financial Aid Office website or contact them directly at finaid@bridgew.edu.

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