The Clinical and Mental Health Counseling program curriculum is modeled on national licensing standards and meets licensure requirements in the state of Arkansas.
Students who complete all required courses and pass the National Counselor Exam (NCE) can apply for licensure in the state of Arkansas. For students seeking licensure in other states, please contact your state’s licensing board for guidance on licensure requirements. Although a background check is not an admissions requirement, students may be required to pass a background check before being eligible for clinical work during practicum and internship courses. Licensing boards require graduates to pass a background check before being eligible for professional licensure.
Program Admissions Criteria
Admission to the School of Graduate Studies does not guarantee acceptance to the Clinical and Mental Health Counseling Program. Students who are seeking entrance into the program must also meet the requirements listed below prior to enrolling in graduate courses.
All required documents must be submitted by the graduate school admission deadlines. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted for program admission review if required official transcripts are not available by the deadline.
Application and Document Deadlines:
Required Documents:
Complete and upload the following documents into the admissions portal:
Applicants to the program should understand that a 100-hour practicum and two 300-hour semesters of internship (for a total of 700 hours of professional practice and fieldwork) are required.
Statement of Purpose Writing Sample
In two to three pages (not including the title page and any references you cite), address all five of the following prompts. The style should be consistent with the seventh edition of the American Psychological Association Publication Manual.
- Career Goals: Why do you want to pursue a master’s degree in Clinical and Mental Health Counseling at Southern Arkansas University? How does this program align with your career goals?
- Strengths and Weaknesses: Discuss an area of strength you would bring to a counseling role and an area of weakness you struggle with. Include information about your personal qualities which will assist you in forming effective counseling relationships.
- Time Management and Prioritizing: Keeping up with the pace of graduate school and online courses can be stressful and is often the equivalent of a part-time job. What is your plan for managing your time while in the program (include information about your family and/or social supports)?
- Response to Feedback: Imagine a situation where you felt a supervisor or instructor treated you unfairly or provided feedback you disagreed with. How would you approach a situation like this?
- Cultural Sensitivity and Responsiveness: These attributes are essential to a successful counseling relationship. How have you formed relationships with people different from you and how do you plan to navigate cultural differences with future clients?
Transfer Credit Policy
The Master of Science in Clinical and Mental Health Counseling degree program requires completion of 60 credit hours of graduate-level coursework in counseling. This is also a requirement for licensure as a professional counselor in most states.
A maximum of 12 credit hours may be transferred from an institutionally accredited university. These transfer courses must be equivalent to courses already required in the program. All transfer credits must be approved by the program director, the college dean, and the registrar. Decisions about transfer credits will be made after a student has been admitted to the program.
Admissions Review Process
First Semester Review
During their first semester in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) program, all students will be classified as Pre-admitted Clinical Mental Health Counseling (PCMHC) students. All PCMHC students must enroll in COUN 6403 and COUN 6413 during their first semester in the program. Students will be required to earn grades of B or better in both courses to gain full admission to the CMHC program.
PCMHC students transferring from another university or graduate program at SAU must still undergo the complete program application and first semester review process. If a PCMHC transfer student has already completed COUN 6403 and/or COUN 6413 as part of another graduate program, they should work with their CMHC advisor to determine appropriate alternate course(s) from the CMHC program catalog to take during their first semester in the CMHC program. All course substitutions will be subject to the first semester review process.
After final grades are submitted at the end of their first semester, the CMHC faculty will formally review each PCMHC student’s academic performance and professional disposition to determine that student’s post-review admission status. All PCMHC students will then receive an email detailing their post-review admission status decision.
Post-Review Admissions Statuses
Based on the results of the first semester review, PCMHC students will be assigned one of the following admissions statuses:
- Fully Admitted
- Conditionally Admitted
- Not Admitted
The details of each of these admissions statuses are outlined below.
Fully Admitted
If no academic and/or dispositional conditions are identified in the first semester review, PCMHC students will be considered “fully admitted” to the CMHC program. Fully admitted students may proceed in their program of study without restrictions.
Conditionally Admitted
If any academic and/or dispositional conditions are identified in the first semester review, PCMHC students will be considered “conditionally admitted” to the CMHC program. Conditionally admitted students will receive a detailed written remediation plan, and will have ONE additional semester to satisfy all outlined remediation conditions.
Remediation conditions may include (not an exhaustive list):
- Writing essays
- Volunteer work
- Attending a writing lab
- Setting up check-in meetings with advisor
- Participating in class, especially with group activities
- Being encouraged to seek personal counseling at the applicant’s expense
The specific remediation conditions assigned will be determined by the CMHC faculty with consideration for the student’s documented areas requiring remediation.
Conditionally admitted students will not be allowed to take more than six hours of coursework.
At the end of their second semester, conditionally admitted students will undergo an additional post-semester review process. If the CMHC faculty determines that a conditionally admitted student has satisfied all outlined remediation conditions, and that all concerns have been satisfactorily addressed, then the student’s admission status will be changed to “fully admitted” (as detailed above). If the conditionally admitted student fails to satisfy all conditions or satisfactorily address the initial concerns identified, the student’s admissions status will be changed to “not admitted” (as detailed below).
Not Admitted
Students assigned this status will be considered “not admitted” to the CMHC program, and will not be permitted to take any additional coursework in the program. These students will be referred to the School of Graduate Studies and Career Services for assistance in finding a more suitable academic program of study.
Admission Status Appeals
There is no appeal process for the assignment of the “conditionally admitted” status.
If a student would like to appeal the admission status decision of “not admitted,” a written appeal must be submitted to the dean of the College of Education and Human Performance within two weeks (i.e., 10 business days) following the written communication of the admission decision to the student. Appeals submitted after this deadline will not be considered. The decision made by the dean of the college is the final decision.
