Counseling
Counseling Program Mission Statement
The Mission of the Counseling program at the University of Colorado Denver is to educate competent counselors who value inclusion and prize diversity such that they are prepared to offer a continuum of mental health services across a variety of settings for the benefit of the community and society.
Master of Arts in Counseling, Clinical Mental Health
School of Education & Human Development
Overview
Degree: MA
Classroom Type: On campus
Prepares those interested in providing mental health counseling to a wide range of diverse clients in settings such as mental health centers, private practices, substance abuse centers, hospitals, correctional facilities, and hospice services.
Application​ deadlines
Fall Semester: Application Open November 1; Application Deadline January 15
Spring Semester: Application Open July 1; Application Deadline September 15
Program Details
Interest Categories: Education & Counseling Social & Behavioral Sciences
Campus: CU Denver
Accreditation: CACREP
What you'll learn
The need for more professionals who are prepared and licensed to provide mental health counseling is growing to a critical level in Colorado and beyond. Are you interested in providing mental health counseling to a wide range of diverse clients to create a positive change in your community? CU Denver’s MA in Counseling with a concentration in clinical mental health prepares you to serve clients with a range of backgrounds in settings such as mental health centers, private practices, substance abuse centers, hospitals, correctional facilities and hospice services. In our CACREP accredited preparation program, which includes a practicum in our campus based student-counseling clinic, you will learn to take a systemic approach to working with clients. Our students learn how to promote mental health through clinical work and through their advocacy as a Licensed Professional Counselor.
Launch your counseling career with real-world experience unmatched by any other mental health graduate program in Colorado. Our students obtain supervised counseling experience in our Student and Community Counseling Center with live supervision and ongoing feedback from licensed clinicians. Our graduates are recognized for being strongly prepared and committed to providing culturally informed, equity focused services.
This CACREP-accredited master's concentration prepares students to:
- Practice clinical mental health in a variety of settings with culturally diverse clients
- Apply culturally responsive and systemic frameworks with the clients they serve
- Become eligible to become a Licensed Professional Counselor
- Understand state licensure acts, regulations and processes.
Choose CU Denver's School of Education & Human Development
You can trust CU Denver to provide an education that will prepare you for excellence in your career as a counselor. The university and school are recognized for preparing leaders of distinction who value educational excellence and social justice. Additionally, CU Denver’s School of Education and Human Development is counted among U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools,” making us one of the top schools in the country.
Honors program
Chi Sigma Iota chapter Beta Alpha Omega is the counseling academic professional honor society. To qualify, you must have completed two semesters or nine credit hours with a 3.5 GPA. The purpose of this group is to promote scholarship, leadership, professionalism and excellence in counseling in the field of mental health. The group provides a forum for students in the CU Denver Counseling program to network, share common concerns and recognize outstanding academic performance. We encourage you to get involved! Become a member by going to www.csi-net.org and clicking on membership.
Courses
Most of the courses for this 63-credit program take place Monday - Thursday in three hour blocks beginning at either 3:30 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. However, core and prerequisite classes are offered starting at 3:30 p.m. on a consistent basis. Some classes meet on weekends (Friday evening or Saturday during the day) or in a hybrid format. Very few classes will be available fully online.
To complete this program, you'll take the required courses, practicum and internships. You will also take a comprehensive exam or write a thesis. In addition, you'll have the option of taking the National Counselor Exam for Licensed Professional Counselors.
Some may ask why the University of Colorado Denver counseling program degree requires 63 credit hours. Our goal is to help you meet all CACREP standard requirements to make it easy to get licensed as an LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) in Colorado. CACREP (counseling programs' national accrediting body) has moved to a requirement of 60 credit hours. We provide a rigorous program, which will position you for success and help you meet all the requirements for licensure, now and in the future. Qualitatively, our students are recognized as being a step above the rest, and we plan to keep it that way.
Course syllabi are available for review by prospective students on request. Email academicservices@ucdenver.edu with the course number and prefix.
License Portability
- Professional Counselor Licensure Information - Colorado
- State Professional Counselor Licensure Boards
Diversity Statement
We encourage applications from persons from a variety of sociopolitical contexts, such as racial and ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, veterans, sexual and gender minorities, and individuals from a variety of religious and spiritual backgrounds. The couple/family faculty provides open and supportive learning environments where students are invited to engage in personal and reflective processes about their own and others’ experiences, beliefs and values. We seek to train counselors/therapists who can approach clients with integrity, respect and sensitivity for differences in beliefs, values, and lifestyles.
Sample Courses
- COUN 5280 - Addictions Counseling 3 credits
- COUN 5820 - Strategies of Agency Counseling 3 credits
- COUN 6250 - Mental Health Diagnosis 3 credits
- COUN 7100 - Advanced Theories and Techniques in Psychotherapy 3 credits
Recommended Completion Time:3 to 4 years
Required Credits for Completion:63
Admission Requirements
Application Deadlines
Due to the competitive nature of this program, faculty are only able to review complete applications; this includes letters of recommendation, transcripts and all other required elements of the application. In order to secure your application as “complete” in sufficient time for faculty review and consideration we highly recommend submitting your application at least one to two months prior to the deadline to ensure we have ample time to work with you on your application should items be missing. To avoid your application remaining incomplete at the time of the posted deadline please be sure to complete the steps below as early as possible.
Fall Semester: January 15
Spring Semester: September 15
Application Requirements
- 3 recommendation letters
- Official Transcripts from all institutions attended
- Resume/CV
- Written Statement
- $50.00 application fee
Admissions Interview: Upon successful completion and review of your file, qualified applicants are invited to attend a REQUIRED half-day interview on the Denver campus (or virtually in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The interview for the Fall 2024 application cycle is scheduled for Friday, March 1, 2024. Participation in the interview is mandatory and you will not be accepted into the program without attending. We do not conduct individual interviews for admission to our program. Final selection of the applicants will be based on their performance in the interview.
- International Applicants only: Proof of English Language Proficiency (International applicants should review the following information regarding English language proficiency)
For more information, email education@ucdenver.edu or call 303.315.6300.
Counseling Graduate Outcomes
Track | Graduates in the Reporting Period | Five-Year Completion Rate* | Exam Pass Rate** | Job Placement Rate*** |
School Counseling | 13 | 93% | 100% | 92% |
Clinical Mental Health Counseling | 17 | 82% | 100% | 88% |
Couple and Family Counseling/Therapy | 17 | 74% | 100% | 88% |
Last updated 11/2023
* The average five-year completion for the students who started their program in calendar year 2018-2021 that graduated within 5 years.
** For Clinical Mental Health Counseling the National Counselor Examination (NCE) pass rate of our students is used. For School Counseling the Praxis School Counselor exam is used as it is required for the Colorado School Counseling Endorsement. We have not received information from the National Board of Certified Counselors for our 2021-2022 exam scores as of this update. For Couple and Family Counseling/Therapy the information collected comes from the 2020, 2021, and 2022 alumni survey. The rate includes the students who reported passing the National Marital and Family Therapy Examination that is used for the Colorado LMFT or their state's equivalent licensing exam.
*** The job placement rate is a three-year average of the data collected from alumni surveys. The rate includes the recent alumni (graduates from the previous year) who said they were employed in a position related to their program.