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Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Students must pick between two available tracks:

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There is no doubt that stress, burnout, anxiety, depression, and other mental-health-related issues are on the rise. Our society needs skilled Christian counseling professionals to provide a source of healing and restoration to a hurting world. At Indiana Wesleyan University, students are trained to provide mental health services as highly competent counselors who constantly strive to facilitate change in the lives of the people whom they serve.

The 60-credit hour Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is a licensure track that prepares students to assess and treat individuals, groups, families, and organizations within their ecological context. With a master’s in mental health counseling, students can progress beyond an undergraduate degree and learn to consider the dimensions of wellness and mental health as well as pathology as they develop and implement effective treatment strategies. Faith, learning, and professional practice are interwoven throughout the curriculum of study.

Why Pursue My Master’s in Mental Health Counseling Online at IWU?

It is the mission of the MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program to provide a Christ-centered academic community that facilitates the professional and personal development of students to become competent providers of exceptional clinical mental health services to individuals and their related systems within relevant ecological contexts. Our Christian faculty teach from the same biblical worldview valued on our campus, so that students can implement these principles in a fulfilling career.

Clinical experience is the centerpiece of IWU’s master’s in mental health counseling. Skill-building under the careful supervision of experienced faculty begins in the first semester of study, continues into on-site practicums, and culminates with community-based internships. Live supervision and the digital recording of sessions enable clinical training to be tailored to address the specific needs and strengths of the counseling trainee. The division is home to the Graduate Counseling Clinics, state-of-the-art facilities that offer counseling services to the Marion and Indianapolis communities. By serving in these clinics, students are guaranteed to deliver a level of service that is in alignment with diverse populations presenting issues typical of community and university service delivery systems.

What Will I Learn in a Master’s in Mental Health Counseling Program?

When you earn your MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at IWU, you’ll develop and be able to articulate a clear understanding of CMHC professional identity. That means delivering mental health services with multicultural competence, integrating an understanding of normal developmental concepts and processes, and being able to conceptualize the relationship between work, personal relational well-being, and other life roles. Prepare to demonstrate essential counseling skills with competence, including an ability facilitate group therapy sessions, display counseling appraisal skills with validity and reliability, and apply relevant research findings from professional literature to inform developmental of treatment plans and intervention strategies. With our Christ-centered approach, you’ll learn to integrate faith- and spirituality-based principles and strategies in case conceptualizations and interventions when diagnosing mental disorders using accepted diagnostic systems (e.g., DSM, ICD) and applying CMHC paradigm in case conceptualizations (i.e., remediation of pathology and promotion of well-being in clients and their related ecological contexts).

Graduate Counseling at IWU

Your Master of Arts in Graduate Counseling may be closer than you think! Learn more about the Graduate Counseling programs at Indiana Wesleyan, and the incredible faculty team dedicated to making helping you take the next steps in your counseling career!

What Makes IWU Different?

Education Pioneer

IWU has provided on-campus education for more than 100 years.

Rooted in Christ

Faith-integrated curriculum and a commitment to changing the world.

Superior Support

Center for Student Success for counseling, tutoring, and more!

Distinguished Faculty

Dr. Robert Atchison Headshot

Dr. Robert Atchison

Associate Professor; Chair, Division of Graduate Counseling

Professor Atchison is a graduate of the Indiana Wesleyan University Graduate Counseling program. He began his track as a youth minister but transitioned into the world of counseling as part of his Calling.

Meet Dr. Atchison

Tuition & Aid

60 Credit Hours

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$602/ Credit Hour

Financial aid is available in the form of grants, loans, scholarships, veterans’ benefits, and employer reimbursement.

Financial Aid Tuition & Fees Info

Applicable fees for resources and services will be assessed throughout the program. Tuition and fees for prerequisites and required elective courses are in addition to the charges shown on the program cost sheet. Your tuition rate will remain the same as long as you remain continuously enrolled in the same program. The estimated cost of attendance is available on the financial aid webpage. Cost sheets may be requested from an enrollment counselor by calling 866.498.4968 or emailing iwuenroll@indwes.edu.
What You'll Study

These courses contain the program-specific knowledge. Upon completion, you should have the tools to conquer your new career with confidence.

  • CNS-501 | Human Growth and Development | 3 Hours
  • CNS-502 | Multicultural Counseling | 3 Hours
  • CNS-503 | Theory and Techniques in the Helping Relationship | 3 Hours
  • CNS-504 | Theory and Techniques in Group Counseling | 3 Hours
  • CNS-505 | Theory and Techniques in Career Counseling | 3 Hours
  • CNS-506 | Appraisal of Individuals and Families | 3 Hours
  • CNS-507 | Research and Evaluation of Methods and Practice | 3 Hours
  • CNS-508 | Legal, Ethical and Professional Issues | 3 Hours
  • CNS-509 | Integration of Christian Faith in Professional Counseling | 3 Hours
  • CNS-522 | Foundations in Clinical Mental Health Counseling | 3 Hours
  • CNS-523 | Assessment and Intervention in Clinical Mental Health | 3 Hours
  • CNS-524 | Ecological Counseling and Prevention | 3 Hours
  • CNS-511 | Issues in Addiction Recovery | 3 Hours
  • CNS-533 | Psychopathology | 3 Hours
  • CNS-550 | Supervised Practicum | 3 Hours
  • CNS-551 | Supervised Internship | 3 Hours
  • CNS-552 | Supervised Internship | 3 Hours

* Requires nine (9) credit hours of electives.

View Courses

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After Graduation
Potential Careers

  • Clinical Mental Health Counselor
  • Marriage and Family Therapist
  • Community Care Counselor


Work in Various Industries

  • Industry

Program Requirements
  • A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, or an institution accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education. 
  • An undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale from the baccalaureate degree-granting institution at which at least 30 hours was completed. 
  • Six semester hours in undergraduate psychology of which three semester hours must be in Abnormal Psychology. 
  • Six semester hours in Bible (Old and New Testament) or passage of the Bible exam administered by the Division of Counseling. Students who lack prerequisite undergraduate coursework may be admitted on a conditional basis. All prerequisites must be completed within the first twelve hours of coursework. 
  • The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is required for those applicants with undergraduate cumulative GPAs of less than 3.25. The test must have been taken within five years of application to the program. A typewritten autobiography, philosophy of counseling, and supplemental application. Verbal (V) score of at least 146/400 (new/old scoring) is required. Successful graduate coursework may be substituted for the GRE. 
  • An official transcript from each undergraduate and graduate institution attended. 
  • A criminal background check. 
  • Three recommendations – at least one from a professor and one from a supervisor/professional. 
  • Applicants whose application documents demonstrate potential for success in the Graduate Program in Counseling will be invited to participate in a personal interview. All students are required to complete the CNS 500 New Student Orientation course online when they are admitted into the program. 

NOTE: The graduate admissions committee retains the right to waive an admission requirement for special circumstances. Successful graduate coursework may be substituted for the GRE.

Transfer of Credits in Graduate Counseling

Up to 35% of a program's required credit hours may be transferred from an accredited institution into a graduate-level counseling program at Indiana Wesleyan University.

  1. Successful completion of the required core curriculum, specialization courses, and electives with a minimum grade of "C" in each course and a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0.
  2. All degree requirements must be completed within six years of enrollment.
  3. Payment of all tuition and fees.

SPECIAL NOTE

  1. State regulations may prohibit licensure for individuals who have ever been convicted of a crime of violence or of any crime that has a direct bearing on the ability to practice competently.
  2. The applicant is responsible to check the licensing requirements with his or her state licensing agency prior to beginning the program.
  3. International students must know the laws and regulations where they reside for potential practicum and internship placement as well as for licensing after graduation.
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Accreditation

Indiana Wesleyan University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC), www.hlcommission.org, 312-263-0456. Other accreditations and associations of Indiana Wesleyan University are available at www.indwes.edu/about/iwu-profile/accreditation.

Take the Next Step

Discover the way forward in your personal and professional life. Earn your MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling online at IWU!


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