Mission Statement
The fundamental mission of the Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling specialty is to educate and train counselors who will promote the optimal functioning of individuals, families, groups, and communities. Built upon a foundation of knowledge, skills, and dispositions within a community-minded and social justice framework, program graduates will be able to translate research-validated practices into effective strategies for individuals, groups, and families from all backgrounds. The course of study will support the acquisition of competency-based knowledge while fostering professional and personal growth through self-reflection and constructive feedback.
Watch an Info Session Here
Recording of Info Session from April 2024
About the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master's Program
Clinical mental health counselors facilitate the growth and development of individuals, families, and groups through the helping relationship. They practice in a range of settings, including outpatient, inpatient, and community mental health agencies, individual and group private practice settings, and other contexts where counseling and mental health services are provided. CMHC is a distinct licensure specialty from other helping professions such as psychology, social work, psychiatry, and psychiatric nursing. Like other mental health professions, a variety of issues may be addressed through professional counseling, and the University of Utah CMHC program emphasizes the use of culturally-relevant, empirically supported, and strength-based approaches in addressing these issues.
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling Specialty is designed to prepare students for entry level counseling positions in community mental health and human service agencies. This specialty is currently designed to meet the educational requirements for licensure as a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) in the state of Utah, and is congruent with national standards for master's level licensure in most other jurisdictions across the country. Accordingly, the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Specialty requires a minimum of 60 credit hours, typically over three years, with the final year culminating in a 1000-hour field-based internship.
The faculty is committed to offering a manageable program of study, with course offerings
that accommodate those balancing life demands. Consequently, many required courses
meet once per week in the early evening, in person, on the University of Utah campus.
Moreover, we are dedicated to providing close, individualized
attention to our students, selecting only 12-15 students per year. Because we limit
our numbers, students regularly provide feedback that they are well-known among the
faculty, receive close supervision, and appreciate the small class sizes. Students
also comment on both the non-competitive, collegial atmosphere among their class peers
and the close connections they are able to develop because of the smaller cohort size.
Students admitted to the Clinical Mental Health Counseling specialty have completed at least a bachelor's degree and have relevant experience and/or education in psychology. Please consult Information for Applicants for specific details on requirements for applying to the program. Please also consult the Program Handbook, which is revised annually for our incoming students, providing details regarding the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program's objectives, curriculum, and internship requirements.
| M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling | 2023-2024 |
|---|---|
| Number of applicants | 156 |
| Number of acceptances | 14 |
| % Accepted | 8.97% |
| Number of enrollees | 12 |
| % Enrolled | 86% |
| Number of total students | 35 |
| Graduates (May 2023) | 11 |
| Number of faculty | 8 |
| Faculty to student ratio | 1:4.4 |
| Courses taught by Adjuncts | 16.7% |
| Outcome | |
| Licensed (Graduated between 2019 – 2023) | 100% |
Accreditation
The M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is accredited by the Master’s in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC) for the period of June, 2018 through June, 2028.
Our CMHC graduates are eligible to take the UT licensing exam for the Utah Licensed Associate CMHC (ACMHC). Eligibility to apply for the CMHC License occurs after accruing 3,000 hours of supervised clinical hours as an ACMHC.
See https://dopl.utah.gov/clinical-mental-health-counseling/ for more details on the licensure process. If you are planning to practice outside of Utah, please visit the specific state’s licensing department to learn more about requirements for licensure.
Interested in partnering with the CMHC program by being an internship site?
In the third and final year of the program, our CMHC students spend 2-3 semesters at a community-based internship site. If your organization is interested in a partnership the first step is to attend an information session. We have an application process where applications are then reviewed by the Counseling and Counseling Psychology Staff. Organizations that are a good fit for our students and program are then invited to an Internship Fair each Fall where they can begin interviewing students. If you are interested in more information and to register for the next information session, please email: ed-clinicalcounseling@lists.utah.edu with your request.
First Year Cohort
Second Year Cohort
Third Year Cohort
Fourth Year Cohort
St George 1st Year Cohort
St George 2nd Year Cohort
Need More Info?
Attend an information session to learn more about our M.Ed. Programs in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) and School Counseling (Salt Lake City or St. George Programs).
- Program Mission/Objectives
- Coursework/Training
- Costs/Tuition
- Financial Aid
- How to Apply
Monthly Virtual Clinical Mental Health Counseling Information Sessions are scheduled for the following dates:
Topic: Q&A CMHC Program
Time: Jan 21, 2025 03:00 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting: https://utah-health.zoom.us/j/96009385609
Meeting ID: 960 0938 5609
Time: Feb 20, 2025 07:00 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting: https://utah-health.zoom.us/j/94616738600
Meeting ID: 946 1673 8600
Time: Mar 25, 2025 01:00 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting: https://utah-health.zoom.us/j/94646312991
Meeting ID: 946 4631 2991
Time: Apr 17, 2025 07:00 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting: https://utah-health.zoom.us/j/91232647850
Meeting ID: 912 3264 7850
Time: May 1, 2025 07:00 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting: https://utah-health.zoom.us/j/93317238782
Meeting ID: 933 1723 8782
Please contact ed-clinicalcounseling@lists.utah.edu for more information or questions.
For questions, call: 801-581-7148