The online Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) program at University of Western States (UWS) is designed for students who—as licensed counselors— want to diagnose and treat those with mental health disorders. As careers progress, students can become clinical supervisors and mental and behavioral health program administrators.
This clinical counseling degree prepares students for professional licensure exams, opening the doors to various counseling careers such as helping patients with substance abuse, relationships, trauma, family dynamics, and common mental conditions. There is a high demand for mental health employees, with a significant projected job growth through 2032.
What does the online CMHC master’s program cover?
The comprehensive, systems-based approach to the curriculum covers eight core content areas and special courses in trauma, addiction, couples and families, and psychopharmacology. Students will cover professional counseling orientation and ethical practice; social and cultural diversity; human growth and development; career development; counseling and helping relationships; group counseling and group work; assessment and testing; and research and program evaluation.
Is the clinical mental health counseling degree online?
Comprised of 90 quarter credits, this degree is completed 100% online with face-to-face internship requirements within students’ communities. Five terms of clinical field placement (one term of practicum and four of internship) allow students real-life application of their skills with live clients. Faculty assist students in finding these field placements, contract with local supervisors and include university-based supervision. Strong student engagement makes the program feel like a cohort model, but students can request flexibility in their program plan to accommodate work and life responsibilities. Students can complete the master’s as a stand-alone program (90 credits) or as a component of the Ed.D. in sport and performance psychology with clinical mental health counseling specialization (148 credits). Application requirements differ.
Online CMHC Curriculum
The UWS catalog houses the curriculum, course descriptions, curriculum sequence, and other helpful information about the program. View the current catalog.
Program Planner
Find your MS-CMHC planner here.
Accreditation
The Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of Western States is accredited by the Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC) for the period of March, 2025 through March, 2033.
For MPCAC accreditation information, please visit the MPCAC website.
Licensure
This program prepares students to sit for the National Counselor Exam (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam (NCHMCE). Passing the NCE/NCHMCE exams are required for licensure in one’s state. It is the responsibility of the individual student to understand and comply with all state licensure requirements. As state licensing boards do not review programmatic content prior to application for licensure, UWS makes no representations or guarantee that completion of UWS coursework or programs will permit an individual to obtain state licensure. Learn more about licensure by state on our professional licensure disclosure page.
Standardized Patient Program
A feature of this program is the standardized patient component, which provides unique and personalized learning for clinical mental health counseling students. Faculty design specific case studies, which create opportunities for students to apply their knowledge in simulated “real-world” scenarios with specially-trained actors. Students also have the opportunity to design their own case studies to demonstrate conceptualization skills and process understanding.
Faculty and Staff
Meet the esteemed clinical mental health counseling faculty and staff.
Enrollment, Retention, Graduation & Outcome Data
Enrollment, Retention, Graduation & Outcome Data
| Academic Year of Entry | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 | 2022-2023 | 2023-2024 | 2024-2025 |
| Number of Applications* | NA | 125 | 53 | 44 | 57 |
| Number Accepted* | NA | 40 | 31 | 34 | 45 |
| % | NA | 32% | 58.5% | 77.3% | 78.9% |
| Number Matriculated* | 35 | 29 | 19 | 32 | 31 |
| % | NA | 72.5% | 61.3% | 94.1% | 68.9% |
| Retained into 2nd year* | 24 | 20 | 16 | 28 | NA |
| % | 68.6% | 69% | 84.2% | 87.5% | NA |
| Graduated in three years* | 19 | 12 | 2 | NA | NA |
| % | 54.3% | 41.4% | 10.5% | NA | NA |
| Total Graduated* | 22 | 14 | 3 | NA | NA |
| % | 62.9% | 48.3% | 15.8% | NA | NA |
| Still in Progress* | 0 | 0 | 10 | 28 | 29 |
| % | 0% | 0% | 52.6% | 87.5% | 93.5% |
| Admissions Information | |||||
| Mean undergrad GPA* | 3.25 | 3.42 | 3.33 | 3.46 | 3.18 |
| Program Outcomes | |||||
| Obtained state licensure* | 2 | 10 | 3 | NA | NA |
| % | 9.1% | 71.4% | 100% | NA | NA |
| Enrolled in doctoral program | 3 | 3 | NA | NA | NA |
| % | 13.3% | 21.4% | NA | NA | NA |
| Transferred to another UWS program | 5 | 5 | 2 | NA | NA |
| % | 14.3% | 17.2% | 10.5% | NA | NA |
*Note: 2021-22 applications received data is based on a previous strategy for counting applications that over-inflated the rate of actual completed applications. Data from FY23 forward is accurate and reliable.
Specialize with a Doctoral Degree
University of Western States offers a doctor of education (Ed.D.) in sport and performance psychology, with a focus on clinical mental health counseling. This program is an ideal option for candidates who may be interested in earning their clinical mental health counseling master’s and an Ed.D. in sport and performance psychology in one streamlined program. The Ed.D. degree integrates clinical counseling with sport and performance courses and prepares students for careers as sport and performance consultants, clinical counselors, educators, athletic directors and sport program administrators. The degree is also helpful if you are currently working in the field of sport and performance and would like to advance or specialize in your work by obtaining a clinical license or CMPC® (clinical mental performance consultant) certification.
UWS also offers a sport and performance psychology consulting (SPPC) concentration within the Ed.D.-SPP, CMHC specialization. The SPPC concentration curriculum has been designed specifically to allow students to complete mentorship hours in partial fulfillment of the requirements to obtain certification as a Certified Mental Performance Consultant® (CMPC) through the Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP).
Learn more about these these doctoral degree options.
Rehabilitation Counseling Concentration
The Rehabilitation Counseling Concentration can be added to these programs (1) M.S. in CMHC or the (2) Ed.D. in sport and performance psychology, with a specialization in clinical mental health counseling.
Through the concentration, students will learn how to apply rehabilitative counseling theories and policies to assessment and treatment planning. These concentration courses are aligned with the requirements from the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification and will prepare you to sit for the exam.
Is counseling your calling?
In this video, Dr. Amy O’Hana, Program Director for Clinical Mental Health Counseling, encourages you to explore whether counseling is your calling and how the CMHC program can help you achieve your professional goals.
Clinical Mental Health Career Outcomes
The University of Western States prepares you to make an impact in a variety of high-demand careers within the mental health field. Below, you will find possible career options and salaries associated with the online Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree. Clinical Mental Health Counseling students can explore careers within the counseling field, including clinical mental health counseling, substance abuse counseling, family counseling, trauma counseling, and more. This counseling program prepares students to apply for clinical licensure within your state so that they can become practicing professional counselors within two to three years of starting their studies.
Data is pulled by a third-party tool called Lightcast, which includes data from sources including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau, online job postings, and other government databases. The information below represents a regional and national career outlook related to this online clinical counseling degree program*. The University of Western States is dedicated to assisting you in achieving your career goals.
*Many degree programs are intended to fulfill licensure requirements in specific states. The data shown here may not represent the state where you currently reside. For more information on how this program is applicable to the requirements of your state, please speak with your admissions counselor.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics annual data update
CMHC Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the online master’s program, students will be able to:
- Create a professional identity based on the philosophies, history, and roles of the clinical mental health counseling profession.
- Apply ethical and legal standards to clinical mental health counseling practices.
- Develop culturally responsive counseling strategies based on their professional evaluation of the cultural context of relationships, issues, and trends of a multicultural society.
- Apply effective advocacy strategies to enhance clinical mental health services.
- Synthesize theories of human growth and development to create differentiated counseling interventions that promote resilience, optimum development, and wellness across the lifespan.
- Create a career development plan to assess and develop client skills appropriate to their work, relationships, and wellbeing.
- Integrate theories and best practices related to trauma-informed and community-based strategies to appropriately meet the needs of diverse clients.
- Develop culturally responsive treatment and/or intervention plans with measurable outcomes for clients.
- Apply theoretical foundations, group processes, and developmental dynamics, and therapeutic factors to effectively lead group counseling.
- Implement evidence-based assessment techniques appropriate for mental health counseling professionals to diagnose developmental, behavioral, and mental health disorders in diverse clients.
- Assess mental health counseling research to inform clinical practice.
