The master's degree in Mental Health Counseling offered through the College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Montana is a 60 credit program of study. This rigorous program provides students with the coursework necessary for becoming licensed professional counselors in the state of Montana. Consistent with CACREP national standards, the program requires that students obtain at least 1,000 hours of supervised counseling experience within an appropriate mental health agency setting. Although some highly motivated students complete the program in 2 years, students more typically take about 2 ½ to 3 years to complete all course requirements and clinical experiences. If you're interested in providing mental health counseling to children or adults, we hope you'll consider enrolling in this demanding but gratifying program.
The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), has granted accreditation to the following programs in the Department of Counselor Education at the University of Montana College of Education and Human Sciences: Mental Health Counseling (M.A.) and School Counseling (M.A.).
The deadline for admission into the master's degree programs is February 1st. Complete applications must be postmarked by this date. These include a letter of intent, a current resume, three letters of recommendation, official GRE scores and official transcripts from all higher education institutions of previous study, even if the applicant did not earn a degree at that institution.
Graduate student applicants may apply online at http://life.umt.edu/grad/name/applyadmission. Contact the Graduate School (406-243-2572) with further questions. Remember, the deadline for yearly applications is February 1st. If admitted, students may begin their graduate program in either Summer Session or Fall Semester. Most students begin in the Fall.
English requirements
Applicants whose native language is not English must submit TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), IELTS (International English Language Testing System) or MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery) scores. If the TOEFL score is below 580 (paper-based test), 237 (computer-based test) or 92 (internet-based test), the IELTS score is below 7.0 or the MELAB score is below 82, applicants may be admitted provisionally into a graduate program or as a graduate nondegree student and be required to complete English as a Second Language course(s) before they can take courses in their major.
Applicants who are graduates of English-speaking universities are not required to take the TOEFL, IELTS or MELAB; however, applicants must submit scores for the graduate administration test required by the program (i.e. GRE/GMAT). In some programs the TOEFL, IELTS or MELAB scores may substitute for GRE scores (check with the department).
