Southern Arkansas University

Each candidate for the master’s degree in clinical and mental health counseling will be required to complete the 60 semester hours listed below. The Board of Examiners in Counseling accepts only grades of A or B in these courses.

Please click here to see the Clinical and Mental Health Counseling Admissions Criteria.

Counseling Core Courses (57 Hours)

• COUN 6083 – Research and Program Evaluation
• COUN 6133 – Technology Assisted Counseling and Current Trends
• COUN 6403 – Introduction to the Counseling Profession
• COUN 6413 – Ethical, Legal and Professional Issues in Counseling
• COUN 6423 – Counseling Theories
• COUN 6433 – Basic Counseling Skills
• COUN 6443 – Group Counseling
• COUN 6453 – Human Development for Helping Professionals
• COUN 6463 – Career Counseling: Theory and Practice
• COUN 6473 – Counseling in a Diverse Society
• COUN 6483 – Assessment Procedures for Counselors
• COUN 6493 – Practicum in Counseling
• COUN 6503 – Case Management and the DSM
• COUN 6513 – Clinical Mental Health Counseling Internship I
• COUN 6523 – Clinical Mental Health Counseling Internship II
• COUN 6533 – Advanced Counseling Skills
• COUN 6553 – Marriage and Family Counseling: Theory and Practice
• COUN 6573 – Psychopharmacology and the Counseling Profession
• COUN 6583 – Counseling Children and Adolescents
• COUN 6131 – Technology Assisted Counseling and Current Trends

Electives (select 3 hours from the following):

• COUN 6073 – Introduction to Play Therapy
• COUN 6543 – Substance Use Disorders
• COUN 6563 – Human Sexuality: Concepts, Theory and Practice
• COUN 6203 – Special Topics

Program Admissions Criteria

The Clinical and Mental Health Counseling program curriculum is modeled on national licensing standards and meets licensure requirements in the state of Arkansas. Students who complete all required courses and pass the National Counselor Exam (NCE) can apply for licensure in the state of Arkansas. For students seeking licensure in other states, please contact your state’s licensing board for guidance on licensure requirements. Although a background check is not an admissions requirement, students may be required to pass a background check before being eligible for clinical work during Practicum and Internship courses. Licensing boards require graduates to pass a background check before being eligible for professional licensure.

Admission to the School of Graduate Studies does not guarantee acceptance to the Clinical and Mental Health Counseling Program. Students who are seeking entrance into the program must also meet the requirements listed below prior to enrolling in graduate courses.

All required documents must be submitted by the graduate school admission deadlines. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted for program admission review if required official transcripts are not available by the deadline.

Application and Program Admission Document Deadlines

• Fall semester: June 1 (Priority Admissions)
• Late applicants: August 1 (Space Permitting)

Cohort Model

Staring Fall 2026 the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master’s Program at Southern Arkansas University will operate under a cohort enrollment model to support structured learning, professional identity development, and consistent peer collaboration throughout the program.

Beginning with the upcoming admission cycle, students will be admitted only once per year for the Fall semester. All admitted students will enter the program as part of a cohort and will progress through the curriculum together in a sequenced format, including continuous enrollment in Fall, Spring, and Summer courses.

To ensure academic quality, manageable workload expectations, and alignment with program training standards, students will be permitted to enroll in a maximum of two courses per semester. This structure allows students to fully engage in coursework, clinical skill development, and supervised training experiences while maintaining the rigor expected of a graduate counseling program. This cohort model supports the program’s commitment to preparing competent, ethical, and reflective professional counselors while maintaining alignment with national training standards and accreditation.

Required Documents

• Complete and upload the following documents into the admissions portal:
  • Statement of Purpose Writing Sample (prompt below)
  • Three reference letters from former or current supervisors or professors
  • Acknowledgment of Program Requirements (Informed Consent)

Applicants to the program should understand that a 100-hour practicum and two 300-hour semesters of internship (for a total of 700 hours of professional practice and fieldwork) are required.

Statement of Purpose Writing Sample

In two to three pages (not including the title page and any references you cite), address all five of the following prompts. The style should be consistent with the seventh edition of the American Psychological Association Publication Manual.

1. Career Goals: Why do you want to pursue a master’s degree in clinical mental health Counseling at Southern Arkansas University? How does this program align with your career
   goals?
2. Strengths and Weaknesses: Discuss and area of strength you would bring to a counseling role and an area of weakness you struggle with. Include information about your personal qualities which will assist you in forming effective counseling relationships.
3. Time Management and Prioritizing: Keeping up with the pace of graduate school and online courses can be stressful and is often the equivalent of a part-time job. What is your plan for managing your time while in the program (include information about your family and/or social supports)?
4. Response to Feedback: Imagine a situation where you felt a supervisor or instructor treated you unfairly or provided feedback you disagreed with. How would you approach a situation like this?
5. Cultural Sensitivity and responsiveness are essential to counseling relationship. How have you formed relationships with people different from you and how do you plan to navigate cultural differences with future clients?

Transfer Credit Policy

The Master of Science in Clinical and Mental Health Counseling degree program requires completion of 60 credit hours of graduate-level coursework in counseling. This is also a requirement for licensure as a professional counselor in most states.

A maximum of 12 credit hours may be transferred from an institutionally accredited university. These transfer courses must be equivalent to courses already required in the program. All transfer credits must be approved by the program director, the college dean, and the registrar. Decisions about transfer credits will be made after a student has been admitted to the program.

First Semester Review

During their first semester in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) program, all students will be classified as “pre-admitted” (PCMHC) students. All PCMHC students must enroll in COUN 6403 or COUN 6413 during their first semester in the program. Students will be required to earn grades of B or better in both courses to gain full admission to the CMHC program. PCMHC students transferring from another university or graduate program at SAU must still undergo the complete program application and first semester review process. If a PCMHC transfer student has already completed COUN 6403 and/or COUN 6413 as part of another graduate program, they should work with their CMHC advisor to determine appropriate alternate course(s) to take during their first semester in the CMHC program.

After final grades are submitted at the end of their first semester, CMHC faculty will formally review each PCMHC student’s academic performance and professional disposition to determine that student’s post-review admission status. All PCMHC students will then receive an email detailing their post-review admission status.

Post-Review Admissions Statuses

Based on the results of the first semester review, PCMHC students will be assigned one of the following admissions statuses:

• Fully Admitted
• Conditionally Admitted
• Not Admitted

The details of each of these admissions statuses are outlined below.

Fully Admitted
If no academic and/or dispositional conditions are identified in the first semester review, PCMHC students will be considered “fully admitted” to the CMHC program. Fully admitted students may proceed in their program of study without restrictions.

Conditionally Admitted
If any academic and/or dispositional conditions are identified in the first semester review, PCMHC students will be considered “conditionally admitted” to the CMHC program.

Students will receive a detailed written remediation plan and will have ONE additional semester to satisfy all outlined remediation conditions.

Remediation conditions may include (not an exhaustive list):

• Writing essays
• Volunteer work
• Attending a writing lab
• Setting up check-in meetings with advisor
• Participating in class, especially with group activities
• Being encouraged to seek personal counseling at the applicant’s expense

Conditionally admitted students will not be allowed to take more than six hours of coursework. At the end of their second semester, conditionally admitted students will undergo an additional post- semester review process. If it is determined that a conditionally admitted student has satisfied all outlined remediation conditions, their admission status will be changed to “fully admitted” (as detailed above). If the conditionally admitted student fails to satisfy all conditions, the admissions status will be changed to “not admitted” (as detailed below).

Not Admitted
Students assigned this status will be considered “not admitted” to the CMHC program and will not be permitted to take any additional coursework in the program. These students will be referred to the School of Graduate Studies and Career Services for assistance in finding a more suitable academic program of study.

Admission Status Appeals

There is no appeal process for the assignment of the “conditionally admitted” status.

If a student would like to appeal the admission status decision of “not admitted,” a written appeal must be submitted to the dean of the College of Education and Human Performance within two weeks (i.e., 10 business days) following the written communication of the admission decision to the student. Appeals submitted after this deadline will not be considered. The decision made by the dean of the college is the final decision.