Master of Arts in Counseling - Clinical Mental Health Counseling (On Campus or Online)
Department: Counseling
Accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
The Master of Arts in Counseling program is designed to prepare students for positions as counselors in a variety of settings. The counselor education and supervision faculty believe that the work of the professional counselor is to promote the positive growth and development of the clients with whom the counselor interacts.
The counseling model for preparing counselors recognizes the profound interactive effect of people and human systems. We believe there is a need for social science translators—people who are in touch with the best in theory and research—who can translate this knowledge into effective programs and who can evaluate these programs. Because we believe that counselors should experience personal growth and development as persons and as professionals, all courses are designed to provide both cognitive and experiential learning.
The program utilizes a Screening Process and Retention Policy to assist in determining the suitability of an individual for a career in counseling as well as monitoring progress through the program. A detailed description of the Screening Process and Retention Policy is available in the Counseling Handbook. Continuance in the program is reviewed when a student fails to demonstrate appropriate professional behaviors, or when other circumstances occur which would make a counseling degree candidate ineligible to be certified or licensed as a professional counselor.
Specialties should be consistent with and support activities in the student’s proposed internship placement. Other areas unique to a student’s interests may be designed in consultation with members of the department.
The program prepares the students for the exam for certification as a National Certified Counselor. It also prepares students who are Illinois residents for Illinois Professional Educator License as a Professional School Counselor. The counseling concentrations are CACREP accredited as Professional School Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling. The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) has authorized online delivery of these counseling concentrations' academic curricula. In addition, courses of continuing professional education are offered to practicing counselors who wish to increase competencies to meet emerging needs of the profession.
The Master of Arts in Counseling with academic concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counseling requires completion of 60 semester hours of graduate work. This graduate program is designed to meet the certification requirements in Clinical Mental Health Counseling toward licensure in the state of Illinois, as well as the competency standards for this professional track as determined by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. In 2015, the Higher Learning Commission authorized the online delivery of this accredited counseling curriculum.
Bradley University's counseling program courses are offered via campus-based and online pedagogies. The online delivery offers the equivalent academic curriculum offered to campus-based students. Bradley University is a regionally accredited institution of higher education in the U.S.
CACREP-accredited master's counseling program requires a minimum of two in-person, synchronous residencies, effective for students admitted to the program on or after July 1, 2026. These residencies are mandatory for all students, regardless of the program's delivery method, to assess counseling skills and professional dispositions.
Both campus-based and online students graduating from Bradley University's Master of Arts in Counseling program will receive the same academic degree and transcripts. Both campus-based and online students who demonstrate successful academic and professional development will be eligible to sit for the National Counselor Examination during their final year of study. Online counseling students must check the specific requirements for the practice of counseling in the state where they reside or where they intend to practice, as well as any applicable reciprocity rules.