The following is required for successful completion of the program:
1) Satisfactory completion of courses printed below;
2) A minimum of 51 graduate semester hours earned at The College of New Jersey
3) A minimum total of 60 graduate semester hours
4) A cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.0
5) Completion of all departmental requirements/prerequisites
6) A grade of B or better in CMHC 501, 670, 675, 690, and 694/695. Students who receive a grade below B in these courses or their prerequisites may retake the course(s) once, with departmental approval, to improve their grade and continue in the program. Failure to obtain a B or better in the second attempt will result in automatic termination. No student who has received a grade of B- or lower in a prerequisite course(s) will be permitted to enroll in CMHC 670, 675, 690 or 694/695.
7) A student receiving an “F” grade in any course will automatically be denied continuance in the Online Department of Counselor Education program.
The MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling consists of 60 credits:
Each course is three graduate semester hours (i.e., credits). These required courses meet the academic requirements.
Required Courses
CMHC 501Introduction to Counseling (3 credits)
CMHC 515 Statistics and Research in Counseling (3 credits)
CMHC 520 Fundamentals of Human Development (3 credits)
CMHC 643 Measurement and Evaluation (3 credits)
CMHC 530 Multicultural Counseling (3 credits)
CMHC 535 Career Counseling and Placement (3 credits)
CMHC 545 Community Agency Counseling (3 credits)
CMHC 551 Substance Use and Addiction: Individual, Family & Society (3 credits)
CMHC 555 Psychopathology and Psychopharmacology (3 credits)
CMHC 565 Case Conceptualization and Treatment Planning (3 credits)
CMHC 575 Trauma and Crisis Counseling (3 credits)
CMHC 600 Relational Counseling (3 credits)
CMHC 605 Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues in Counseling (3 credits)
CMHC 670 Counseling Theory and Techniques (3 credits)
CMHC 675 Group counseling (3 credits)
CMHC 690 Practicum Seminar requires 100 clinical hours. (3 credits)
CMHC 694 Internship (300 clinical hours)* (3 credits)
CMHC 695 Internship (300 clinical hours)* (3 credits)
General Clinical Practice Electives
Six credits will be in general clinical practice electives. Students can choose these electives to specialize in their areas of clinical interest.
Addiction Certificate Program Electives
Students who wish to complete the addiction certificate program as part of their MA in counseling degree are required to take the following two courses as electives.
CMHC 553 Treating Co-Occurring Disorders
You have the option to select one of the two courses listed below.
CMHC 552 Prevention Strategies in Schools and Communities or CMHC 565 Mindfulness and Wellness in Counseling
400 hours of the total 700 hours of clinical work for the practicum/internship experiences must be specifically related to addiction counseling; of the 40 hours of direct contact hours for the practicum, at least 20 hours must be in addiction counseling; of the 600 hours for the internship, at least 300 hours must be in addiction counseling.
Comprehensive Examination
All graduate students are required to pass a comprehensive examination as a mandatory condition for graduation from the program.
CMHC 700 Comprehensive Examination
Potential Elective Offerings
CMHC 552 Prevention Strategies in Schools and Communities
CMHC 565 Mindfulness and Wellness in Counseling
CMHC 597 Special Topics in Counseling (Variable Offerings Based on Need)
CMHC 661 Counseling Children and Adolescents