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A counseling student reviewing the Counselor Education and Supervision master's handbook during orientation.

Clinical Mental Health Counseling - M.Ed.

Make a difference in mental health with the Clinical Mental Health Counseling M.Ed. program. Learn to provide compassionate and effective counseling to those in need, with practical experience and dedicated faculty to support your growth. .

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NOTE: The university must process your application prior to the program receiving it. Please allow for ample time for processing of your application prior to the deadline. Delays in the program receiving materials may result in delayed interviews and term starts.

The CES program will contact applicants who are invited to interview for the program in early September. In person interviews will be held on 9/11/2026 by invitation only.

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M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Kent State University’s M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling provides targeted education in advanced clinical counseling theory, diagnosis and treatment planning for a wide range of populations. This program offers career benefits for students looking to qualify for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor and to work in community mental health centers, substance-abuse agencies or private counseling practices.

Program Information for Clinical Mental Health Counseling - M.Ed.

Program Description

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Full Description

The Master of Education degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling prepares students for employment as counselors in community-based human service agencies (e.g., substance abuse facilities, mental health centers, child and family service agencies) and private counseling facilities.

This program is designed to fulfill the educational requirements for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Ohio. The program may be pursued on a part-time or full-time basis, although some full-time study is encouraged.

Professional Licensure Disclosure

This program is designed to prepare students to sit for applicable licensure or certification in Ohio. If you plan to pursue licensure or certification in a state other than Ohio, please review state educational requirements for licensure or certification and contact information for state licensing boards at Kent State's website for professional licensure disclosure.

Admissions for Clinical Mental Health Counseling - M.Ed.

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
  • Minimum 3.000 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale
  • Official transcript(s)
  • Goal statement
  • Questions in Anticipation of Licensure form
  • Supplemental Interview form
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • Interview
  • English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:1
    • Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
    • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
    • Minimum 58 PTE score
    • Minimum 110 DET score
1

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores will not be considered for admission.

Application Deadlines

  • Fall Semester
    • Application deadline: February 1
      All application materials (including applicable fee, transcripts, recommendation letters, etc.) submitted after this deadline will be considered on a space-available basis.
  • Spring Semester
    • Application deadline: September 1
      All application materials (including applicable fee, transcripts, recommendation letters, etc.) submitted after this deadline will be considered on a space-available basis.

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Effectively work with clients from a multicultural and pluralistic society.
  2. Demonstrate knowledge in assessment, group work, career development, helping relationships human growth and development, social and cultural diversity, research and program evaluation and professional orientation and ethical practice.
  3. Meet the academic components required by the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board to be eligible to sit for the current licensure assessments.
  4. Understand legal and ethical standards and practice in a legal and ethical manner.
  5. Understand and demonstrate multicultural responsiveness.
  6. Demonstrate a strong counselor identity.
  7. Demonstrate strong clinical skills in case conceptualization, diagnosis and treatment planning.
  8. Understand and demonstrate sound counseling skills and techniques within a theoretical framework in both individual and group counseling.
  9. Understand the importance of research in advancing the counseling profession, including how to critique research to inform counseling practice.
  10. Effectively work with crisis, trauma, suicide and at-risk clients.

Coursework

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Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements (min B-/S grade in all courses)
CES 65511RESEARCH IN COUNSELING 3
CES 67492PRACTICUM I: CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING 13
CES 67530COUNSELING THEORIES 3
CES 67531COUNSELING SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES 3
CES 67580MULTICULTURAL COUNSELING 3
CES 67592PRACTICUM II: CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING 13
CES 67628DIAGNOSIS IN COUNSELING 3
CES 67662FOUNDATIONS OF ADDICTIONS COUNSELING 3
CES 67663ORIENTATION AND ETHICS: CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING 3
CES 67669TRAUMA, CRISIS AND GRIEF COUNSELING 3
CES 67820GROUP WORK: THEORY AND TECHNIQUES 3
CES 68126INTRODUCTION TO ASSESSMENT IN COUNSELING 3
CES 68167CASE CONCEPTUALIZATION AND TREATMENT PLANNING 3
CES 68182CAREER COUNSELING 3
EPSY 65523LIFE SPAN DEVELOPMENT 3
Advisor-Approved Electives, choose from the following:9
CES 67664
THEORIES AND PRACTICES IN ADDICTIONS COUNSELING
CES 67668
MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING
CES 68066
COUNSELING ADOLESCENTS
CES 68067
COUNSELING CHILDREN
CES 68168
ADVANCED COUNSELING THEORIES
CES 68529
COUPLES THERAPY:THEORY AND TECHNIQUES
CES 68533
FAMILY THERAPY: THEORY AND TECHNIQUES
CES 68538
ADVANCED MULTICULTURAL COUNSELING
Culminating Requirement
CES 67792INTERNSHIP I: CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING 13
CES 67892INTERNSHIP II: CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING 13
Minimum Total Credit Hours:60
1

State and Federal background checks are required for internship experiences and to apply for Counselor Trainee status. See the practicum and internship coordinator for more information.

Progression Requirements
  • Students who earn a C+ grade or lower in any course for the degree must repeat the course for a better grade.
  • All prerequisites for courses must be completed with a minimum B- grade.

Professional Expectations

The M.Ed. degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is a professional graduate training program wherein students encounter vulnerable client populations. Accordingly, in addition to monitoring students' coursework performance in terms of academic grades, the faculty also review students' professional deportment throughout the duration of the program. This review is guided by the ethical principles and professional standards of the American Counseling Association (ACA), the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) and relevant specialized counseling associations (e.g., National Board for Certified Counselors).

Professional functioning is evaluated across multiple domains that reflect these ethical frameworks. These include (but are not limited to):

  • Personal and interpersonal functioning and development
  • Commitment to the profession
  • Ethics and integrity
  • Sensitivity to client issues
  • Openness to feedback
  • Use of supervision

Some students may not be able to continue in or complete the program should the program faculty determine that, despite acceptable grades, the students cannot consistently align with the professional expectations of the program.

Graduation Requirements
  • Minimum B- (or Satisfactory) grade in all courses.
  • Minimum 60 credit hours, including a 600 clock-hour internship.
  • No more than one-half of a graduate student’s coursework may be taken in 50000-level courses.

Licensure Information

Candidates seeking Ohio license are required to pass specific assessments in order to apply for licensure. Students should consult their advisors for specific program requirements and refer to the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapy Board website for more information on assessments specific to licensure type.

Program Delivery

  • Delivery:
    • In person
  • Location:
    • Kent Campus

Accreditation for Clinical Mental Health Counseling - M.Ed.

Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)

Examples of Possible Jobs and Salaries for Clinical Mental Health Counseling - M.Ed.

Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors

16.8%

much faster than the average

483,500

number of jobs

$59,190

potential earnings

Notice: Career Information Source
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.
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