Counseling, Mental Health Counseling, MEd

Today, the challenges inherent in mental health counseling are more complex than ever. Familiarity with a myriad of medications, health insurance coverage policies and multicultural issues is a must as mental health services are increasingly offered in home and school environments instead of the traditional institutions of past decades.

The Master of Education (MEd) in Mental Health Counseling at Bridgewater State University can help you develop the solid skills and experience needed to become a licensed mental health care counselor in Massachusetts. The program’s relatively low student-to-faculty ratio gives students a close, dynamic working relationship with academic advisors that many other universities cannot offer. We offer graduate students training in a variety of mental health settings: clinics, hospitals, health care centers, educational and governmental institutions with children, adolescents and adults. This program prepares graduates who intend to become Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC) in the state of Massachusetts.

The MEd in Mental Health Counseling offers:

Diverse faculty with extensive teaching and administrative experience in the fields of mental health counseling
Development of critical thinking skills, as well as oral and written communication capabilities
Small classes facilitating a more personalized learning experience
Affordable tuition, whether you live in state or out of state
Provides a comfortable learning environment for older, non-traditional graduate students

We also offer an MEd in Mental Health Counseling-Dual Licensure.

Program Director: Dr. Nikki Freeburg

Mental Health Counseling, MEd:

Invitation to Admissions Interview Day:

If the undergraduate GPA is 3.00 or higher, then a combined GRE score of 281-290 is needed.
If the undergraduate GPA is a 2.80-2.99, then a combined GRE score of 291 or higher is needed.
If the undergraduate GPA is a 2.50-2.79, then a combined GRE score of 292+ is needed.

Candidates Holding a Master’s Degree:

If the master’s degree GPA is a 3.5 or higher, then the GRE requirement is waived.
If the master’s degree GPA is a 3.0-3.49, then a combined GRE score of 297 is needed.

Applicants must also submit:

Complete Online Application and $50 application fee
Resume
Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate coursework
Three appropriate letters of recommendation from professionals or educators outside the BSU department of Counselor Education
Personal Statement - A 500-word personal statement that presents a synthesized, integrated, and self-reflective description of your career goals as they relate to your chosen field of counseling and how they have led you to apply to the specific counseling program at Bridgewater State University.
On campus interview- Final applicants are required to participate in a one-day Admissions Interview Day held at the end of November for Spring Admissions and the end of March for Fall Admissions.
Students who live, work, or attend school more than 200 miles from the Bridgewater State University may be granted an alternative online admissions interview.

Application Deadlines

Fall Semester: February 1
Spring Semester: October 1

Apply Today

Curriculum

Required General Counseling Courses:

CNGC 500 Research and Evaluation

CNGC 520 Group Experience

CNGC 528 Counseling Theories and Techniques

CNGC 529 Multicultural Counseling

CNGC 532 Psychological Assessment

CNGC 538 Group I: Theory and Practice of Group Interaction

CNGC 539 Introduction to Career Counseling

CNGC 563 Psychopharmacology for Non-medical Professionals

Required Mental Health Counseling Courses

CNMH 534 The Professional Counselor: Standards, Ethics, & Legal Issues

CNMH 535 Applied Counseling: Adolescent-Adult

CNMH 536 Applied Counseling: Pre-Adolescent

CNMH 540 Counseling Substance Related and Addictive Disorders

CNMH 564 Theories of Psychological Development

CNMH 568 Psychopathology

CNMH 569 Crisis/Disaster Counseling

Electives
Students are required to take 6 credits of Electives at the 500 level or above

Total minimum credits: 60

Additional Information:

Fieldwork:

CNMH 570 Advanced Applied Counseling: Mental Health Counselor (100 hours)

CNMH 571 Internship: Mental Health Counselor (600 hours)

Culminating Experience:
The culminating experience focuses on students’ ability to integrate counseling and development theory into direct practice. Through the culminating experience, students will demonstrate the counseling competencies that align with current CACREP standards (Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs), as well as standards that align within respective programs of study. Students will have the choice of completing one of the following options:

CNGC 585 Capstone in Counseling - Portfolio
CNGC 586 Capstone in Counseling - Project Paper

Achieve a passing score on the CPCE Exam.

***For the most up-to-date information regarding course descriptions, please visit our University Catalog

Funding Opportunities

The College of Graduate Studies provides various opportunities for graduate students to receive funding while working towards their degrees. Appointments are competitive and are determined by undergraduate and/or graduate grade point averages, pertinent experience, educational preparation and interviews. For information on assistantships, fellowships and conference funding awards, please visit our Graduate Funding Opportunities page.

The MEd program in Mental Health Counseling is eligible for unsubsidized student loans and applicants are encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. For more specific questions, please visit the Financial Aid Office website or contact them directly at finaid@bridgew.edu.

Mission Statement and Program Objectives:

The principle mission of the Department of Counselor education at Bridgewater State University is to prepare high quality master’s level counselors for various settings in Massachusetts and the nation. More specifically, we prepare; quality School Counselors to serve students, families and communities PreK-12 educational settings; Clinical Mental Health Counselors to serve individuals, families and /or groups in community, non-profit, or private agencies; and Student Affairs Counselors to serve as academic advisors, career advisors, residential hall advisors, or likewise in institutes of higher education. Our objectives are to:

Aid students in understanding their professional identity, roles, and relationships on both the micro and macro levels.
Train students to be competent in navigations ethical and legal guidelines, professional obligations, and responsibilities to their future clients and or students;
Develop expertise in the skills of counseling;
Instill a commitment to uphold best practices, as informed by critical consumption of/and current research and literature in the professions of counseling and student affairs across the CACREP core curriculum;
Impart an awareness, appreciation, and affinity to honor diversity and social justice issues in the mental health, school counseling, and student affairs professions.