Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program

Combine the richness of the Catholic faith with evidence-based, effective therapy practices through the Master of Arts degree program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio. This 60-credit graduate program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Of the Franciscan students who took the National Counselor Examination, required by most states for independent licensing, 100 percent passed in the last three years. This hands-on counseling degree features internships and a practicum so you’re prepared for a wide range of counseling jobs in a variety of settings or to pursue your PhD after graduation.

For more information about meeting the educational requirements for licensure in states other than Ohio please see the professional licensure disclosures.

Committed to Catholic and human values

On the Ohio campus, you’ll learn from full-time Franciscan University faculty with 100 years of combined experience. These expert scholars actively work within the profession so that you gain awareness of current clinical practices. They are committed to Catholic and human values, the most foundational of which is the dignity and worth of the human person. Read more about the program’s commitment to a Catholic, philosophical approach to teaching and learning clinical mental health counseling.

Here are just a few ways Franciscan’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling master’s degree program stands out from the rest:

• Accessible and affordable master’s degree: Franciscan University works with you to ensure your graduate program in mental health counseling is as affordable as possible.
• Flexible format: While the majority of the course work must be done on campus, Franciscan does offer day and evening courses and some hybrid course delivery. Most students complete this program in two years.
• Hands-on experiences: Through internships and practicums, you’ll provide therapy to individuals, families, and groups. Most of these hands-on experiences allow you to have your own caseload, meeting with and providing therapy for your own clients.
• Inspiring alumni: When you graduate you’ll join a network of impressive alumni of counseling graduates who hold a range of job titles in a variety of settings.

With your clinical mental health counseling master’s degree from Franciscan University in Ohio, you’ll be well positioned for a variety of counseling jobs and employment settings, including community mental health agencies and substance abuse treatment facilities. One hundred percent of our graduates find employment within 6 months of graduation. Some of our students also continue on to receive their PhDs after graduation.

Graduate Programs for Clinical Mental Health Counseling Graduates

• PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision
• PhD in Pastoral Care and Counseling

Potential Job Titles for Clinical Mental Health Counseling Graduates

• Addictions Counselor
• Clinical Mental Health Counselor
• Clinical Supervisor
• Adjunct Professor
• Therapist

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program aligns itself with the mission of Franciscan University of Steubenville by training students to embody Franciscan values and charisms as helping professionals. In particular, the CMHC Program’s mission is to educate professional counselors who can be instruments of healing for those in need of mental, emotional, relational, and spiritual renewal. The Program is grounded in a philosophical anthropology informed by a Catholic understanding of the human person. With a commitment to Christian and human values, the most important of which is a value on the dignity and worth of the person, and with a dedication to training professional counselors in contemporary practices informed by research, the program aims to:

• help students reflect on how a well-formed vision of the human person affects clinical counseling practices
• provide a strong background of experiential training in clinical mental health counseling skills required of entry-level practitioners
• advance students’ comprehension of counseling theories, models, and treatment methods
• develop research and testing skills needed by mental health counselors
• foster multicultural competence
• develop in students ethical decision-making skills
• promote an understanding of the physical, intellectual, social, emotional, and spiritual aspects of human development and behavior needed to competently facilitate human growth

Graduates from this program will receive the academic and experiential foundations that will enable them to specialize in a variety of counselor roles, such as community mental health counselors, pastoral counselors, drug and alcohol counselors, college counselors, and relationship counselors. The program has the goal of providing educational foundations that enable its graduates to enter professionally satisfying careers, serve others to the best of their abilities, and develop a capacity for intellectual, professional, and personal growth.

Program Motto:

“Be the person God created you to be and you will set the world on fire.”

— St. Catherine of Siena

Program Prayer:

The Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where this is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console,

To be understood as to understand,

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

In pardoning that we are pardoned;

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

The CMHC Program offers students an opportunity to pursue specialized areas of study while in the program. Each concentration includes one required course and two electives. Students can complete two concentrations within the 60 credit hour program:

• Christian Counseling Concentration: 9 credits of coursework, including Psychological and Spiritual Integration; Human Sexuality and Christian Marriage and Family; and Pastoral Counseling
• Crisis and Trauma Counseling Concentration: 9 credits of coursework, including Introduction to Addictions Counseling; Crisis and Trauma Counseling; and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

How to Apply for Admissions

Applying for admission to the Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) program is simple, and we are ready to help you navigate the process. Here are the things we need:

• Application
• Official Bachelor Transcript and Official Transcripts with Relevant Transfer Credit
  • Please note: if your college GPA was below a 3.0, you will be required to take the GRE. If your college GPA was a 3.0 or above, the GRE requirement will be waived by your admissions counselor upon completion of your application.
• Three Letters of Recommendation, using this form
• Resume

Email them to [email protected]

Or mail them to:

Graduate Admissions
1235 University Blvd.
Steubenville, Ohio 43952

Associated Costs

The costs associated with Clinical Mental Health Counseling program include:

• $750 per credit hour (for the 24-2025 academic year)

Contact Us

If you have any questions, need help, or would like to request a syllabi, please contact Graduate Admissions at [email protected] or (740) 283-6226 ext. 1

View the CMHC Program in the Graduate Catalog.

Program Objectives

The Program objectives are to help suitable and committed individuals:

1. Describe human nature based on a Christian philosophical perspective, thus reflecting a holistic, developmental, relational and valuing perspective on the person.
2. Demonstrate comprehension of a professional counseling identity, which involves knowledge of an array of treatment models and relevant ethical obligations, as well as commitment to self-care and ongoing professional development
3. Apply educational, advocacy, consultative, preventive and interventive strategies to fostering mental health and wellness at individual and larger-system levels.
4. Apply diversity awareness in response to client needs at individual and larger-system levels.
5. Use appropriate, culturally–informed assessment strategies at all relevant dimensions of the treatment process.
6. Analyze relevant research findings for program-evaluation, as well as for the selection, evaluation and enhancement of treatment strategies.
7. Apply current diagnostic principles, informed by a comprehension of the impact of multicultural variables, co-occurring disorders, and crisis/trauma, during the diagnostic process.

View the CMHC Program’s Vital Statistics Report: CACREP-Vital-Statistics-Report-2023-24-1.pdf

The Franciscan University Clinical Mental Health Program’s FUS CMHC Comprehensive Assessment Report 2023-2024 is now available.