M.S. in Counseling: What It Is and How It Can Advance Your Career
A Master of Science (M.S.) in Counseling degree is typically a 2-year program, which can lead to a career as a professional counselor. This type of counselor can work with individuals, groups, and families in a variety of settings, e.g., schools, private practice, community mental health centers, and hospitals. Many universities offer this graduate degree. National Louis University (NLU) offers M.S. degrees in Counseling in Illinois and Florida (Virtual Program) through the College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences.
What Is an M.S. in Counseling?
When searching for counseling graduate programs, it is essential to look for programs that can provide students with not only academic knowledge but also clinical experience. Once a student has completed his/her graduate program, he/she can apply for a license to practice as a counselor in his/her state of residence. Many states require graduates of counseling programs to attend CACREP-accredited programs. When searching for a counseling program, one of the most important factors to consider is its accreditation. The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) is the most recognized accrediting agency for counseling graduate programs. CACREP-accredited programs can meet the educational requirements for a license to practice as a counselor in many states.
National Louis University offers a CACREP-accredited M.S. in Counseling degree in both Illinois and Florida. The program is offered in a Virtual Live Classroom for students in Florida. In Illinois, students can choose from three concentrations: Addictions, School Counseling, and Clinical Mental Health Counseling. In Florida, students are enrolled in a Clinical Mental Health Counseling concentration.
Why Pursue an M.S. in Counseling?
Most people earn a Master’s degree in Counseling for personal reasons. There are, however, many people already in related fields, such as psychology or social work, who would like to move into a more clinical role. Teachers, for example, are often interested in School Counseling and can earn a second degree in that field. Other career-changers are drawn to the Counseling field because of the mental health needs they have observed in their families, workplaces, or communities and want to address in a credentialed way.
No matter where you are starting from as a potential graduate student in a Counseling program, there are so many reasons to consider this career path. Not only will you be able to work in a variety of settings, such as schools, private practice, community mental health centers, hospitals, and more, as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, for example, but there are many reasons to pursue this career that are more personal in nature.
What the Program Typically Involves
Coursework: Counseling competencies are taught layer by layer. Foundational courses are followed by skills courses, such as individual and group counseling, assessment, career counseling, and multicultural competency. All CACREP-accredited programs require students to complete a substantial number of hours of a supervised internship in which students work with clients under the supervision of a qualified supervisor. This can be in the form of counseling, teaching, or research. This hands-on learning experience typically lasts several hundred hours. The internship is designed to assist students in gaining experience and confidence in counseling clients.
A 600-hour supervised internship (with weekly feedback from the supervisor) is also included in the NLU Counseling program in Illinois.
In addition to studying topics related to Counseling in general, the curriculum for students in the Counseling program at NLU includes a variety of courses focusing on multicultural competency. Many counseling programs include a single course focused on multicultural competency. Instead, issues of multicultural competence are addressed in various ways throughout the program. Students in the Counseling program at NLU are expected to demonstrate the ability to apply the competency standards in counseling to a variety of populations.
Choosing a Concentration
Many Counseling programs allow for a focus on a particular setting or population. Here are some examples of what you can expect to study in different programs. Please note that requirements for particular licenses can vary significantly between states, and even within a state, so we recommend investigating the requirements for the specific program and license you are applying for in detail. Most programs in Clinical Mental Health Counseling prepare students for work in settings such as private practice, community mental health centers, and hospital-based counseling services, preparing them to become LPCs or equivalent licensed counselors. Programs in School Counseling, on the other hand, typically focus on preparation for work in K-12 settings, and may also require a state-specific educator’s credential or pupil personnel services credential, in addition to the counseling license. Finally, programs in Addictions Counseling focus on preparing students for work with clients dealing with problems related to substance use, as well as co-occurring disorders, and may prepare students for state-specific Addictions Counselor certification, in addition to the counseling license.
Key Questions About the M.S. in Counseling
What license can I earn with this degree?
In general, the CACREP-accredited Master’s Degree in Counseling will fulfill the educational requirements for National Board Certified Counselors (NCC) and the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) or similar license in the state in which the program is offered. In Illinois, for example, the NLU program fulfills the requirements for the LPC exam. Additionally, after gaining 2 or more years of supervised clinical experience, the graduate can pursue the higher-level Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) license in Illinois. In Florida, for example, the same program would fulfill the educational requirements for licensure as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.
What concentrations are typically available?
Counseling programs are often designed to allow for a variety of specializations. Students can focus on different settings as well as on different populations. The three most common specializations are Clinical Mental Health Counseling, School Counseling, and Addictions Counseling. The Illinois program offers all three specializations, while the Florida program focuses on Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
Why does accreditation matter so much for this degree?
Most states require graduates of Counseling programs to have attended a CACREP-accredited (or equivalent) program. Therefore, attendance at an unaccredited program can result in a graduate lacking the necessary qualifications to practice as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). Review the CACREP Accreditation Standards at cacrep.org to learn more about CACREP accreditation.
What does the required internship involve?
These clinical hours can be completed while you are in school, which will prepare you to start working in a mental health setting as soon as you graduate. Most programs also have a 1-2-year clinical post-graduate requirement, during which you can work as a counselor under the supervision of a licensed clinical counselor who has his or her own practice.
Can counseling programs be completed online?
Many counseling programs are offered entirely online, although some states require students to complete some or all of their internship or practicum hours in face-to-face settings with clients. Of course, some programs may offer more options in this regard than others. For example, NLU currently offers a Virtual Live Classroom in its M.S. in Counseling and an on-campus program in Illinois..
How much does a counseling graduate program typically cost?
Program tuition and program costs (beyond tuition) for M.S. in Counseling programs vary by school, program, delivery mode, and state. In addition to tuition, students can expect to pay for licensing exam(s), background checks, and possible unpaid hours during an internship. Because the end result is a profession that is licensed and that has a specific salary range, the cost of the program can be weighed against the end result (i.e. a specific license to practice in a specific setting). The salary range for school counselors is generally different from that of fully licensed clinical mental health counselors who work in private practice.
Career Outcomes
Counseling is one of the more in-demand fields in the current job market. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects continued strong growth for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors, as well as for school and career counselors, over the coming decade — growth driven by expanding awareness of mental health needs, insurance coverage for mental health services, and ongoing shortages of licensed providers in many parts of the country. Current projections and wage data are available in the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook entries for School and Career Counselors and Advisors and Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors.
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ (Occupation Outlook Handbook, School and Career Counselors and Advisors, and Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors entries).
Graduates of counseling programs typically work as licensed professional counselors or clinical mental health counselors in various settings, including private practice, community mental health centers, hospitals, and substance abuse treatment programs. Other career paths include school counseling in K-12 settings, supporting students' academic, social, and emotional growth. Addiction counselors specialize in the treatment of individuals with problems related to substance use and various behavioral health problems. Those who pursue an upper-level clinical license, after completing the required postgraduate supervised hours, can open their own private practice and work in a more autonomous clinical role.
Many graduates of counseling programs also go on to earn doctoral degrees in areas of counselor education and supervision. Such individuals can go on to work in a variety of settings, including as an academic at a university or college, in research, as a clinical supervisor, or in program leadership roles. Typically, individuals in these types of positions earn significantly more than those who work as independent clinicians in private practice. However, salaries for school counselors are somewhat predictable, as they are based on a school district's salary schedule. In addition to salary, school counselors and other educators are paid for benefits and typically work on a regular schedule throughout the year.
M.S. in Counseling at National Louis University
The College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences at National Louis University, which houses the School Counseling concentration, has 11 full-time faculty members. There were 272 students in the M.S. in Counseling program in the College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences in the 2023-2024 academic year. The Illinois program has three concentrations (Addictions, School Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling) and a 600-hour supervised internship. Students completing the School Counseling concentration also fulfill the requirements for the Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL) to become certified school counselors. The Florida program has one concentration (Clinical Mental Health Counseling) and is offered in the Virtual Live Classroom format. Current information about the programs can be found on the following Web pages: M.S. in Counseling (Illinois), M.S. in Counseling (Virtual). An overview of the College of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences can also be found on this Web page.
