Frequently Asked Questions

Students begin the program in the Fall semester. The admissions deadline for the program is February 15th.  

No, there is not a requirement to have a specific undergraduate major, however all candidates must have obtained their undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.

Entrance into the CMHC program requires a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA. Applicants with a GPA meeting that minimum are not required to take the GRE. However, applicants whose GPA is less than 3.0 are required to submit their official GRE scores reflecting a combined score of a minimum of 290 on the GRE exam.

The Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is a full-time program, spanning the course of two years. The format of the program is hybrid (half of the coursework occurs online), allowing those who work full-time to continue to do so while enrolled in the program. Although many of our students do work full-time while enrolled, it is expected that students attend classes held during the work week.

Yes, in the second year of the program students complete a practicum and internship at a clinical site. Although it is ultimately the student’s responsibility to secure a placement, faculty advisors help students to pick appropriate pre-approved clinical sites, and there is an annual internship fair held each year for students to become familiar with clinical opportunities.

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling faculty pre-approves all sites available for student interns. Internships can occur at a wide range of placements including college counseling centers, community mental health agencies, hospitals, urban outreach facilities, and substance abuse treatment centers, and can include work with multiple populations.

No, each state has unique licensing requirements. Upon graduation you will be “license eligible” in Florida but will still need to complete a two year “Registered Intern” period, which has to be supervised by a board-approved Qualified Supervisor of Licensed Mental Health Counselor and/or Marriage and Family Therapist depending on the licensure you are seeking. Please see https://floridasmentalhealthprofessions.gov/licensing/ for Florida licensing guidelines.

Most graduates find employment in a variety of settings including inpatient facilities, schools, private practices, substance abuse treatment facilities, domestic violence shelters, or other community agencies. However, obtaining this degree would also provide opportunities for consulting, supervising, and research in the field of mental health.

Yes, please visit the Office of Student Financial Aid for specific scholarship and aid opportunities.

There is no requirement to write a thesis, however over the course of the program you will be required to take a comprehensive exam as part of the curriculum, which assesses your knowledge of the eight core curricula areas outlined by CACREP. You are also encouraged to take the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam (NCMHCE) which is required for Florida licensure.

If you are interested in taking classes as a non-degree seeking student, please contact Graduate Admissions (graduateadmissions@ju.edu) regarding specific questions and enrollment requirements.

The program will admit up to 24 qualified candidates per year in both Jacksonville and Palm Coast.

Is there a difference between the program offered in Jacksonville and the program offered in Palm Coast? 

The same curriculum is offered for students in both Jacksonville and Palm Coast. All faculty, regardless of site, have graduated from CACREP accredited programs and are considered core faculty at both sites. Students  take classes 1-2 days per week from 3:00-8:45pm. Both sites require the 800-hour clinical practicum/internship in the second year of the program, and both sites are full-time, cohort model, two-year 60-credit hour programs offered in a hybid format. To learn more about the Palm Coast location, please visit: https://www.ju.edu/palmcoast/index.php 

The two-year CMHC program at JU is comparable in price to both state and private institutions offering the same degree.

View a comparative analysis of the differences between Mental Health Counseling and Social Work.