The Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) at St. Kate’s will provide you with the knowledge and skillset to effectively assist people in distress and counsel families, individuals, groups, and couples across the lifespan to promote optimal mental health and well-being. This online program for working adults is designed to be completed at your own pace, on your own schedule.
You will graduate meeting the educational requirements for licensure in every state as an LPC or LMHC.

This is a 60-credit-hour master's degree program designed for students seeking licensure as professional counselors. The program prepares graduates to work with clients presenting with a range of mental and emotional disorders, as well as to promote mental health and wellness.

Our comprehensive program encompasses the ethical, theoretical, and practical aspects of counseling, enabling you to become a trained mental health professional. Our evidence-based, collaborative approach to learning enables you to build relationship-focused treatment, aid clients in preventing and resolving conflicts or problems, and help them make positive choices and changes through the decisions and insights you facilitate.

St. Kate’s is dedicated to empowering marginalized communities. As a CMHC, you will work to alleviate mental health challenges, including trauma, anxiety, relational problems, and addiction, to uplift community well-being. Our approach is unique, as we focus on helping others address emotional stressors by blending clinical reflection, counseling, and advocacy for social justice and equity.

Every course is designed to incorporate experiential, skills-based, and application components, utilizing the latest technologies to provide simulation learning that develops skills in real-time. 
Coursework includes:

• Diagnosis and Assessment
• Human Growth and Development
• Group Counseling
• Multicultural Counseling
• Treatment Planning and Interventions
• Ethics and Legal Issues

Specialization courses within the program are available for those interested in focusing on specific areas of study. Microcredentials of nine graduate credit professional certificates are available in Trauma Studies, Couple and Family Counseling, Multicultural Counseling, Counseling Children and Adolescents, Addictions, and Holistic Health.

Faculty are diverse experts and practitioners who are invested in your success
From the moment you're admitted, a dedicated faculty advisor will provide individualized academic and career guidance. They serve as your personal mentor throughout the program, overseeing your path to graduation and licensure, and approving all practicum and internship applications.

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics'  Occupational Outlook Handbook states that 17% growth is predicted over the next decade in this field, which is significantly higher than the national average.

Graduates of CMHC programs are highly versatile and can work in a wide variety of settings to provide therapy to individuals, families, and groups. Employment opportunities may include private practice, community-based mental health centers, hospitals, and other outpatient treatment centers. Some choose to work in private practice or at counseling centers, government agencies, corporations, and youth homes.

Program at a Glance

Format: Online
*In two skills courses, a three-day residency will be required for those who are admitted for licensure.

Start: Fall, Spring

Time to completion: 2.5 years

Credits required: 60

Tuition per credit: $760 (2025-26 rates)

Total tuition: $46,000

Rates are subject to change each June 1.