Study Master’s in Counseling in Arkansas
Arkansas might not be the biggest state in terms of population or geography, but its extensive university system has plenty of options for completing your graduate training in counseling. You can earn your degree from a large, public university, a small, religiously affiliated private college, or something in between. Whatever you want your collegiate experience to be, you can probably find it in Arkansas.
Of course, while having a lot of choices for completing your master’s degree is a good thing, it can also be overwhelming trying to pick which program best fits your needs. That’s where this guide comes in—the popular programs outlined below represent some of the most popular options in Arkansas.
Online Master’s in Counseling in Arkansas
Listed below are some of the popular schools offering online master’s in counseling programs in Arkansas:
- University of Arkansas at Little Rock
- Arkansas State University
- Ouachita Baptist University
- Central Arkansas University
- Lamar University
- The Chicago School
- Purdue Global
- National University
- Southeastern Oklahoma State University
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Online Master of Arts in Counseling
The Master of Arts in Counseling at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock prepares you to practice as a professional counselor. The program offers four distinct specializations: Counselor Education, Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and Traditional Rehabilitation Counseling.
Among the options outlined above, Clinical Mental Health Counseling is one of the most popular. This 60-credit track leads to licensure as a licensed professional counselor (LPC) or Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC). In either case, you complete the same comprehensive curriculum.
Your studies begin in what the program calls “Phase 1 Studies.” These courses are foundational in nature; they introduce you to essential concepts in clinical mental health counseling that you must master before moving on to study more advanced aspects of this field.
For example, the Foundations of Mental Health Counseling class covers the history of counseling, seminal theories and techniques in counseling, and modern approaches to providing counseling services. Meanwhile, the Applied Counseling Research class discusses research fundamentals, including basic statistics, research design, and ethical considerations. The other Phase 1 courses are as follows:
- Psychological Aspects of Disability
- Medical Aspects of Disability
- Counseling Theories and Applications
- Human Development for Counseling
- Ethics and Advocacy for Counselors
Phase 2 coursework focuses on more specific counseling topics. A good example of this is Psychopharmacology for Counselors. This class explores the effects that legal and illegal substances have on physiological functioning and behavior. You will explore common medications for mental illness and learn about their mechanisms of action in the body. Furthermore, you will discuss how pharmacological approaches are often most effective when paired with therapy.
Another Phase 2 class you can look forward to is Introduction to Family Counseling. As the name indicates, this course explores the essential features of working with families in a therapeutic setting. You will learn about systems theory, gain improved leadership skills, and explore techniques that enable you to manage conflict between family members when in a group therapy session.
Phase 2 of this program wraps up with the following courses:
- Cross-Cultural Counseling
- Career Counseling and Placement
- Clinical Assessment
- Foundations of Substance Abuse
- Human Sexuality
The final coursework phase requires you to complete several classes and a field experience. These classes focus specifically on models and techniques for conducting interviews, case management, and theories and techniques of counseling. Meanwhile, the field experience is a counseling practicum that allows you to practice what you’ve learned in a supportive and supervised clinical setting.
In fact, the practicum is a semester-long experience. You will have ample opportunities to refine your understanding of counseling theories and practice using counseling techniques with actual clients. You must accrue at least 100 hours of work experience during the practicum before moving on to complete the internship.
The internship phase is the bridge from the counseling program to your career. Over the course of two semesters, you must accrue at least 600 hours of counseling experience. Like the practicum, the internship is supervised and takes place in an approved counseling setting, like a mental health clinic, inpatient treatment center, or hospital.
You must meet the following requirements to be considered for admission:
- Have an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university.
- Have a 2.7 cumulative undergraduate GPA and a 3.0 GPA in the final 60 credits of undergraduate work. Students not meeting the GPA requirement may still be considered for admission if satisfactory GRE or MAT scores are provided.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Participate in a personal interview with a program faculty member.
- Submit any supporting documentation—such as a resume and letters of recommendation—as directed.
Arkansas State University
Online Master of Science in Education in School Counseling
Arkansas State’s Master of Science in Education in School Counseling is a 48-credit program that prepares you to pursue licensure as a school counselor in a K-12 setting. Many students complete the 48-credit curriculum in two years, making it one of the fastest programs to complete in this guide.
While this degree is in school counseling, it includes a more specific specialization: Crisis and Trauma. As such, many of the courses you’re required to take explore counseling through the lens of addressing emergency and crisis situations, as well as providing support for people who are dealing with long-standing trauma.
The curriculum for this degree is divided into two parts: core coursework and concentration courses. As is common with programs like this, the first few classes you take focus on fundamental aspects of counseling. Some of these courses include the following:
- Foundational Knowledge of Professional School Counseling and Professional Practice
- Theories of Professional School Counseling
- Techniques and Instructional School Counseling Interventions
- Data-Informed Professional School Counseling
- Program Development in Professional School Counseling
Meanwhile, you are required to take classes focusing on highly specific topics in this field. For example, the Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues in Counseling class explores professional ethical standards you must abide by as a practicing counselor. You will learn about credentialing procedures and current legal issues in school counseling, as well as begin defining who you are as a professional counselor.
Another required class focusing on a specific counseling topic is Child and Adolescent Counseling. This course is extremely important for your development, for obvious reasons. As someone who will work almost exclusively with young people, you need to master developmentally appropriate models of counseling to provide the most effective services to students.
Other core coursework explores topics such as the following:
- Group Counseling
- Social and Cultural Foundations of Counseling
- Psychosocial Aspects of Development
The school counseling concentration courses further your development by focusing on the themes of crisis and trauma mentioned earlier. For example, Introduction to Crisis and Trauma in Children and Adolescents analyzes the impact that crises and traumatic events can have on the emotional and cognitive development of children. Meanwhile, the course on School-Based Crisis Planning and Intervention offers insights into how to prepare for various types of emergencies, from school shootings to natural disasters to the accidental death of a student or teacher.
The third and final class in the concentration sequence is Multicultural Issues in Crisis and Trauma. This course explores how cultural and social influences affect how students experience and manage crises and traumatic events. You will discuss a variety of topics in this class, including social norms, broad social changes, and interaction patterns among social subgroups as well.
The experiential component of this program includes a one-semester practicum and a two-semester internship. The practicum focuses on training you to apply what you’ve learned in class in a real-world K-12 setting. Your supervisor will direct your development by walking you through critical processes such as:
- Conducting assessments
- Providing direct counseling services to students
- Advocating on behalf of students
- Liaising with stakeholders, such as parents, guardians, teachers, and administrators
- Developing schoolwide counseling programs
You are required to complete at least 100 hours of training during the practicum. At least 40 of those hours must be in direct contact with clients, such as in individual or group therapy sessions.
You can apply to Arkansas State online. Be sure you meet the following admissions requirements before applying:
- Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
- Have a 2.75 GPA or higher for all undergraduate work.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Submit two letters of recommendation from references who are familiar with your academic and professional potential.
- Submit responses to three admissions essay prompts.
Ouachita Baptist University
Online Master of Arts in Counseling
Through Ouachita Baptist University’s online campus, you can complete a Master of Arts in Counseling that prepares you for licensure as an LPC. This program is based on evidence-based practices along with a biblical worldview that informs your training to be a kind, compassionate professional.
This program requires you to complete 63 credits of coursework. Additionally, four on-campus intensive experiences supplement your studies and provide a deeper level of training before you complete the nine clinical credits of fieldwork later in the program.
During the first two years in the program, you will complete the coursework requirements. The first year focuses on foundational courses like Orientation to the Counseling Profession, Theories of Counseling, and Professional Ethics and Legal Issues. Likewise, you will take a Psychopathology and Psychopharmacology class that explores common mental health issues and their causes, as well as the effects that drug treatments have on the body and mind.
Furthermore, your early studies include a Counseling Skills and Techniques class that examines effective counseling approaches for a variety of mental health issues. You will learn about psychoanalytic approaches, cognitive-behavioral therapy, rational-emotive therapy, and Gestalt therapy, to name a few. Alongside the theoretical and technical training of this class, you will complete Assessment Techniques in Counseling, which explores key assessment procedures that enable you to make an informed diagnosis of your clients.
The program’s second year focuses on numerous specialized areas of counseling. For example, you will take Group Process and Counseling, which discusses the primary techniques of group work. You will enhance your communication skills and leadership skills, learn how to manage conflicts in group settings, and develop an understanding of how to guide group work so that it benefits all members.
Other year-two classes include the following:
- Case Conceptualization and Treatment Planning
- Research and Program Evaluation
- Crisis and Trauma Counseling
- Relationship Dynamics and Family Systems
- Social and Cultural Diversity
You’re also required to complete one elective course. The elective can be in any approved specialization area.
The coursework required for the program’s third year includes just two classes: Addiction Therapies and Lifestyle and Career. The Addiction Therapies class covers modern approaches to substance abuse-related addictions and behavioral addictions (e.g., gambling). For example, you will revisit your previous studies on cognitive-behavioral therapy and learn how it can be used effectively to treat addictive behaviors.
Meanwhile, the Lifestyle and Career class focuses on career counseling services. For example, you will learn how to administer interest inventories and use the data collected from those inventories to assist clients in planning their careers. As another example, you will learn how to use therapeutic approaches to address clients’ dissatisfaction with their current career or work situations.
Most of the courses discussed above require synchronous online participation in class. In some cases, you must also participate in a synchronous Zoom activity on a weekly basis. Though having synchronous weekly meetings and activities reduces the flexibility of online learning somewhat, the benefit is that you have a greater number of interactions with your classmates and professors for a more on-campus-like learning experience.
Of course, the final aspect of this program is fieldwork. You will begin with a semester-long practicum that introduces you to the world of professional counseling. You will work with a supervisor at an approved mental health facility, where you will begin putting your learning into practice. While you will initially observe your supervisor, as time passes, you will gain critical responsibilities that help you link the theoretical learning you did in class with the real-world application of your training.
Then, the two-semester internship gives you the advanced training you need to transition from being a student to a professional. You will maintain a caseload of clients, provide direct counseling services to individuals and groups, and manage the daily tasks of being a counselor, such as maintaining case notes, billing insurance, and consulting with colleagues about cases.
You must meet the following requirements to be considered for admission:
- Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
- Have a 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA or higher or a 3.0 GPA for your last 60 credits of undergraduate coursework.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Provide three letters of recommendation.
- Submit a statement of purpose that explains why you want to become a counselor.
- Complete a National Criminal Background Check and a Sex Offender Registry Check.
Central Arkansas University
Online Master of Science in School Counseling
The Master of Science in School Counseling from Central Arkansas University is yet another online counseling degree worth your consideration. This program offers two tracks: one for current teachers who have a valid Arkansas teaching license and another for applicants who do not currently hold a valid teaching license in Arkansas. In either case, you must complete at least 45 credits of studies to complete the program.
One of the first classes you will take is Lifespan Development for School Counselors. This course examines the social, emotional, physiological, and psychological milestones that children, adolescents, and adults typically go through as they age. This class is of particular importance for school counselors since the clientele is almost exclusively children and adolescents.
Another primary course you’re required to take is Career Guidance for School Counselors. Though having training in career counseling is important for all school counselors, it’s especially useful if you’re assigned to a high school. Providing high schoolers with career services like aptitude and interest assessments can help them plan their high school class schedule to align with their post-secondary educational and career goals.
You will also take a course entitled School Counselor as Consultant. One of your primary duties will be to provide assistance to classroom teachers to create a more engaging and supportive learning environment. For example, you might consult with a social studies teacher to develop a mental health unit that explores common mental health issues and how they might be experienced differently across cultures. As another example, you might work with 9th-grade classroom teachers to create a transition program that enhances academic and social support for students as they move from middle school to high school.
Other critical courses you will complete in the first year of this program include the following:
- Foundations of School Counseling
- Multicultural Counseling in Schools
- Counselors and Schooling Practices
- Educational Assessment and Measurement
- School Counseling Intervention Strategies
Your training in school counseling also includes a Research Methods course that examines historical and modern research in this field. You will examine seminal studies in school counseling, assess their impact on the practice of school counseling, and learn how to implement evidence-based techniques into your practice, too. Additionally, you will learn how to be a good consumer of information and think critically about the manner in which research is conducted and the meaning of research findings for your work.
There is a special education component to this program as well. You’re required to take one of the two following classes: Educational Programming for Students With Mild Disabilities or Identification and Remediation of Learning Problems. As a school counselor, you will work closely with teachers and support staff who work with exceptional children, so having a basic understanding of special education programs is critical.
You will also take individual and Group Counseling in the K-20 Education Environment. This course examines useful counseling strategies for addressing common issues of school-aged children and young adults. For example, you will learn how to use group counseling techniques to support children experiencing instability in their home lives. As another example, you will examine useful techniques for working one-on-one with students who are on the autism spectrum.
Regarding the experiential component of this program, you will first complete a semester-long supervised practicum at the lab school at the University of Central Arkansas. This experience allows you to practice your counseling skills, get experience working with educators and other stakeholders, and prepare for the internship experience.
Speaking of the internship, you will spend two semesters working part-time as a school counselor at the university’s lab school. During the internship, you will have many responsibilities, ranging from providing individual and group counseling services to students to working with parents on providing effective support for their special needs children to implementing school counseling programs at the classroom level.
The practicum and internship experiences are supervised, so you will have support from a licensed school counselor to facilitate your growth as a professional. You must participate in weekly supervision with your supervisor and take part in supervision with your professors and classmates to debrief your experiences each week.
The following requirements must be met to be considered for admission:
- Have a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university.
- Have a 2.7 cumulative undergraduate GPA or higher. A 3.0 GPA or higher is required if you’ve completed any graduate coursework.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Submit a statement of intent that discusses why you want to become a school counselor.
- Provide two letters of recommendation.
- Provide any other documentation requested by the program (e.g., resume, curriculum vitae, writing sample, etc.).
How Much Do Licensed Mental Health Counselors Make in Arkansas?
As of January 2026, the average annual salary for a licensed mental health counselor working in Arkansas is $111,991. More experienced and top earning licensed mental health counselors working in Arkansas make over $130,000 per year.