Study Counseling in Texas

One of the greatest benefits of getting a master’s degree in Texas is the sheer selection of schools. Whether you want to study at a small or a big school, a public or a private school, or you want a Master of Arts, Master of Science, or Master of Education in counseling, Texas has you covered.

What’s more, many of Texas’ colleges and universities have robust online learning systems that allow you to get your advanced degree in counseling from the comfort of home. With flexibility in terms of your field training – most programs allow you to train near where you live – you most likely don’t need to make any visits to campus, either.

With so many counseling programs available in the Lone Star State, it can be difficult to figure out which ones best suit your needs. The schools below represent some of the most popular and accessible options available and serve as a launch point for your search for the ideal graduate program.

Best Accredited Online Masters in Counseling Degrees in Texas

Online Master’s in Counseling in Texas

Listed below are some of the popular schools offering online master’s in counseling in Texas:

  • Texas A&M International University
  • Texas Tech University
  • University of Texas at Tyler
  • Houston Christian University
  • Midwestern State University
  • Lamar University
  • Capella University
  • Grand Canyon University

Texas Tech University

Online Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

This MS program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is offered by Texas Tech’s Health Sciences Center. The program was launched in 2017 with a dual focus on clinical mental health counseling and telehealth practice. The telehealth component ensures that you have the skills needed to competently offer services to clients via remote means, such as over the phone or video teleconferencing.

This 60-credit program requires about three years of full-time study to complete. Of the 60 credits, 48 are coursework, including 30 core credits, nine credits of specialty courses, and nine credits of experiential coursework. Examples of courses from these areas include the following:

  • Introduction to Counseling and Ethical Development
  • Psychopathology and Diagnosis
  • Crisis Counseling
  • Group Counseling Techniques
  • Couples, Marriage, and Family Counseling Methods

You must complete 12 credits of clinical experience as well, including a three-credit practicum and a nine-credit internship. These field experiences must take place at approved locations with supervision provided by an approved counselor.

Upon finishing this Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP) program, you are eligible for numerous licensures and certifications. You can pursue state licensure as a clinical mental health counselor or Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and you are eligible for national certification as a Nationally Certified Counselor or NCC.

You can apply to this program online. To do so, you must pay a $75 application fee and have an undergraduate degree (with a minimum 3.0 GPA in the last 60 credits of study) from an accredited college or university, preferably in a related field like psychology. Additionally, you must submit the following when applying:

  • Official transcripts from all colleges or universities you’ve attended
  • A resume
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • An essay

University of Texas at Tyler

Online Master of Arts in School Counseling

If you envision a career counseling kids in a school setting, the MA in School Counseling at UT-Tyler is a great option. Not only is this program online, but it’s also a shorter program than most at 48 credits. With full-time studies, you can complete this degree in two years.

Though this program is faster than most, it doesn’t skimp on teaching you critical skills for being an effective counselor. You’ll learn crucial counseling techniques, explore relevant research, and learn how to practice in a way that’s sensitive to the individual needs of each child in the school.

Some of the courses you will complete in this program include the following:

  • Assessment Techniques in Counseling
  • Counseling Theories and Applications
  • Foundations and Ethics of School Counseling
  • Mental Health in Schools
  • Career Counseling and Assessment

You must also complete a 100-hour practicum, of which 40 hours must be client contact time. The practicum involves weekly small group meetings and individual supervision with your supervisor using video recordings of client sessions.

Two internships are required as well. The first is a 200-hour placement (100 hours of client contact time) on location in a public or private school. A second 200-hour experience is required the following semester and includes a comprehensive examination in counseling that you must pass to graduate.

Completing these requirements qualifies you to become a certified school counselor in Texas. To do so, you must pass the TexES professional certification exam for school counselors. Graduates of this program have a 100 percent pass rate.

To apply, you must have a bachelor’s degree with an appropriate GPA from an accredited college or university to apply. You must also have a Texas teacher certification and provide Texas teaching service records. The following are additionally required:

  • Official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • A statement of purpose
  • A completed Department Information Sheet
  • A completed admissions and screening interview.

Accreditation for the University of Texas at Tyler comes from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Houston Christian University

Online Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Houston Christian is a hybrid program that involves online coursework and one intensive 16-week course during which you must be on campus for one week. Though this isn’t a fully online program, Houston Christian strives to make the intensive on-campus experience one that is as flexible as possible so you can continue to meet your work and family obligations.

This 60-credit program includes 51 credits of coursework and nine credits of field experiences. The coursework you will complete runs the gamut from assessment to psychopathology to counseling skills and techniques. Other courses you will take include the following:

  • Counselor Professional Identity and Function
  • Multicultural Counseling
  • Research Design and Program Evaluation
  • Crisis Response and Trauma Care
  • Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Planning

Of the nine credits of fieldwork, three are for a short-term practicum experience in which you observe an experienced school counselor on the job. The other six credits comprise two internship experiences that give you real-world experience working as a counselor in a school setting.

In addition to these requirements, you must also pass a student readiness evaluation and a comprehensive examination. You have five years from the time you first enroll in the program to complete the degree requirements. Once you graduate, you will be eligible for licensure as an LPC in Texas.

Start the process of applying by filling out an online graduate application. You must have an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution to apply. You must also submit the following documentation with your application:

  • Official transcripts from every college or university you have attended
  • A resume or curriculum vitae
  • A personal statement
  • A 500-800-word response to a writing prompt that explores the purpose of being a mental health provider, among other related issues.

Midwestern State University

Online Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with School Counseling

The MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Midwestern State University is a CACREP-accredited program that requires 60 credits to graduate, which takes most students three years of full-time studies to complete. Of the 60 credits, 51 are in advanced coursework exploring essential counseling topics, such as counseling theory and techniques, professional ethics, and assessment. Other coursework explores topics like:

  • Marriage and Family Counseling
  • Multicultural Counseling
  • Substance Abuse Counseling
  • Counseling Children for Clinical Mental Health
  • Diagnosis and Treatment Planning

The remaining nine credits include a three-credit practicum and a six-credit internship. These field experiences differ slightly – the practicum is intended to be an observational placement, while the internship is intended to be a clinical experience in which you work directly with clients. Both the practicum and internship involve supervision from a licensed counselor.

As a graduate of this program, you are eligible to pursue a temporary license as a professional counselor in Texas. If you wish to pursue an LPC, you must complete 3,000 hours of supervised practice and pass the National Counselor Exam. As an LPC, you can work in many different mental health settings, including private practice, community mental health, and residential mental health treatment centers.

You can apply to this program online. You must submit a $50 application fee and have an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution to apply. You must also submit the following:

  • Official transcripts from every college or university you have attended
  • A copy of your Texas teacher certification
  • A copy of your Texas Service Record
  • An essay
  • Three letters of recommendation

Lamar University

Online Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Unlike most of the programs in this guide, this one from Lamar University is a Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Despite the difference in the type of degree, the program requires the usual 60 credits to graduate. For some students, 60 credits can be completed in as little as 2.5 years.

The coursework in this program is done mostly online. Most courses are five weeks in length. Some of the classes you will take include the following:

  • Counseling Skills
  • Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling
  • Crisis Prevention and Intervention
  • Measurement and Assessment
  • Career Development

In addition to online coursework, you must participate in two five-day face-to-face residencies, a practicum, and an internship. The purpose of these experiences is to provide you with real-world learning experiences while enhancing your opportunity to form collegial bonds with other counselors in training and experienced counselors.

Your field experiences in this program meet the Texas requirements for pursuing an LPC in Texas. Therefore, after graduation, you can pursue any number of employment opportunities in counseling with varying populations, from children to adults. You will also have core competencies in counseling people with an array of mental health and behavioral issues, including addiction, personality disorders, and depression, to name a few.

To apply, you must complete the online application for admission. You must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and have a 3.0 GPA or higher to be eligible for admission. No GRE scores are required to apply. However, you must provide the following documents with your application:

  • Official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended
  • Responses to departmental application essay questions
  • One letter of recommendation

Lamar University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

What are the Counseling Work Opportunities in Texas?

With a graduate degree in counseling, many job opportunities will be available to you in Texas. One of the most popular options is to earn an LPC and go into private practice. As a private practitioner, you have the advantage of working for yourself, which gives you the freedom to work when you like and work with the type of clients you most enjoy.

For example, your practice might focus on couples and family issues where you provide counseling to help improve communication, rebuild trust, and enhance the bonds between loved ones. As another example, you might focus your practice on working with special populations of children, such as those that have a diagnosed behavioral disorder.

Many of Texas’ graduate programs in counseling are in clinical mental health counseling, which prepares you for a career in settings like mental health institutions, community mental health organizations, and psychiatric wards at hospitals.

No matter the work setting, your clinical duties will include the assessment of the client’s mental health, the development of treatment plans, and the use of one-on-one counseling to help clients achieve a higher level of functioning.

Yet another employment option is to work in research or academics. Some research positions in counseling and psychology are available to graduate-level workers, though these positions tend to be at the junior level. The same goes for academic positions. Though some college professors have master’s degrees, you would need to continue your education and get a doctorate if you want to advance your academic career.

Nonetheless, the options that await you as a graduate of a master’s in counseling program are virtually boundless. With the knowledge and skills you learn in your Texas graduate program, you will be equipped to make a positive difference in the lives of your clients, no matter the capacity in which you work.

Can You Be a Counselor in Texas Without a License?

In Texas, as in many states, you generally cannot practice as a professional counselor without a license. Titles like Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and Licensed School Counselor and the practice associated with them are regulated by state laws.

Related Reading

More Resources (External)