Study Counseling in North Carolina

As a prospective counseling graduate student in North Carolina, you have the advantage of being able to complete your studies mostly, if not completely, online. North Carolina has programs at colleges and universities throughout the state that offer the flexibility and convenience of online learning.

Some of the most popular programs, which are outlined below, are available from big-name schools like Wake Forest and North Carolina State University. Other online counseling graduate programs are available from smaller schools that offer rigorous studies, small class sizes, and affordability.

Regardless of which program you pick, you will find expert faculty to guide your development as a counselor. What’s more, the programs listed below are licensure track, accredited programs that prepare you for a career as a licensed or certified counselor. Let’s take a closer look at these popular graduate counseling programs!

Best Accredited Online Master's in Counseling in North Carolina

Online Master’s in Counseling in North Carolina

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

  • North Carolina State University
  • North Carolina Central University
  • Wake Forest University
  • Catawba College
  • Montreat College
  • Methodist University
  • Capella University
  • Southern New Hampshire University

North Carolina State University

Online Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

North Carolina State’s M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is a 60-credit part-time program that takes three years to complete. You will progress through the program in a cohort of classmates, meaning you will take each course with the same students. The cohort model helps build professional connections and collegiality between you and your fellow enrollees.

The curriculum includes 48 credits of core coursework. In addition to foundational courses, like “Orientation to Professional Counseling, Identity, and  Ethics,” you will take advanced theory and practice courses on topics like the following:

  • Gender Issues in Counseling
  • Counseling Couples and Families
  • Theories of Counseling
  • Techniques in Counseling
  • Multicultural Life Span Human Development

Additionally, you must complete two six-credit internships. If you are near campus, you can do so in the University Counseling Center. Many opportunities for field learning are available in the community, too. All field experiences must be completed in North Carolina, though.

This is a year-round program. You will typically take two online courses per term (spring, summer, and fall). However, some on-campus courses are required during the third year of studies. The part-time construction of the program is intended to help you navigate getting a graduate education while continuing to work.

Upon completion of this Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredited degree, you will be eligible to become a licensed mental health counselor in North Carolina. The degree might also lead to licensure in other states. Careers in mental health counseling, family therapy, and substance abuse counseling are common for graduates of this program.

Apply to this program anytime online. For consideration, you must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. You must also provide the following:

  • A resume
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • A five-page personal statement
  • Official transcripts from every college or university you have attended
  • Official English language proficiency scores, if applicable

North Carolina Central University

Online Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

This MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from North Carolina Central is a CACREP-accredited program that prepares you for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor in North Carolina. Furthermore, this program meets the requirements of a Criteria C school for the Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist (LCAS) credential.

Most coursework for this degree is online. Some of the courses require specific online meeting dates, while others are less structured and allow you to complete your work when it’s convenient for you (within the bounds of specific due dates, of course). This flexibility is especially attractive if you work part-time or full-time or have other obligations that your schoolwork needs to work around.

Some of the courses you will take include the following:

  • Crisis, Trauma, and Grief Counseling
  • Multicultural and Gender Issues
  • Introduction to Addiction Counseling
  • Diagnosis, Assessment, and Psychopathology
  • Statistics

Three residencies are required as well. The first residency is an online orientation that prepares you for your fieldwork. The second and third residencies – in Group Counseling and Pre-Practicum in Counseling, respectively – require you to be on campus in Durham for two to three days each.

Following these residencies are field placements, including one three-credit practicum and one six-credit internship. These experiences give you real-world experience during which you can apply what you have learned in your online courses in a clinical mental health setting. You must also complete three credits of educational research.

You can apply to North Carolina Central’s School of Graduate Studies online. To do so, you must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and have a 2.7 undergraduate GPA or higher. You must also submit the following with your application:

  • Two letters of recommendation
  • GRE scores
  • An application essay
  • Official transcripts from every college or university you have attended

Wake Forest University

Online Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

The 60-credit MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Wake Forest includes online instruction, clinical field experiences, and research, all of which help you develop into a well-rounded pre-service counselor. This program is CACREP-accredited and leads to counseling licensure in North Carolina.

In fact, this program from Wake Forest has an excellent track record when it comes to graduate performance on the National Counselor Exam (NCE) – 98 percent of graduates pass the NCE on the first try. Part of that success is due to the fact that this program is led by highly regarded counselors with decades of experience in the field. The expertise of the faculty helps you develop the advanced knowledge and skills you need to follow them into competent practice.

This program covers a broad spectrum of counseling theories, techniques, and research. You will explore these areas in classes that focus on:

  • Career and lifestyle development
  • Research and program evaluation
  • Social and cultural foundations
  • Human growth and development
  • Helping relationships

You will also gain experience in using advanced therapeutic techniques with various populations. These skills develop alongside an understanding of professionalism and ethical practice that is crucial to working in this field. All told, you will take 15 required courses, three courses in your specialty area, and three clinical courses during which you get real-world experience working with clients.

Wake Forest requires you to have an undergraduate degree with a 3.0 GPA or higher from an accredited institution. The following documentation is needed when you apply:

  • A resume
  • A personal statement
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Official transcripts from every college or university you have attended

Additionally, you must participate in a virtual interview with an advisor.

Catawba College

Online Master of Health Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Catawba College’s MHS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is unique in that it’s the only Master of Health Science degree on this list. It’s also the only degree on this list offered through a Sport and Health Science Department. Despite these uncommon features, this program is CACREP-accredited and prepares you to take the National Counselor Exam.

This two-year program includes 100 percent online coursework in an interactive learning environment. The program restricts the number of students, so class sizes are small to maximize your instructors’ abilities to support your individual learning needs.

The 60-credit curriculum is divided into two components. The first is 45 credits of didactic coursework. The second is 15 credits of experiential learning activities. These field experiences occur with real clients in a clinical mental health setting. Your field experiences are supervised, too, so you will be supported by an experienced counselor throughout your clinical work.

Some of the courses you can look forward to taking include the following:

  • Counseling Theories
  • Counseling Skills and Techniques
  • Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues in Counseling
  • Diagnosis and Treatment of Mental Health Disorders
  • Case Management

Other courses cover topics like ethical practice, couples counseling, and group counseling. You will also take a course in career development.

As noted earlier, upon completion of this program, you will be prepared to take the National Counselor Exam. If you pass, you will be qualified for the National Certified Counselor credential. You will also have the proper training to apply for licensure as a Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate in North Carolina. The North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors provides this credential.

The graduate application for Catawba College can be found online. You are required to have a baccalaureate degree (with a 3.0 GPA or higher) from an accredited college or university when you apply. Your application should also be accompanied by the following:

  • Three letters of recommendation
  • A 500-word essay that describes why you wish to be part of this program
  • Official transcripts from every college or university you have attended

Montreat College

Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Montreat College’s graduate program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is a 60-credit degree accredited by CACREP. This hybrid program includes on-campus and online studies. You are required to be on campus for classes during odd-numbered weeks each semester. Classes during even-numbered weeks take place asynchronously online.

Most students enroll in this program full-time, which necessitates taking three classes each semester. Doing so allows you to graduate in less than three years. During that time, you will take many different counseling-related courses, including the following:

  • Professional Orientation to Counseling
  • Theories and Techniques in Counseling
  • Counseling across the Lifespan
  • Group Counseling
  • Child and Adolescent Counseling

To expand the range of knowledge and skills you develop, this program also includes studies in crisis intervention, substance abuse counseling, and multicultural counseling. There is a research component, too –  you will explore quantitative and qualitative research techniques and explore how both types of research are important for the field of counseling.

Practicum and field experiences are required as part of this program as well. The practicum includes 100 hours of supervised clinical mental health practice at a site approved by the program. The practicum explores all aspects of counseling, from intake procedures to diagnosis to treatment. You will participate in individual and group supervision each week throughout the practicum.

The internship occurs in two 300-hour experiences, both of which occur at an approved site. Again, you will explore every aspect of practice as a counselor and benefit from weekly supervision both individually and in a group.

You can apply to this program anytime online. To do so, you must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and have a 3.0 GPA or higher for the last 60 credits of undergraduate coursework. If you don’t meet this requirement, you must submit an essay discussing the difficulties you had that contributed to your GPA. You must also address the specific steps you will take to ensure you keep a 3.0 GPA or higher in this program.

When applying, you must submit a current resume and official transcripts from every college or university you have attended. Additionally, you must complete a national background check. If the background check is clear and all other admissions requirements are met, you will be required to submit to a drug test before you begin your first class.

Counseling Work Opportunities in North Carolina

North Carolina offers three different licenses for clinical mental health counselors. A restricted Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate license is reserved for new counselors. Though you can practice as a counselor with this license, you must have supervision from a qualified mental health professional.

For example, with this license, you might work in a community mental health clinic as a counselor and provide individual, couples, and family therapy. Though these activities would be your responsibility, you would meet on a regular basis for supervision (100 hours or more) with another more experienced counselor who holds the Licensed Clinical Mental Health License from the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors. In all, you must complete at least 3,000 hours of supervised professional practice.

With a regular, unrestricted Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor credential, you can work independently as a counselor. This means you can work in any setting for which your education, training, and licensure are applicable. For example, you might work as a family counselor at a children’s hospital where you provide trauma-informed care to families of terminally ill patients. As another example, you might start a private practice in which you specialize in treating adults with neurocognitive disorders.

North Carolina’s third tier of counseling licensure is the Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor. With this credential, not only can you work with clients independently, but you can also provide supervision to new counselors. To qualify, you must have at least five years of clinical mental health counseling experience.

Other traditional jobs in counseling are at your fingertips, too, depending on your course of study. Many North Carolina counseling graduates work in schools, residential mental health centers, psychiatric floors at hospitals, and government agencies.

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