Study Master’s in Counseling in Washington State

Washington is as beautiful a state as it’s varied. From the rainforests along the Pacific coast to the high desert plateaus on the eastern side of the state, and from large urban centers like Seattle to small towns that dot the rest of the state, you will find something for everyone in the Evergreen State.

This jack-of-all-trades feature of Washington extends to its higher education system. As a prospective graduate student in counseling, you have your pick of programs from schools throughout the state. What’s more, you have your pick of different types of programs, too, including MS, MA, and M.Ed. options.

Not all of Washington’s colleges and universities offer purely online graduate studies in counseling, though. The list below enumerates some of of the popular options for getting an online education in counseling, including hybrid programs with some on-campus learning required and an out-of-state online option as well.

Best Accredited Online Master's in Counseling Degrees in Washington State

Online Master’s in Counseling in Washington State

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

  • Seattle University
  • Northwest University
  • Eastern Washington University
  • City University of Seattle
  • University of Denver
  • Capella University
  • Eastern Oregon University
  • Southern New Hampshire University
  • Grand Canyon University

Seattle University

Online Master of Arts in Education With a Specialization in Counseling

Seattle University’s M.A.Ed. in Counseling is a three-year program you can complete anywhere in the country. A total of 90 quarter credits are necessary to graduate, the bulk of which come from year-round online coursework.

The program’s first two years are devoted to foundational and core studies in counseling. Your online courses are completed in an asynchronous format, so there are no set daily or weekly class times to meet online. There are, however, weekly deadlines and a structured format for each course.

During these first two years of studies, you will take courses like Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy, Introduction to Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and Fundamental Counseling Skills. Additionally, you will take classes in the following subjects:

  • Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling
  • Addictions Counseling
  • Career Counseling
  • Diagnosis and Assessment
  • Psychopharmacology

As you can see, the curriculum is broad-based and gives you a large toolkit upon which you can rely for working with clients of varying ages and mental health needs. Upon completing the first two years of the program, you are required to attend a weekend residency on campus at Seattle University.

To supplement these studies, the third year of the program shifts focus to experiential learning. You will complete a 4-credit, 100-hour practicum experience and three four-credit internships (for a total of 600 internship hours). These field experiences must take place at a location that’s approved by the program.

You will participate in 1.5 hours of weekly synchronous online supervision alongside your practicum and internships. The purpose of this supervision is to debrief your experience, get help from your professors and peers with issues that arise in practice, and provide support to other students.

This licensure track program is led by highly experienced faculty who are leaders in their areas of mental health research. Additionally, you’re helped throughout the program by a student success coordinator who works with you to ensure you have the support you need to complete your studies on time.

You can submit an online application for this program. To apply, you must have an undergraduate degree from a regionally-accredited college or university and a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher. Your application must be accompanied by the following:

  • Official transcripts from every college or university you have attended
  • A letter of intent
  • A resume
  • Two College of Education recommendation forms
  • A College of Education self-evaluation

You must also participate in a group interview.

Northwest University

Online Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

The MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northwest University is a three-year licensure-track program that prepares you for a professional clinical mental health counselor career in Washington State. You must complete 60 semester credits to graduate, the majority of which are asynchronous online courses.

This program’s curriculum is holistic in its approach to training. You will explore cultural, biological, and spiritual influences on behavior as you work through courses that cover topics like:

  • Marriage and Couple Counseling
  • Crisis Counseling and Abuse
  • Theology and Counseling
  • Multicultural Issues in Counseling
  • Human Growth and Development

Other courses explore topics such as psychopathology, the history and systems of counseling, and research methods. You must also take at least one course in law and ethics.

This program also includes practicum and internship components to comply with state licensure requirements. You are provided guidance for finding and securing practicum and internship placements that meet the program’s strict experiential learning guidelines. Furthermore, you will benefit from mentorship opportunities with the Directors of Clinical Training throughout your search.

Additionally, you must participate in three on-campus residencies, the first of which occurs during the program’s first semester. The second residency is during the first summer term, and the final residency is during the program’s second summer term (this is a full-time, year-round program).

You can apply to this program online, year-round. You must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited institution (with a minimum 3.0 GPA) to qualify. Though an undergraduate major in counseling, psychology, or a related field is preferred, it is not a requirement for admission. You do, however, have to provide the following documentation:

  • Official transcripts from every college or university you have attended
  • A resume or curriculum vitae
  • A letter of interest
  • Three references

Participation in an individual and a group interview is also required.

Eastern Washington University

Master of Science in Counseling With a Specialization in Clinical Mental Health

The Master of Science (MS) in Clinical Mental Health hybrid program at Eastern Washington University focuses on three broad areas of counseling: assessment of individual and community mental health needs, accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of mental illnesses, and ethical and legal considerations for professional counselors.

You will explore these topics – and many other more specific components of each – over the course of a two-year, full-time, 93 quarter credit program. Though some of your coursework is done online in synchronous and asynchronous classes, you must also be available for in-person courses on campus in Cheney, Washington, each Monday.

The broad-based curriculum includes studies in the following areas:

  • Career Counseling
  • Trauma-Informed Counseling
  • Family Systems
  • Group Theory and Process
  • Addictive Behavior Counseling

With training in these and other specific areas, you will exit the program with competencies to work with clients facing many different issues, from divorce to addiction to abuse and many other points in between.

To ensure you understand how to apply what you learn in class, this program requires you to complete a four-credit practicum and a 16-credit internship (which takes place over four separate quarters). The practicum can either be in a supervised clinical or counseling setting or in a research setting. The internship is also supervised and occurs in a setting approved by the counseling program.

Upon completing the degree requirements of this Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)-accredited program, you will be eligible for licensure as a mental health counselor in Washington. Likewise, you will be prepared to take the National Board for Certified Counselors exam for national certification as a counselor.

To apply, you must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university to apply (and your studies must have included at least one statistics course). When applying, submit the following with your completed application:

  • Official transcripts from every college or university you have attended
  • Three letters of reference
  • A cover letter and resume
  • A personal statement

City University of Seattle

Master of Arts in Counseling

The MA in Counseling from City University is a hybrid program with online and in-person learning requirements. A total of 90 credits are needed to graduate, which takes about three years to complete.

This program is unique among those listed in this guide because you can choose from three different counseling tracks:

  • Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  • Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling
  • Professional School Counseling

In each case, you complete a CACREP-required core curriculum that includes studies in Multicultural Counseling, Human Growth and Development, and Professional Ethics and Law. Other core courses include Career Counseling in Clinical Settings, Testing and Assessment, and Counseling Theory. You will also receive training in counseling in group settings.

Non-core courses dive into other areas of the counseling profession. This includes studies in the following:

  • Human Sexuality
  • Crisis, Grief, and Trauma Counseling
  • Addictions and Co-Occurring Counseling
  • Research Methods and Statistics
  • Psychopathology and Psychopharmacology

An additional 14 credits of practicum and internship experiences are required. You will complete two two-credit practica and three two-credit internships to gain the appropriate counseling experience before you graduate. There is also a two-credit course in counseling skills development that must be completed as part of your experiential training.

By completing these learning experiences, you will have the knowledge and skills to sit for licensure as a professional counselor. Your specific license depends on your area of emphasis. For example, you can pursue licensure as a Clinical Mental Health Counselor, a Professional School Counselor, or a Marriage, Couple, and Family Counselor.

You can apply to City University at any time online, provided you have a bachelor’s degree with a cumulative 2.75 GPA or higher. The following documents are required as part of the application process:

  • Official transcripts from every college or university you have attended
  • At least two letters of professional reference
  • A resume or curriculum vitae
  • A two-page writing sample that addresses your professional goals as well as your past and current counseling experiences

An interview with the program faculty is also required.

New York University

Online Master of Arts in School Counseling

Yet another high-quality online counseling program to consider is the MA in school counseling from New York University. Again, though NYU isn’t in Washington, you can complete the degree requirements as a Washington resident without attending any classes in New York.

This 48-credit program is shorter than most. Many students complete the requirements to graduate in two years. These requirements include advanced school counseling coursework, participation in a counseling lab (in which you work with a classmate to build essential counseling skills), and a 100-hour practicum. A 600-hour internship is also required to graduate.

The practicum and internship experiences take place in a school in your area. You can choose a private or public school setting, but either way, it must be approved by NYU before you begin your field experience. These experiences take place at the end of the program so you can apply what you’ve learned in your classes to a real-world school counseling setting.

Completion of this program makes you eligible for a New York State Initial Certification as a school counselor. This certification enables you to work in K-12 settings. Licensure opportunities in other states vary – consult with the state department of education in your state to ensure this program meets its educational requirements for licensure.

You can apply to this Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC)-accredited program online. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, giving you greater flexibility regarding when you begin the program. You must have a baccalaureate degree to apply. You must also submit the following:

  • Official transcripts from every college and university you have attended
  • A resume or curriculum vitae
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • A statement of purpose
  • English proficiency scores (if English is not your native language)

Counseling Work Opportunities in Washington State

With a graduate education in counseling, the sky’s the limit when it comes to work opportunities in Washington. Obviously, some counseling degrees are more restrictive than others. For example, if your degree is in addiction counseling, you likely won’t work with children who have developmental disorders. Likewise, if your degree is in school counseling, you won’t work with severely mentally disturbed adults in a psychiatric setting.

However, if your counseling degree is in a broad field – like clinical mental health counseling – you can follow any number of career paths. For example, after you graduate, you might pursue a career in a community mental health setting in Seattle or one of its suburbs. In this context, you might focus on working with people who need career counseling after being laid off by a high-paying technology firm.

Conversely, you might work in a residential addiction treatment setting in one of Washington’s rural communities. As an addictions counselor, you would assess and diagnose clients for substance use or substance abuse disorders, devise treatment plans, and provide individual and group counseling. You might also work with clients’ friends and families to provide training on how they can better support their loved one’s recovery.

Some counseling professionals in Washington work for local or state agencies, too. For example, you might work for the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services and provide parenting training for young parents, trauma-informed therapy for victims of abuse, and advocacy services for people experiencing poverty or homelessness.

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