John Carroll University offers three counseling career paths, including a campus-based and fully-online Master of Arts (M.A.) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, a hybrid Master of Education (M.Ed.) in School Counseling and a fully-online Substance Use Disorder Counseling Certificate.
You can complete the programs full-time or part-time, in as little as two years. You gain real-world clinical experience through approved practicum and internship sites, and will be prepared to sit for applicable licensure or certification in Ohio.
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Program Delivery Options Starts/Credits Licensure M.A Counseling
Hybrid Option:
On campus + Select
Online Courses
Fully OnlineFall and Summer
60 CreditsProfessional Counselor
Professional Clinical CounselorM.Ed. School Counseling
Hybrid Option:
On campus + OnlineFall and Summer
60 CreditsProfessional Pupil Services License
Certificate:
Substance Use
Disorder CounselingFully Online
Fall and Summer
15 CreditsChemical Dependency Counselor
353%
Increase in demand for behavioral health treatment in Ohio (2013-2019).
23%
Projected growth of licensed mental health counselor employment ( U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020-2030).
67
Of Ohio’s 88 counties designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas.
19%
Expected growth in employment for Ohio substance use and behavioral disorder counselors (2014-2024).
Faculty Networks/ Accredited Programs
John Carroll’s Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is fully accredited by Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) — a recognition that the program meets the highest standards for teaching. The Master of Education in School Counseling degree program is accredited by Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). In both cases, our core faculty and deep bench of practicing counselors from greater Cleveland provide connections at agencies and private practices, and open doors to coveted internship placements and jobs. Students benefit from employer and alumni networks: more than 80 employers and mental health counseling agencies across the state; and a network of alumni at 60 local schools provides a pathway to experiences in elementary, middle, and high schools.
Hands On
Master of Education in School Counseling students complete three semesters of field placement with a diverse set of school districts across Northeast Ohio. Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling students begin fieldwork in the fourth semester with a unique practicum lab at Moore Counseling and Mediation Services (MCMS), one of the preeminent behavioral health treatment centers in northeast Ohio. Your full-term internships in semesters five and six will allow you to explore specific settings, such as private practice, hospitals, community agencies, K-12 schools or college campuses.
Substance Use Disorder Concentration
Any student enrolled in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program may pursue the three-course Substance Use Disorder Concentration without an additional application process. The concentration counts as your required elective courses. Once complete, graduates are eligible for a second license—Licensed Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor (LICDC)—which is highly desired by employers. JCU is the only program in the state of Ohio that has worked with the state licensing board in designing the curriculum so that students can skip the exam for the LICDC license.
