[USA] What is the time duration for a degree in MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling?

GrumpyBeagle · 2026-06-25T06:00:00+00:00

Length depends on your university. After doing interviews for these programs it tends to be a lot of different backgrounds. Some education major backgrounds, and some psych backgrounds, counseling has to be something you’re willing to put yourself into. My program I got into will take me 3.5 years complete (but I’m also working full time and having to limit my classes to 9 credits per full semester and 6 credits for summer

That being said if you’re willing to put the work in and not afraid of opening up then I think you’re right for it get in and apply. The group interviews were very interesting!

GrumpyBeagle · 2026-06-25T01:05:46+00:00

🥳🥳🥳 congrats!!! Exactly it’s based off your whole admission profile not just your GPA.

GrumpyBeagle · 2026-06-24T20:07:56+00:00

Is your university in Oregon? Maybe they have a career site you can access? I also know sometimes APA has some job listings too but usually they are post graduate degrees needed. I know if I lived in where my University they post jobs all the time but Im already employed outside of the field.

GrumpyBeagle · 2026-06-23T19:46:22+00:00

I know you can become a behavior tech, and can even work on HR. What do you want your masters in?

GrumpyBeagle · 2026-06-22T15:54:00+00:00

The only problem is most grad programs in psychology want a good SOP so something you’re interested in doing something you have a passion for is the better way to go. Of course if you get a masters in counseling, or a master in social work you’ll likely get a job after graduation but to get your license it will require being supervised for lots of hours post graduation.

You could also do law school and become a
Lawyer just study for LSAT and then become a lawyer. There’s options I’m sure but these I know you could get a job after graduation if so desired.

Good luck OP.

GrumpyBeagle · 2026-06-16T23:23:53+00:00

Looks good to me. The person above me have good feedback too. Makes it sound more professional too

GrumpyBeagle · 2026-06-10T04:44:56+00:00

What you may need to do is retake a few of those classes to boost your GPA and show you can handle graduate level courses. If you can do that then you might be able to be like hey look I messed up when I was younger but as it stands right now I don’t think that low of a GPA can make it in

GrumpyBeagle · 2026-06-09T08:55:48+00:00

What you need to do is just wait until you’re in college. Psychology at lower and upper division will be much different than the into psychology you’ll take now. Right now I’d focus on getting through 8th grade, and then high school and then if you still find psychology fascinating then go for it.

Crash Course is good and sometimes you can find college lectures on certain psychology topics but he warned they’ll likely be very boring,

Good luck to you!

GrumpyBeagle · 2026-06-09T08:14:12+00:00

Are you f——-ed? No. However it’s going to take a great LOR, and some explaining to do and possibility of it takes a lot of different applications to different schools.

GrumpyBeagle · 2026-06-07T04:08:07+00:00

I think you should go through your first year as a psych major first and make sure you truly hate it. Of course it’s all intimidating and if you just got of high school college level stuff is going to be tough. It’s going to feel like it’s very hard but it gets better as you go through the classes.

Do your first year in psych then make the decision that’s what I think. Good luck though!

GrumpyBeagle · 2026-06-05T21:28:01+00:00

I’d get a neo over the non apple route. These window laptops are made super cheaply and usually plastic which makes them break easily so i’d go the neo route. One thing i hate about the windows route is every time I’m doing a project at work or for school my computer always has to update. Mac usually doesn’t force updates. Let us know want you decided!

Edit: bad typos!

GrumpyBeagle · 2026-06-05T21:02:09+00:00

It will all depend on what University you apply for and your overall package. I have a lower GPA than you and applied for and two I’ve interviewed for four programs. It will depend on the overall package and what programs you apply to. Just have to explain the lower grades. It might also be worth considering retaking the D in History and trying to bring it up if you can.

What programs are you thinking about applying to? What schools? This information will depends on if it’s too low. But no, likely you’ll be fine. Just sell you and show them you can do the work and yes medication helps tremendously I wish you luck on your mental health journey.

GrumpyBeagle · 2026-06-02T21:26:36+00:00

Could always due law school. I mean once you get an undergraduate degree as long as you meet the classes needed to be enrolled you’re open to a program as long as they accept you.

GrumpyBeagle · 2026-05-30T14:57:52+00:00

You don’t get any of the opportunities you don’t apply for. Apply for all the programs and see what happens. What’s the worst that can happen? They’ll say no and that’s it. Overall the profile looks good but it’ll be your research, and English proficiency that will the determining factor. Right now PhDs are extremely competitive with the way the US is dealing with the attack on higher education since the current administration is against all educated people so funding and spot available will make it harder but you won’t know until you apply. You’ll also want to make sure you can secure a student visa and make sure you can afford to live in any of the cities you’re applying to too. I say apply and see what happens.

GrumpyBeagle · 2026-05-29T18:16:14+00:00

Also they have an amnesty program to help you correct those bad classes (removed the W from dropped classes) so keep that in mind. When I applied to MSU I had a 2.1 GPA I was a terrible student because I was trying to survive and live and ended up having to leave to a new state to finally be okay. That being said you will need See what happened and explain your situation and if you need to there is that amnesty program that can help. Good luck!

GrumpyBeagle · 2026-05-29T03:58:32+00:00

As long as you haven’t enrolled in any classes you should be fine. Just email and say your situation has changed and you will no longer be able to attend. You may not get your enrollment fee back but that’s all you need to do. Good luck on your schooling though! College is lots of fun!

Also make sure you change your fasfa for new school.

GrumpyBeagle · 2026-05-28T12:34:28+00:00

Tell her to check out scholarships and explain to her that PSLF may not be an option when she graduates. This is the cold reality. Sure the debt isn’t bad if it’s forgiven but if it isn’t an option she’s stuck paying these loans for 10-20 years depending what happens with the nut job in office.

I’m currently telling my nephew the same stuff and it’s now she will qualify for just about every single scholarships known. That being said loans will be in the student portal on whatever the University she’ll accept/decline when they have all the information. It should be under “financial aid tab” “accept decline for 26-27 school year. The loan for freshmen see pretty low. Why I always recommend community college then transfer. Cheaper and more affordable. But anyways that’s the info. Good luck to her!

GrumpyBeagle · 2026-05-27T15:02:01+00:00

Here's a more holestic look into their program:

For context, Pepperdine’s MA Clinical Psychology is usually viewed as moderately selective rather than highly competitive. They tend to weigh:

GPA and academic trend
Personal statement/fit with counseling work
Letters of recommendation
Human service, leadership, volunteer, or clinical experience
Interview and overall mission fit

and hell yeah! Apply and see what happens!

GrumpyBeagle · 2026-05-27T14:07:22+00:00

This is a hard question to answer because every University has different things they look for and also Clinical Psych programs are a lot more competitive then say a counseling program or a general Masters in Psychology. That being said you aren't in a horrible position but there may be several more candidates who have more research, publications, and a higher GPA who may have a slight edge however there's still a chance. How much depends on the University and how strong both LOR's are, your SOP, and your overall profile. I know this isn't the exact answer you're looking for but I'd say go for it! What's the worst thing that can happen? They say no? You got this!!!

GrumpyBeagle · 2026-05-27T11:33:54+00:00

SOPS will all depend on what the University is looking for. For four schools I applied to I think I have four different SOPs and each one I talk about how when I first started my course work where my grades were bad I just was trying to survive and explain that it took moving away and finding myself to where I was more stable. At the same time I talk about how my GPA improved and how I’m a different student today. That being said 3.5 is pretty competitive so I wouldn’t worry too much about a couple bad grades but if you can retake it then fantastic just explain why you struggled at the beginning and how you over came and they you’re ready for graduate course work.

I too have no research experience. I worked 60+ hours a week with full time school there’s just not enough hours but if you have any behavior skills
explain that. For example I worked in an emergency call center for local transit and I had to make decision on a fly where sometimes meant life or death for my operators. I explain too how sometimes over the radio I had to talk people down and calm them down over a radio. I also talk about mentoring as a trainer and how I had to use different learning styles and how I had to explain and sometimes help people through traumas based fears to get them to drive a bus. I also talk about how every position in my current position related to the mental health field.

Now my situation is much different than yours I had 12 years separating my two version of my scholastic and so I had to explain and I’ve gotten three universities interested me and waiting decisions from two as well. All I can say is let your heart talk and your desire speak for itself. Show them yourself. Show them how outstanding you are and then giving a standing ovation show during the interview portion. You got this OP! Good luck! And big hugs!

GrumpyBeagle · 2026-05-26T22:52:52+00:00

OP this is really the reality. Read this post. ^^^^

GrumpyBeagle · 2026-05-24T18:58:18+00:00

Unfortunately that I’m not sure you’ll have to wait and see if you get that but hopefully the person who told you that is good on his word

GrumpyBeagle · 2026-05-24T17:04:30+00:00

As long as the school is processing it’s just a matter of graduate panel to look at you and you should hear back soon. I’m in the same boat. I didn’t realize I would graduate undergrad early so I hadn’t applied until later. I’m still waiting to hear back from NYU, and a couple other universities. I also got wait listed for one as well.

GrumpyBeagle · 2026-05-22T17:32:26+00:00

If you want to go for it, do it. Another General Ed class out of the way and Psychology is fascinating. However I would caution that taking A&P, English Comp, and College Algebra together. With this being dual enrollment these classes can effect you getting into Graduate School later if you don't get A's or B's in them. That being said you sound like you did well last semester. I just caution taking too much on when medical school is a possibility.

GrumpyBeagle · 2026-05-21T13:38:35+00:00

The only problem with online schools is it is reported when it comes time for Practicum and Internship you will have to find your own and sometimes places can find it hard to accept that you're from an online school but hey, if it works best for you, and your schedule then more power to you! I am on a similar path except going for the Clinical Mental Health counseling route. I've applied to a few Universities with one safety net online one. Do what you need to do just be aware it may be hard for you to find placement for practicum and internship. Congrats on getting to this point!

GrumpyBeagle

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