Mental health matters more than ever — and so does having the right preparation to address it. GCU's CACREP-accredited M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling builds the clinical skills, professional identity, and supervised experience you need to pursue licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in New Jersey.
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GCU's Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) — the national standard of excellence for counselor preparation programs. CACREP accreditation means your degree is recognized by licensing boards, employers, and doctoral programs across the country. When you apply for your NJ LPC license, CACREP accreditation matters.
The 60-credit program is structured as a three-year journey — year one builds your foundational knowledge and skills, year two deepens your clinical theory and includes your practicum, and year three focuses on internship and comprehensive examination. Everything is sequenced intentionally so that by the time you finish, you've met the educational requirements to apply for New Jersey's Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) credential.
Before you graduate, you'll complete a practicum (100 hours, 40 of which are direct client contact) and two full internship courses (700 hours total, 280 hours of direct client contact). That's 800 hours of supervised clinical experience in authentic counseling settings — working with real clients, receiving live supervision, and building the case conceptualization skills that make effective counselors.
If your goal is dual licensure as both a mental health counselor and an addictions counselor, the program supports that directly. Elective courses in Introduction to Addictions Counseling, Treatment of Addictive Disorders, and Psychopharmacology — combined with the addictions focused proseminar option — prepare you to sit for both the LPC and Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC) examinations.
You'll move through this program with a cohort — a group of fellow students admitted together, taking courses in sequence, supporting each other through practicum and internship. GCU's small program size means your faculty supervisors know your clinical work, your growth edges, and your goals. Triadic supervision is built into the program, and faculty advising is not optional — it's built in.
GCU’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) — the national standard of excellence for counselor preparation programs.
Becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor is a demanding, meaningful professional journey — and the graduate program you choose shapes the kind of clinician you become. GCU’s M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, accredited by CACREP, is designed to build not just competent counselors, but ethical, culturally aware, and professionally grounded ones.
The 60-credit curriculum covers the full scope of the CACREP core areas: counseling theories and intervention, multicultural and social justice counseling, lifespan development, group work, career and organizational counseling, appraisal and assessment, research methods,
psychopathology, and the counseling profession. Electives allow you to deepen your preparation in areas like addictions counseling, marriage and family therapy, cognitive-behavioral treatment, supervision, spirituality in counseling, or crisis intervention — depending on where your interests and career goals lie.
The program’s clinical sequence is structured to move you from observation to competence over three years. You’ll begin building counseling skills in your first semester (CMH5100), progress to supervised practicum in year two, and enter internship in year three — completing 700 hours of field experience (280 direct client contact hours) at approved sites. A comprehensive exit examination — combining the nationally standardized Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) with a departmental case study — ensures that every graduate meets a rigorous standard of professional readiness before credentialing.
For those interested in doctoral training, the program strongly encourages completing Thesis Seminar I and II — a research-focused track that culminates in a capstone project and positions you competitively for counselor education doctoral programs.
GCU’s M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is a great fit if you:
New Jersey is one of the largest markets for licensed mental health counselors in the country, with robust opportunities in private practice, community mental health, schools, and hospital systems.
| Entry Level (0–3 Years, post-LPC) | NJ Median | Experienced / Private Practice / Senior Clinician |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000–$62,000 | $72,440 | $85,000–$120,000+ |
Licensed counselors in private practice in NJ typically earn significantly above the median, depending on caseload and specialization. Counselors with dual LPC/LCADC licensure often command premium rates in addictions treatment settings.
Job Outlook
Mental health counselor positions are projected to grow 22% from 2023 to 2033 — much faster than the average for all occupations — with approximately 42,000 job openings per year nationally. The ongoing national mental health crisis, expanded insurance parity for behavioral health services, and growing employer and school demand for counseling support are all fueling this growth. New Jersey, with its dense population and high concentration of behavioral health providers, is one of the strongest markets in the country.
Professional courses are open only to students formally admitted to the program.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| CMH5100 | Introduction to Counseling Skills | 3.0 |
| CMH5101 | Advanced Psychpathology&Diagnosis | 3.0 |
| CMH5200 | Multicultural Issues in Counseling | 3.0 |
| CMH5300 | Counseling Theories | 3.0 |
| CMH5301 | Clin Mntl Hlth Cnslng Interven | 3.0 |
| CMH5302 | Appraisal of the Individual | 3.0 |
| CMH5303 | Techniques of Group Counseling | 3.0 |
| CMH5400 | Lifespan Development | 3.0 |
| CMH5500 | Orgn Cnsling & Career Dev | 3.0 |
| CMH5600 | The Counseling Profession | 3.0 |
| CMH5700 | Applied Research Methods | 3.0 |
| CMH5800 | Practicum in Counseling | 4.0 |
| CMH5802 | Internship in Counseling I | 4.0 |
| CMH5804 | Internship in Counseling II | 4.0 |
| CMH6000 | Proseminar 1 | 3.0 |
| or CMH5357 | Sem Addict Trtmnt & Prev | |
| CMH6003 | MA Comprehensive Exam | 0.0 |
| Electives | ||
| Select 12 credits of electives 2 | 12.0 | |
| Total Credits | 60.0 | |
Students intending to be dually licensed as mental health counselors and addictions counselors are advised to select CMH5357 Sem Addict Trtmnt & Prev.
Students intending to be dually licensed as mental health counselors and addictions counselors are advised to select CMH5355 Introduction to Addictions Counseling, CMH5356 Treatment of Addictive Disorders, and CMH5601 Psychopharmacology.
Students intending to pursue doctoral training are strongly urged to register for CMH6001 Thesis Seminar I and CMH6002 Thesis Seminar II.
Students intending to be dually licensed as mental health counselors and addictions counselors are advised to select CMH5355 Introduction to Addictions Counseling, CMH5356 Treatment of Addictive Disorders, CMH5601 Psychopharmacology, and CMH5357 Sem Addict Trtmnt & Prev.
A comprehensive examination (CMH6003 MA Comprehensive Exam) is required of all candidates, which consists of a national standardized test (the CPCE) and a case study. Students are allowed two opportunities to pass each section of the comprehensive examination. If a student passes one section and does not pass the other, they will not be required to retake the passed section. If a student fails to complete the comprehensive exam sections successfully after two attempts, the student may be subject to academic dismissal. Students who fail either section of the comprehensive examination must arrange to meet with their advisor or their program director within two weeks of results notification.
Important: The CMH program admits students for the fall semester only. The application deadline is April 30 for the fall semester you wish to begin. Applications received after April 30 will be considered conditionally based on available space. Admission is contingent on a faculty interview; applicants are notified of decisions within two weeks of their interview.
Required application materials:
Non-native English speakers are required to demonstrate proficiency via the TOEFL or equivalent.
Contact Graduate Admissions at 732-987-2770 or [email protected] with any questions.
Graduates of GCU’s CACREP-accredited M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling will be able to:
Q: What is CACREP accreditation and why does it matter for LPC licensure? A: CACREP (Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs) is the national accrediting body for counselor education programs. NJ’s LPC licensure board recognizes CACREP-accredited programs — meaning your degree from GCU carries recognized weight when you apply for licensure. Many states require or strongly prefer CACREP graduation for licensure; it also matters for acceptance into doctoral programs.
Q: What’s the difference between an LPC and an LCSW? A: Both are licensed clinical mental health credentials in NJ, but they come from different graduate programs. Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) typically graduate from counseling programs (like GCU’s CMH M.A.). Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs) graduate from social work programs (like GCU’s M.S.W.). Both can provide individual therapy, but their theoretical orientations, scope of practice details, and professional identities differ. GCU offers paths to both.
Q: Can I get a job in mental health while still in the program? A: Many students work in related roles (crisis hotlines, case management, residential care, community support) during the coursework phase of the program. You cannot practice as a counselor independently without licensure — but many paraprofessional and supervised roles are accessible. The practicum and internship placements themselves may be paid in some settings.
Q: How does the dual LPC/LCADC track work? A: If you want to pursue dual licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC), you select your four electives accordingly: CMH5355 Introduction to Addictions Counseling, CMH5356 Treatment of Addictive Disorders, CMH5601 Psychopharmacology, and CMH5357 Seminar in Addiction Treatment & Prevention. These meet the NJ LCADC educational requirements alongside your LPC preparation.
Q: What does the comprehensive exit exam involve? A: The CMH6003 M.A. Comprehensive Examination has two components: (1) the nationally standardized Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE), which tests your knowledge across all eight core CACREP curriculum domains, and (2) a departmental case study developed by GCU faculty. Both must be passed to graduate.
Q: Why is the application deadline April 30? A: This program admits a single cohort each fall — meaning all admitted students begin together and move through the program together. This structure is intentional; it builds professional community and allows for careful sequencing of prerequisites. A firm deadline allows the faculty to make cohort-level admissions decisions with full information.
Q: How long does it take to get my LPC after graduation? A: After earning your M.A., you’ll need to: (1) pass the National Counselor Examination (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) for NJ licensure, and (2) complete 4,500 hours of post-master’s supervised experience under a licensed supervisor (3,000 of which must be direct client contact). Most LPC candidates complete the supervised hours in 2–3 years post-graduation.
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