Online Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

A 62-credit M.S. offered online in 8-week courses and in an evening class setting, at $610 per credit. It includes a 100-hour practicum and two 300-hour internships with weekly group supervision via Zoom. GCU states it meets the academic requirements for Arizona LAC and LPC licensure.

Official program name

Online Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Awarded degree

Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Degree level

Master's

Counseling specialty

Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Professional purpose

Clinical counselor preparationThe institution states the program prepares students for professional counselor licensure. Licensure itself also requires post-degree supervised experience, an examination and a state application.

Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026

School

Grand Canyon University — College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Location

Phoenix, AZWhere the school is located. Coursework is online; this is not a residency requirement, does not decide whether you may enroll from your state, and is not where you complete practicum or internship.

Required credits

62 credits

Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Duration

Not verified

Teaching language

English (not separately stated)

The same program page lists two class settings, online and evening, at the same $610 per credit rate. Emphasis versions (Christian Counseling, Childhood and Adolescence Disorders, Marriage and Family Therapy, Trauma) have their own pages and credit totals (e.g., 74 credits with the Christian Counseling emphasis) and are not recorded separately.

Academic delivery

Online courseworkCoursework is delivered online. Practicum and internship are completed in person at approved sites, and some programs also require campus residencies.Coursework is delivered online. Practicum and internship are completed in person at approved sites, and some programs also require campus residencies.

Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Campus attendance for coursework

Campus attendance: not verified

Class schedule

Not verified

Study intensity

Not published

The pages we checked do not say whether residencies, intensives or other campus visits are required. Ask the school before you apply — missing information is not “no requirement”.

Practicum

Required100 hours. Counseling Practicum (CNL-624): minimum 100 hours of counseling-related activities including 40 direct client contact hours.

Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Internship

Required300 hours. Counseling Internship I (CNL-664A): 300 hours including at least 120 direct hours.

Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Internship

Required300 hours. Counseling Internship II (CNL-664B): 300 hours including at least 120 direct client contact hours.

Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Placement arrangements and supervision

Supervision

On-site clinical site supervisor approved by the university; weekly group supervision via Zoom with counseling faculty.

Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Other fieldwork requirement

Student professional liability insurance ($1 million/$3 million) and a 3.0 GPA are prerequisites for practicum.

Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026

How practicum and internship placements work

Minimum GPA

RequiredMinimum 2.8 — Undergraduate degree with 2.8+ GPA, or 2.5+ GPA with GMAT 500 or GRE 300.

Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Tests

GRE General Test

Optional — minimum 300Listed as an alternative route for applicants with a 2.5+ GPA instead of 2.8+ (GMAT 500 also listed).

Source: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances.

Application deadlines: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Scholarships, fellowships or assistantships for this program: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Institutional accreditation

• Higher Learning Commission (HLC) — accreditedSource: ope.ed.gov · verified October 12, 2026

Programmatic accreditation

• Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)Status: Accredited · Specialty: Clinical Mental Health Counseling · Degree: M.S.Accredited since January 17, 2024 · current cycle ends October 31, 2033 · listed by the accreditor as onlineSource: cacrep.org · verified October 11, 2026

Published enrollment restrictions (state authorization)

• GCU is a SARA participating institution. Official pageSource: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026

International applicants

Not verified for this program.

• LicensureMeets the academic requirements for Arizona LAC and LPC licensure; students in other states must check their state's requirements. Per-state determinations are published on the program's disclosures page. Official disclosureSource: gcu.edu · verified October 12, 2026

CACREP accreditation does not guarantee licensure in every state, and school counselor certification is not the same as clinical counselor licensure. LPC, LMHC and other state titles · School counselor credentials

1. DAPIP — HLC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-12) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 12, 2026
2. CACREP Directory of accredited programs (CSV export downloaded 2026-10-11) — Accreditor directory, verified October 11, 2026
3. gcu.edu/academics/accreditation/state-authorizations-sara — Official disclosure page, verified October 12, 2026
4. gcu.edu/degree-programs/bachelor-science-addiction-counseling — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
5. gcu.edu/degree-programs/masters-clinical-mental-health-counseling — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
6. gcu.edu/degree-programs/masters-clinical-mental-health-counseling/accreditation — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026

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