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Northwestern University · The Family Institute at Northwestern University

Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (on-campus format)

Awarded degree: Master of Arts in Counseling

Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Master'sMA CACREP

Overview

On-campus, full-time MA in clinical mental health counseling through The Family Institute, with fall entry only, a typical length of 21 months, required two-day immersions in Chicago and 24 or 27 units depending on curriculum.

Official program name
Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (on-campus format)
Awarded degree
Master of Arts in Counseling
Source: catalogs.northwestern.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Degree level
Master's
Counseling specialty
Source: catalogs.northwestern.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: catalogs.northwestern.edu · verified October 12, 2026
School
Source: catalogs.northwestern.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Location
Evanston, IL
Required credits
On-ground: Standard Curriculum 24 units, Two-Plus Curriculum 27 units
Source: catalogs.northwestern.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Duration
typically completed in 21 months (full-time)
Source: catalogs.northwestern.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Start terms
Fall
Source: catalogs.northwestern.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Teaching language
English (not separately stated)

Same degree also offered online as Counseling@Northwestern (separate record); the catalog states the same courses are taught on-ground and online.

Why this program is listed

Master's degree in clinical mental health counseling, on-campus format listed in the 2026-2027 catalog.

Source: catalogs.northwestern.edu · verified October 12, 2026

We list counseling bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees whose official program is counselor preparation in a named specialty, and — separately labelled — counseling psychology. Generic psychology, education, social work and standalone MFT degrees are excluded. Eligibility rules

Format and campus attendance

How coursework is delivered and whether you must come to campus for it. Practicum and internship are a separate requirement, shown in the next section. “Fully online coursework” appears only when the school says no campus attendance is required.
Academic delivery
On campusClasses meet in person on campus.Classes meet in person on campus.
Source: catalogs.northwestern.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Class schedule
Not verified
Study intensity
Full-time
Source: catalogs.northwestern.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Campus requirements as published

  • Immersion Required

    Mandatory two-day immersions in Chicago during the Foundations and Group Counseling courses (all formats)

    Two · Chicago, IL

    Source: catalogs.northwestern.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Practicum, internship and placements

Supervised fieldwork in a clinical, community or school setting, as the school publishes it. For online programs this happens in person, usually near where you live — whatever the coursework format.

Practicum and internship requirements: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Placement arrangements and supervision

Not published on the pages we checked. Ask who finds the practicum site, whether sites in your area are approved and how supervision works.

How practicum and internship placements work

Curriculum

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

Admissions

Required, optional, waived and not-required items are shown exactly as the university states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.

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

Tests

Entrance and English-language test policy: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances.

Start dates and deadlines

Dates are shown with the term the university printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

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

Tuition and fees

Each amount keeps its student category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-term and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other, and tuition is not the full cost of attendance.
CategoryAmountBasis and year
All students — Full-time Tuition, Counseling (3 to 4 units)From the university-wide rate table covering online students at this level$23,662per term · 2026-2027Source: northwestern.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Other published fees

Family Institute Tech Fee
$195 per academic yearMandatory
Source: northwestern.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Funding

Funding policy and awards exactly as the school publishes them. Competitive scholarships and assistantships are not guaranteed funding; loans must be repaid and are not scholarships. Counseling tuition and scholarships

Funding classification: Funding not verified

We have not verified an official funding policy for this program. That does not mean funding is unavailable.

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

Accreditation and enrollment restrictions

Institutional accreditation covers the whole school; programmatic accreditation (CACREP) covers only the specialty and degree it lists. Enrollment restrictions for online students are a separate question.

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.A.Accredited since July 9, 2013 · current cycle ends March 31, 2031 · listed by the accreditor as onlineSource: cacrep.org · verified October 11, 2026

Published enrollment restrictions (state authorization)

International applicants

Not verified for this program.

Licensure and professional disclosures

What the school publishes about professional licensure or certification. Meeting a state's educational requirements is only one part of licensure: examinations, post-degree supervised experience, background checks and a board application follow. This directory does not decide whether you qualify.

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

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below. Last verified October 12, 2026.
  1. catalogs.northwestern.edu/tgs/counseling/ — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 12, 2026
  2. catalogs.northwestern.edu/tgs/counseling/counseling-ma/ — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 12, 2026
  3. counseling.northwestern.edu/legal/state-authorization-information/ — Official disclosure page, verified October 12, 2026
  4. DAPIP — HLC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-12) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 12, 2026
  5. CACREP Directory of accredited programs (CSV export downloaded 2026-10-11) — Accreditor directory, verified October 11, 2026
  6. northwestern.edu/sfs/tuition/graduate/tgs.html — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 12, 2026

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Similar programs at other schools

Same degree level, specialty and format family, programs in Illinois first. Listed for discovery, not ranked.

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Bradley University

Clinical Mental Health Counseling (MA)

Awarded degree: Master of Arts in Counseling

Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Master'sMA CACREP
Location: Peoria, IL
Delivery: On campusClasses meet in person on campus.Study intensity not published
Practical training: On-campus classes; practicum and internship required100 practicum + 600 internship hours (as published)
Duration: Length not published · 60 credits
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Awarded degree: Master of Education (M.Ed.)

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Location: Williamsburg, VA
Delivery: On campusClasses meet in person on campus.Full-time
Practical training: On-campus classes; practicum and internship required100 practicum + 600 internship hours (as published)
Duration: Two years full-time (full-time) · 60 credits
Tuition: $606 per credit · Resident (in-state) — In-State Resident, per credit hour (part-time students and summer) · 2026-2027Est. total tuition $97,860 (60 credits × $1,631 per credit; fees excluded)
Next deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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Mississippi State University logo

Mississippi State University

Clinical Mental Health Counseling (M.S.)

Awarded degree: Master of Science in Counselor Education with Clinical Mental Health Counseling Concentration

Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Master'sMS CACREP
Location: Mississippi State, MS
Delivery: On campusClasses meet in person on campus.Study intensity not published
Practical training: On-campus classes; practicum and internship required600 internship hours (as published)
Duration: Full-time students complete the program in two years, including summers (full-time) · 60 credits
Tuition: $616.40 per credit · Resident (in-state) — Graduate, Resident, total tuition and required fees per credit hour (1-8 hours), Starkville · Fall 2026 or Spring Est. total tuition $100,299 (60 credits × $1,671.65 per credit; fees excluded)
Next deadline: Rolling admission (as published)
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