Mental Health Counseling (MSEd)
Welcome to the Mental Health Counseling (MSEd) program home page. Use this page as a guide to the program from acceptance to graduation.
The Mental Health Counseling program prepares graduates to work as mental health counselors in hospital, agency and community settings as well as in private practice. Students can complete the program part-time or full-time.
Academic Plan
MENHC-MSED
Total Credits
Earn at least 60 credits
Advisors and Faculty
- Alex Fietzer, Program Leader
- Veronica Muller, Program Faculty
- Michelle Lask, Clinical Coordinator of Field Placements
- Hadeel Elder, Program Faculty/Fieldwork Site Development
- Valerie Lyons, Licensure, Graduation and Administrative Advisor
Newly Accepted Students
Getting Started and Orientation
New Student Checklist
Welcome to the School of Education! Visit the Newly Accepted Students page for a checklist to get you started at Hunter College.
New Student Support
If at any point you need support, please reach out to our New Student Liaison at newsoest@hunter.cuny.edu or make an appointment.
Orientations
Students will attend three orientations to cover all the information needed to start your program:
- General New Student Orientation
- Program Advising Session
- Clinical Experiences and Fingerprinting Orientation
See “Program Related Events” for details about upcoming sessions.
Financing Your Degree
Visit the Financing Your Degree page for information.
Program Sequences
Consult the program sequence for a suggested order of courses for the program based on start date. It also includes when to take certification exams and apply for clinical experiences in addition to other important non-course requirements. For technical registration support and troubleshooting, please visit the Register for Classes page.
Transfer of Credits
A matriculated student may request a transfer of credit for a graduate-level course completed at another institution. To be eligible, the course must have been taken within the past five years and closely match the content of a required course in the student’s Hunter College program. The request will be reviewed by faculty for equivalence. Each program sets the courses for which a transfer will be considered. Graduate students are limited to 12 transfer credits.
Courses Permitted for Transfer
Graduate students are limited to 12 transfer credits. The program will review transfer of credit requests for the following courses:
- COCO 70000 Life Stage Development
- COCO 70200 Theories of Counseling
- COCO 70300 Psych Social, Cultural, and Political Aspects of Disability: Rehabilitation and Special Education
- COCO 70800 Measurement and Appraisal
- COCO 70900 Research Methods in Counseling
- COCO 71000 Chemical Dependency: Issues in Counseling
- COCO 71100 Supervision and Administration in Counseling
- COCO 71200 Career Counseling, Assessment and Placement
- COUNM 71600 Foundations of Mental Health Counseling
- COCO 71500 Family Systems And Counseling Issues
- COUNM 71700 Psychopathology: Diagnosis and Treatment
- COUNM 72000 Program Development & Evaluation
- COUNR 72000 Medical Aspects of Disability
- COUNR 72100 Intev. Children/ Adolescence
Transfer of Credit Not Approved
Transfer of Credit is never approved for the following courses:
- COCO 70100 Counseling Skills and Interviewing Techniques (KC)
- COCO 70600 Group Counseling (KC)
- COCO 70700 Multicultural Aspects of Counseling
- COUNM 71800 Practicum in Mental Health Counseling (KC)
- COUNM 71900 Advanced Counseling Skills and Contemporary Issues
- COUNM 72500 Internship in Mental Health Counseling 1 (KC)
- COUNM 72600 Internship in Mental Health Counseling 2 (KC)
Transfer of Credit Form
Please complete the Transfer of Credit Request Form, sign digitally, pdf and attach all required documents. Then send it to your faculty advisor for review. Once you obtain your faculty advisor’s signature upload the required form to the School of Education form uploader.
Hunter College Catalog
Use the Hunter College Course Catalog to review descriptions of specific courses and academic progress standards for the program along with exit requirements.
Clinical Experiences
Students in the Mental Health Counseling program are required to complete two fieldwork experiences during their academic program: practicum and internship.
Practicum
Practicum is a one-semester placement, which may be completed in the fall or spring semester. Practicum requires students to be in the field a minimum of 100 hours per semester (approximately one full day each week). There are two corresponding courses required to register for during the practicum semester.
Internship
Upon successful completion of practicum, students are eligible to start internship, their second fieldwork experience during their academic program. Internship is a two-consecutive semester placement, which starts in the fall semester and is completed in the spring semester. Internship requires students to be in the field a minimum of 300 hours per semester (approximately three full days each week). There is one corresponding course required to register for during each internship semester.
Application and Placement
Registration permission is required to register for Practicum and Internship courses. Counseling students are responsible for identifying their placement in collaboration with the fieldwork coordinator. Once placement has been approved, registration permission will be granted.
For the Practicum
Students are required to attend one fieldwork orientation session prior to applying for practicum. Of the two sessions scheduled each semester, students may choose one to attend. At this orientation, students will learn about the fieldwork search process and application process. Students are encouraged to apply from the list of pre-approved fieldwork sites, however are allowed to choose a new site to complete fieldwork, pending all requirements may be met at that new site. The Fieldwork Coordinator must vet all new sites for final approval.
Students may apply for practicum by submitting a complete practicum application by the first Thursday in December or May, the semester prior to starting.
For the Internship
Students must apply for internship submitting a complete internship application by the first Thursday in May, the semester prior to starting.
Certification and Licensure
This program leads to eligibility for the Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) credential in New York State. Professional licensure is required to practice mental health counseling.
Students applying for licensure for Mental Health Counseling can upload their required forms to the Out of State Certification and Licensure Form.
Graduation
Graduation is the official completion of your program and conferral of an academic degree. In order to graduate, students must apply for graduation using CUNYFirst the semester before the semester of their planned graduation and complete any outstanding requirements by the stated deadlines. Visit the Graduation and Commencement page for complete information.