Application Process & Admissions Criteria

UT Tyler Psychology and Counseling

Clinical Mental Health Counseling

The M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) is intended to prepare students to counsel persons experiencing psychological disturbance due to developmental, educational, career, cognitive, emotional, behavioral, cultural, relational or environmental issues. Students develop competencies in diagnosis and assessment, evidence-based counseling/psychotherapy techniques, group processes, human development, cultural diversity, addiction and career counseling. Students who complete their degrees and meet state certification or licensing requirements may be employed in a variety of mental health settings. 

UT Tyler’s CMHC program is CACREP-accredited and designed to prepare graduates for licensure as Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) in Texas. To become an LPC, graduates must pass the National Counselor Examination (NCE) and complete 3,000 hours of supervised practice as required by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors. 

This is a fully in-person program, ensuring that students receive hands-on training, face-to-face mentorship, and experiential learning opportunities critical for professional development. 
Admission to the program requires a Bachelor's degree.  A GPA of 3.0 or greater is preferred, but all applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Work, volunteer and life experiences, goals and exemplary motivation are factors that can enhance an application. 

Application Process & Admissions Requirements 

Firm deadlines for application are March 15 for fall admission and October 15 for spring admission. Admission is based on a holistic review of multiple criteria including (but not limited to) evaluations of an applicant’s academic potential, a written statement of purpose, and grade point average (GPA). Please see below for detailed application submission information.  

Transcripts 

Submit complete transcripts reflecting the reception of a Bachelor's degree and any other relevant undergraduate and graduate coursework. Students who have not completed their Bachelor's degree at the time of application should send their most recent incomplete transcript. Students should request official academic transcripts be sent directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions.

Applicants with foreign transcripts must submit a detailed, course-by-course international transcript evaluation. This program requires a four-year Bachelor's degree equivalent.

Any request by the student for acceptance of graduate transfer credit should be directed to their Psychology & Counseling faculty advisor.

Transfer of Existing Graduate Credit 

Transfer of graduate credit from a regionally accredited institution is limited to 9 hours for master's degrees. All transfer credit must have been completed with a grade of “B” or better and approved by the degree-granting program. Transfer credits for courses completed prior to admission to UT Tyler should be evaluated and approved during the first semester. Since the restrictions placed upon transfer work may vary from program to program, each graduate degree student should refer to the section of this catalog that details the requirements of the proposed degree. Forms for this purpose are available online or in the Office of Graduate Admissions, HPR 248. 

Any request by the student for acceptance of graduate transfer credit should be directed to students’ faculty advisor. Transfer credit will not be evaluated prior to admission to the program. 

Application Submission

Deadlines

Applications for the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program are due March 15 for fall admission and October 15 for spring admission. Summer admission is not available. Admission is based on multiple criteria (see below). 

There are two portions of the application process:

• Part One:
  • Start by applying through our online application.

 

• Part Two:

After you have submitted your application, send all of the following directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions at the address below or gradadmissions@uttyler.edu: 

• All official academic transcripts for undergraduate and graduate coursework.
  The University of Texas at Tyler
  3900 University Blvd
  Tyler Texas 75799

 

• Complete the Department Information Sheet which contains the Statement of Purpose. Please do not complete the Department Information Sheet until you are also ready to submit the Statement of Purpose.
  • Statement of Purpose Prompt:  Describe your future educational and career goals and explain how this program at UT Tyler would fit into these goals. How does the program correspond to your particular plans, needs, and previous background and experiences?Note: This should be a well-thought out response that is several paragraphs in length and reflects your sincere interest in the program. Please note that faculty reviewers will be considering both the quality and clarity of your document.

 

• Submit a completed reference request form to distribute three professional and/or academic reference requests. 

 

• Complete required Background Check through Castle Branch. The U.S. background check has a $45 fee, with additional costs for the international portion. Use package code UM12bg to complete the process. International applicants must also complete an international background check.

 

For additional questions regarding the application process, please contact the Graduate Admissions Advisor, Ceselie Tobin, at ctobin@uttyler.edu.

 

Admissions Decisions 

The CMHC faculty pride themselves in a holistic review of applicants and consider many factors when evaluating each student’s application. Great care and attention to detail is given to every student who applies to the program. Admission to the program is competitive. Only ~20 students each fall and spring are granted admission (full or provisional) to the program. Students will receive letters from the Graduate Admissions Advisor outlining one of four admissions decisions. Students will have several weeks to accept or deny their admission and register for classes. 

• Full Admission: Students awarded full admission to the CMHC program can be considered to have met all admission criteria and are able to enroll in up to 9 hours of graduate coursework in their first semester.

 

• Provisional Admission: Individuals may be admitted provisionally to a graduate program before all admission documents have been submitted if they complete a graduate application and provide evidence of having completed or that they will complete a baccalaureate degree prior to matriculating in a graduate program. For an applicant to be eligible for provisional admission, the materials provided by the individual must provide persuasive evidence that the applicant is likely to meet the standards for full admission or conditional admission. Students who are provisionally admitted are allowed one semester to furnish all the materials needed for a program to make a decision whether to deny the applicant

 

• Waitlist: Students whose applications demonstrated great potential but were not selected for full admission are offered a place on the waitlist. The waitlist is comprised of a small group of applicants who will be re-evaluated by the admissions committee should spaces become available in the cohort.
• Deny: Students who fail to meet admission criteria according to the faculty review committee will be denied admission to the program. Because the reviews are completed in a holistic fashion, it is not customary for students who are denied admission to receive feedback on what his/her application was lacking. However, students are welcome to apply to the program again. 

 

Additional Information

• Graduate Financial Support
• Graduate assistantships are not available for this program.
• The Clinical Mental Health Counseling MA program is not STEM designated.
• GRE scores are not required for admission to the program.