Clinical Counseling, MS

Program Coordinator: Leigh Atherton (4425-J Health Sciences Building; 252-744-6290; athertonw@ecu.edu)

The master of science in clinical counseling is a 62 credit hour Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Education Programs (CACREP) accredited clinical mental health counseling program. Graduates are eligible for licensure as a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) and a Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist (LCAS) upon passing an examination and the completion of a supervised work experience. Students graduating from the clinical counseling program are provided a one-year reduction in the experience requirements for licensure as an LCAS by the N.C. Addictions Specialist Professional Practice Board. Without our degree, the required experience for this license is two years. Graduates of the clinical counseling program may be employed in clinical mental health and substance use treatment settings, such as inpatient or outpatient programs, detoxification centers, residential and halfway-house programs, and home-based counseling programs.

The program requires 62 s.h. as follows:

Required courses:

Personal Experiential Counseling Requirements

Students in the clinical counseling and rehabilitation and career counseling programs are required to participate in personal counseling and experiential activities. These include participation in a small personal growth group, a group counseling course, counseling pre-practicum and practicum courses, and an option of individual personal counseling by the student counseling center or from another mental health professional to meet part of an optional requirement in the counseling practicum course. All of these personal counseling experiences are oriented toward increasing personal and interpersonal growth of the student in order to become a competent professional clinical counselor.

Licensure/Certification Requirements in North Carolina

The curriculum for all ECU academic programs have been designed to meet the licensure/certification requirements in North Carolina and prepare students to sit for licensure/certification exams in North Carolina. The various licensure boards in each state are responsible for setting requirements for licensure/certification in their state. Other states have their own requirements, and you’ll want to make sure your program meets criteria in your home state (or state where you intend to work) before you apply. Search our state Licensure Dashboard to see if the program you’re interested in meets the educational requirements for licensing/certification in your home state (or state where you intend to work).