Master’s in Mental Health Counseling
Advance your clinical practice and career in our New York State-approved Diagnostic Privilege Designated graduate program. Choose to study in Garden City or in New York City at our new Manhattan Center at Fifth Avenue and 44th Street.
What Can I Do with a Mental Health Counseling Master’s Degree?
A master’s degree in mental health counseling will prepare you to be an entry-level mental health counselor in a variety of settings, including inpatient and outpatient hospital departments of psychiatry, community mental health clinics, rehabilitation programs and schools. Once licensed, you can open a private practice or work with an established organization in roles such as staff therapist or substance abuse specialist, or step into leadership as a behavioral health administrator or clinical director.
Why Earn Your MA in Mental Health Counseling at Adelphi University?
- Benefit from a work-compatible schedule with classes offered in the evenings in our full-time program.
- Concentrate on key job market areas, including substance abuse.
- Develop clinical skills through participation in the national counseling examination and benefit from hands-on experience with a practicum and internship.
- Learning occurs in an environment with award-winning, nationally and internationally renowned faculty.
- Offered at our Garden City campus, easily accessible by public transportation, and coming to our new Manhattan Center beginning with the Fall 2027 semester
Adelphi’s mental health counseling program gave me a personalized experience … . As I progressed through my internship, I was provided with the knowledge and skills necessary to sculpt me into a proficient counselor. Through the constructive criticism received from faculty, staff and my peers, I graduated as an alum with the utmost confidence to be an empathic counselor for my future clients.
Asiza Naumann ’17, MA ’20
MA, Mental Health Counseling
Mental Health Counseling Master’s Degree Concentration
Substance abuse counseling concentration
Completing the coursework in the substance abuse counseling concentration equips you to deliver clinical services to clients and their significant others seeking treatment for chemical dependency. Our theoretical models of addiction and evidence-based practices prepare you for work in a variety of settings.
Students who complete the master’s degree in mental health counseling, substance abuse concentration program will have satisfied New York state’s 350 hours of educational requirements, will receive a certificate of completion, and are eligible for the Credential in Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counseling Trainee certificate (CASAC-T).
View master’s degree in mental health counseling substance abuse course requirements.
Exceptional Hands-On Experiences
At Adelphi, we believe strongly in the power of hands-on learning opportunities. All students in this master’s degree program will build clinical competency skills through a practicum and internship experience. Our graduates benefit from our close ties with local hospitals, agencies and organizations in the New York area and have helped by providing mental health services in a variety of settings.
Our students have gained valuable experience outside the classroom, through graduate student assistantships and field placement opportunities, and conference and presentation participation.
Counseling Master’s Degree Program Info
Mental Health Counseling Master’s Degree Program Application Requirements and Deadlines
The priority mental health counseling graduate program deadline is March 1. Applications completed after this date will be reviewed on a space-available basis. Applicants must have a minimum 3.1 GPA and should have completed prerequisite courses (or an equivalent) in general psychology, abnormal psychology, developmental psychology and research methods. Master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling applicants should submit the following application requirements:
- Graduate application and $60 fee
- Two letters of recommendation
- Personal essay
- Official transcripts from all prior institutions and proof of bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution
- Admissions interview
- Résumé (preferred)
- Course-by-course evaluation: All graduate applicants with undergraduate-level work completed outside of the United States will be required to send a course-by-course evaluation of their academic work prepared by a NACES member organization.
GRE scores will not be required for Fall 2027 admission.
Understanding Costs and Savings
Learn about the costs you can expect, and discover how scholarships, grants and financial aid packages can put an Adelphi education within reach.
FAQs: Adelphi’s Mental Health Counseling Master’s Degree
The program is in the process of submitting our self-study for accreditation review by the Master’s in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC) in 2027.
With a master’s degree in mental health counseling, you will be prepared to be an entry-level mental health counselor in a variety of settings, such as inpatient and outpatient hospital departments of psychiatry, community mental health clinics, rehabilitation programs and schools. Once licensed, you can open a private practice or work with an established organization in various roles, e.g., staff therapist or substance abuse specialist, or step into leadership as a behavioral health administrator or clinical director.
Yes, because—as Fortune magazine recently pointed out—you need a master’s degree and a license in the field to practice as a clinical mental health counselor. You must also pass a national exam. Career prospects are high in this field, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting that demand for mental health counselors and other related roles, such as substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors, should grow by 18 percent between 2025 and 2035, a pace that’s considered above average.
Once students graduate from the program, they will need to submit the state application for a limited permit. The limited permit allows graduates to work in a clinical setting under the supervision of a licensed clinician. Once 3000 hours of clinical work are completed and a passing score is received on the state licensure exam, the graduate is awarded a license to practice mental health counseling.
On average, it takes two years to complete the MA in Mental Health Counseling at Adelphi.
Our program requires a total of 1,000 clinical internship hours to satisfy requirements for the MA.
Awards & Recognition
Program Director
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Contact-
516.877.4754
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Hy Weinberg Center 320