[9] Step Guide to Earning a Master of Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Earning your Master of Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Rollins will pave the way for your successful career in counseling. The core guiding principles of our accredited program are academic excellence, social justice and advocacy, diversity, and ethical practice. As a member of Rollins’ inclusive community of global citizens and responsible leaders, you’ll experience personal and intellectual growth through collaboration and real-world application—all while developing the clinical skills and practical experience that are essential to a productive career in this rewarding field. As a result, you’ll be uniquely prepared to engage with clients in cultivating freedom in their personal lives and also become an agent of change in your greater community.

1. Advance Your Career

The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 1 in 5 adults—nearly 47 million Americans—are impacted by mental health conditions. As a mental health counselor, you’ll play a critical role in helping people who are experiencing mental health challenges lead happier and healthier lives. You’ll help assess, diagnose, and treat adults and children who are struggling with everything from anxiety and depression to post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal impulses. Despite the increase in people suffering from mental health issues, The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration estimates that by 2025 the U.S. will have a shortage of nearly 27,000 mental health counselors.

2. Designed to Fit Your Life

From work to family, you have a lot going on. We get it. That’s why we designed our Rollins School of Graduate Studies programs specifically for students like you. Our classes are conveniently timed to suit your schedule, and our part-time and full-time tracks allow you to earn your degree at your own pace. While Rollins offers online support services for everything from submitting your admission application to registering for classes, you’ll never be on your own thanks to the personalized attention of our dedicated faculty and staff.

4. Personalized Learning Environment

With an average class size of just 12, our personalized learning environment is designed to maximize engagement and support, and thanks to our 14:1 student-faculty ratio, expert professors have the freedom to focus on you. In addition to individualized attention from faculty, you’ll also develop close and supportive relationships with your classmates because of our cohort model and lock-step curriculum. Add in one-on-one advising support and our alumni mentorship program, and you’ll be surrounded by an entire community of guides at every step of your journey.

5. Elite Accreditation

Rollins’ Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is one of a select number of master’s programs in the nation to earn accreditation from the CACREP, a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. When combined with Rollins’ ranking as the No. 1 regional university in the South, the counseling program’s elite accreditation underscores the high-quality experience you can expect on our Winter Park campus and the prestigious weight a Rollins degree carries not only in Orlando but also throughout Florida and across the country.

6. Rigorous, Real-World Experience

At Rollins, you’ll learn by doing. In addition to a practicum and internship during your final year, you’ll participate in 100 hours of non-clinical service activities at a mental health agency and engage in 100 hours of social justice advocacy to promote social change. In your final year, you’ll also participate in our Master Therapist Series, a unique capstone experience that consists of three all-day learning seminars taught by nationally recognized experts.

8. Streamlined Admission

Our holistic admission process provides an individual approach to each applicant and our application process is as simple as 1…2...3, that's right, simply submit your application, official transcripts and letter of recommendations, we will take it from there. Don’t worry - you’re not alone in the process. Rollins offers support for everything from submitting your admission application to registering for classes, you’ll never be on your own thanks to the personalized attention of our dedicated faculty and staff.

9. In-demand Expertise

You’ll develop in-demand expertise through our interactive curriculum and real-world fieldwork. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the demand for mental health counselors will grow at a rate faster than the average for all occupations. Employment of mental health, substance abuse, and behavioral disorder counselors is projected to grow by 25 percent between 2019 and 2029, much faster than the average for all careers. Further, mental health counselor was ranked among the 100 best jobs by U.S. News & World Report, which took metrics like salary, unemployment rate, projected growth, and work-life balance into account.