The Counseling program offers two Master’s degrees in the following areas, School Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
The Master of Arts in Education (M.A.Ed.) in School Counseling prepares you for employment as a counselor in public school settings at elementary, middle, and high school levels and leads to a recommendation for K-12 School Counseling licensure (certification) by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
The Master of Science (M.S.) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling prepares you to work in diverse settings such as mental health facilities, substance abuse centers, community and four-year college counseling centers, non-profit organizations, domestic violence shelters, and more as well as private practice under supervision, moving toward state licensure.
Admission
Applications to the School Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling programs
may be submitted at any time during the year. Admission decisions, however, are made
one time per year. The application deadline is February 1 annually.
Meetings
The majority of counseling classes during the academic year are taught in three-hour
blocks in the evening from 5:00 to 7:50 p.m. on either the WCU campus, Cullowhee,
or at the Western Carolina University Programs at Biltmore Park, located at 28 Schenck
Parkway in Biltmore Park Town Square, Asheville. Day classes are available as space
allows. All students are required to commute to both the WCU and Biltmore Park campuses
for classes. All full-time faculty teach in both locations.
Summer School
Summer school classes will be required for all students to complete the program; these
classes are taught either on the WCU campus, Cullowhee, or WCU Programs at Biltmore
Park, Asheville.
Financial Aid
Financial aid is available in the form of graduate assistantships, Chancellor's Fellowships,
Graduate School Study Grants, and student loans. Only full-time students are eligible
for graduate assistantships.
Transfer of Credit
A limit of six hours of graduate credit can be transferred into the program with the
approval of the student’s advisor. Previous coursework taken to complete an earlier
master’s degree cannot be transferred.
Contact us with your questions about the WCU Counseling Program. We look forward to talking with you.