HBCU mental health counseling programs are graduate degrees offered at Historically Black Colleges and Universities that train students to become licensed professional counselors and clinical mental health counselors.
Popular well-regarded options include Clark Atlanta University in Georgia, North Carolina Central University in North Carolina, Southern University and A&M College in Louisiana, Jackson State University in Mississippi, and Alabama State University in Alabama. Each program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
These programs share a common goal of preparing counselors who can serve diverse communities, yet they differ in setting, clinical emphasis, licensure pathway, and cost. This guide compares these programs in detail so prospective applicants can weigh curriculum, field training, admissions standards, and deadlines side by side.
HBCU Mental Health Counseling Programs
Clark Atlanta University
Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
The Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Clark Atlanta University is a 60 credit-hour degree housed in the Department of Counselor Education within the School of Education. Full-time students typically finish the program in about two years, with a structured sequence that moves from foundational coursework through specialty courses and into clinical field placements.
Clark Atlanta sits at the heart of the Atlanta University Center, the largest consortium of Historically Black Colleges in the country. That location gives counseling students access to a dense network of community mental health agencies, hospitals, and nonprofit organizations across metropolitan Atlanta for their training placements.
The program prepares candidates for professional counseling positions in mental health agencies, hospitals, juvenile justice agencies, and substance abuse treatment facilities. Graduates are equipped to deliver individual and group counseling, lifestyle and education planning, and career counseling to clients from many backgrounds.
The curriculum meets the preparation standards set by CACREP and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). It is also aligned with the academic requirements for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Georgia through the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists.
A feature of the Clark Atlanta degree is its attention to clinical rehabilitation counseling and work with people living with disabilities, which appears throughout the program’s learning outcomes alongside traditional mental health content. This dual emphasis broadens the settings in which graduates can practice.
The department frames its mission around preparing counselors who serve underrepresented and marginalized populations, and the teaching environment is built to be pluralistic, blending didactic courses, supervised clinical work, online instruction, research, and community service.
Courses and Curriculum
The Clark Atlanta curriculum is organized into three groups: common core courses, specialty courses, and clinical field courses. The ten common core courses cover the areas that CACREP identifies as central to professional counseling, including counseling theory, the helping relationship, human development, group work, career counseling, assessment, research, multicultural counseling, and professional ethics.
The specialty courses build clinical depth in subjects such as addictions counseling, couples and family counseling, work with children and adolescents, clinical mental health practice, abnormal psychology and diagnosis, trauma and grief, and theories of personality. Each course carries three credit hours, and the full degree totals 60 hours.
Field courses anchor the final year. Students move through a clinical mental health practicum and two internship courses that place them in agency and clinical settings under supervision. All candidates also sit for an exit examination, the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination, in the fall before a May graduation.
Some of the core courses include:
- Introduction to Counseling
- Helping Relationship Skills
- Human Growth and Development
- Theories of Counseling
- Group Counseling
- Counseling Diverse Populations
- Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Abnormal Psychology and Diagnosis
Practical Experience
Clinical training at Clark Atlanta requires a minimum of 100 clock hours of practicum plus 600 hours of internship experience in a school or clinical setting, in line with CACREP field standards. Students complete the practicum after finishing the bulk of their core and specialty coursework, then advance into two sequential internship placements during the third year of the plan of study.
Placements occur in mental health agencies, hospitals, and community organizations throughout Atlanta, where students carry a caseload and receive individual and group supervision.
Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the Clark Atlanta program are prepared to:
- Understand how the onset, progression, and duration of a disability affect a client’s overall functioning and the barriers they face.
- Explain the effect of disability on sexuality and a client’s surrounding support system.
- Describe rehabilitation service delivery systems, including housing, case management, public benefits, and vocational rehabilitation programs.
- Identify clinical rehabilitation counseling services within the continuum of care, including functional assessment and supports for meaningful employment.
- Recognize the role of family, social networks, and community in treatment and service delivery.
- Apply assistive technology to reduce barriers and functional limitations.
- Conduct intake interviews, mental status evaluations, biopsychosocial histories, and psychological assessments for treatment planning and caseload management.
Career Preparation & Outcomes
Completing the 60-hour degree satisfies the academic requirements to apply for licensure as an LPC in Georgia and qualifies graduates to take the National Counselor Examination (NCE) to earn the National Certified Counselor (NCC) credential. Graduates who add the Exceptional Child course and pass the Georgia Assessments for Certification of Educators may also become certified school counselors.
Career settings include community mental health agencies, hospitals, juvenile justice programs, substance abuse treatment centers, and private practice. Clark Atlanta reports a six-year graduation rate of roughly 48% across the institution, which prospective students may weigh alongside the program’s specialized clinical training.
Admissions Requirements
- A completed bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
- A minimum undergraduate grade point average of 2.6, with competitive applicants generally above 3.0.
- Three letters of recommendation.
- Graduate Record Examination scores.
- Official transcripts from every college or university attended.
Application Deadlines
Clark Atlanta’s Office of Graduate Admissions reviews counselor education applications on a priority basis, with fall the primary entry term. Readmission and transfer applicants must submit materials at least 30 days before the first day of registration for the term they wish to enter.
North Carolina Central University
Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
The Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) is a 60 credit-hour degree offered in both campus and fully online formats. Full-time students generally complete the program in about two years, while the online option lets working students study at a measured pace.
The NCCU Counselor Education Program holds a notable honor: in 2015 it was named the Most Outstanding Master’s level Counseling Program by the Southern Association of Counselor Education and Supervision. The clinical mental health track is fully CACREP accredited for both its campus and online delivery and is an endorsed member of the International Registry of Counselor Education Programs.
The program trains counselors to work in clinical settings such as community agencies, private practice, hospitals, and correctional facilities. Coursework and supervised experiences prepare students to sit for licensure exams administered by the North Carolina Board for Certified Counselors and to apply for initial licensure with the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors.
A practical advantage of the NCCU degree is its built-in pathway toward a second credential. The program is recognized as a Criteria C school for the Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist credential, so students who add three addiction-specific courses and a related internship can meet the academic requirements for that license as well.
Durham places students inside North Carolina’s Research Triangle, a region rich with behavioral health providers, hospital systems, and nonprofit agencies that host practicum and internship placements. The university’s roots as a leading public HBCU inform a program built around the values of truth and service.
The curriculum is sequenced across three phases, moving from foundational counseling courses through assessment and research methods and into supervised clinical training, giving students a clear structure from admission to graduation.
Courses and Curriculum
NCCU organizes the degree into three phases. Phase I introduces the professional and theoretical foundations of counseling, including ethics, counseling theories and techniques, crisis and trauma work, an introduction to clinical mental health counseling, human development, career theory, multicultural and gender issues, group counseling, family counseling, and addiction counseling.
Phase II layers in research and measurement skills with courses in educational statistics, research procedures, pre-practicum counseling skills, assessment and evaluation, consultation and referral, an advisor-approved elective, and diagnosis and psychopathology. This phase bridges classroom theory and applied clinical practice.
Phase III is the supervised clinical sequence, where students complete a practicum and internship while finishing remaining research requirements. The program requires a passing score on an exit examination for graduation.
Some of the core courses include:
- Ethical and Professional Orientation to Counseling
- Theories and Techniques of Counseling
- Crisis, Trauma, and Grief Counseling
- Introduction to Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Psychosocial Development and Behavioral Dynamics
- Multicultural and Gender Issues in Counseling
- Principles and Procedures of Group Counseling
- Diagnosis, Assessment, and Psychopathology
Practical Experience
Clinical field training at NCCU begins with a hands-on, classroom-based pre-practicum and a faculty Mid-Program Review. After clearing that review, students complete a 100-hour supervised practicum (CON 5372), followed by a 600-hour internship (CON 5390). The internship can be finished in one semester or across two, but practicum and internship cannot be taken at the same time.
Field placements occur at approved sites with weekly individual and group supervision, and students must carry professional liability insurance before beginning. Students adding the addiction-specific Criteria C track complete an additional 300-hour internship at a facility that provides addiction treatment.
Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the NCCU program are prepared to:
- Demonstrate ethical and professional counseling practice consistent with state and national standards.
- Apply counseling theories and techniques across individual sessions.
- Provide crisis, trauma, and grief intervention to clients in distress.
- Deliver culturally responsive counseling that accounts for multicultural and gender considerations.
- Facilitate group counseling using sound group process principles.
- Conduct assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning informed by psychopathology coursework.
- Use research and program evaluation methods to support evidence-based practice.
Career Preparation & Outcomes
The program qualifies graduates to apply for licensure with the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors and to seek the NCC credential. The optional addiction track widens employment options in substance use treatment. Graduates work in community mental health centers, private practice, hospitals, nonprofit organizations, and correctional settings.
Tuition is comparatively affordable, with in-state campus tuition near $34,450 for the program and the online format priced lower for North Carolina residents. NCCU reports a six-year graduation rate of approximately 46% institution-wide, with strong outcomes in its graduate and professional programs.
Admissions Requirements
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
- A minimum undergraduate grade point average of 2.75, with viable candidates generally above 3.0.
- Official transcripts from all institutions attended.
- Letters of recommendation submitted through the graduate application system.
- A written statement or essay.
- A completed online application through the NCCU School of Graduate Studies.
Application Deadlines
The Counselor Education Program admits new students for the fall semester, and the firm deadline for all supporting application materials is February 1. Incomplete applications are not reviewed, and because the program receives a high volume of applicants, candidates should monitor their files closely through the university’s application system to confirm that every element has been received.
Southern University and A&M College
Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
The Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Southern University and A&M College is a 60 credit-hour degree delivered through the Department of Rehabilitation, Disability Studies, and Counseling within the College of Nursing and Allied Health. Full-time students typically complete the program in about two years.
Southern University is the flagship campus of the only Historically Black university system in the United States, founded in 1880 and located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The counseling program carries forward that legacy with a mission centered on training culturally aware, ethical counselors who serve increasingly diverse communities in both public and private settings.
The curriculum is structured into three parts: core counseling courses, supervised clinical experiences, and a specialization block. This design lets students build a strong foundation in counseling fundamentals before selecting electives that match their professional interests.
A standout element of the Southern University degree is its specialization menu, which includes a course in TeleMental Health Counseling alongside bereavement counseling, crisis and trauma, family therapy, and psychopharmacology. The inclusion of telehealth training reflects how counseling services are increasingly delivered to clients in underserved and rural areas.
Before advancing to internship, students must pass the required Counselor Preparation Examination (CPCE), which serves as the department’s exit examination. This checkpoint confirms readiness for full-time clinical work.
Located in Louisiana’s capital, the program connects students to community agencies, hospitals, and counseling centers throughout the Baton Rouge region, where they apply classroom learning under qualified clinical supervision.
Courses and Curriculum
The core block totals 36 credit hours and covers professional counseling foundations, ethics, counseling theory and process, social and cultural diversity, pre-practicum techniques, psychopathology and diagnosis using the DSM-5, human growth and development, group counseling, substance abuse counseling, assessment and testing, research methods and statistics, and career counseling.
The supervised clinical experiences block adds 9 credit hours through a practicum and internship sequence, while the specialization block contributes 15 credit hours of focused electives. Together these three parts total the 60 hours required for the degree.
Specialization options let students tailor the degree toward particular client needs, with choices such as bereavement counseling, crisis and trauma, family therapy, psychopharmacology, and telemental health counseling.
Some of the core courses include:
- Introduction to Professional Counseling
- Professional Orientation and Ethics in Counseling
- Theories and Process of Counseling
- Social and Cultural Diversity in Counseling
- Psychopathology and Diagnosis (DSM-5)
- Human Growth and Development
- Group Counseling and Group Work
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Counseling
Practical Experience
Southern University requires a 100-hour clinical practicum (RDCO 590) followed by 600 hours of clinical internship, completed either as two 300-hour internship courses or a single 600-hour internship placement.
All field placements occur in agency settings under the supervision of a qualified clinical mental health counselor. Students must complete the core courses and pass the exit examination before they are approved to begin the internship, ensuring they enter placements with the knowledge and skills needed to serve clients responsibly.
Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the Southern University program are prepared to:
- Practice as competent, culturally aware, and ethical professional counselors.
- Apply major counseling theories and processes in clinical work.
- Diagnose mental health conditions using the DSM-5 framework.
- Provide counseling for substance use and co-occurring mental health concerns.
- Conduct assessment and testing to inform treatment planning.
- Facilitate group counseling and group work with varied populations.
- Deliver crisis, trauma, and bereavement counseling to clients in need.
- Provide counseling services through telemental health platforms to reach clients in public and private settings.
Career Preparation & Outcomes
The program prepares graduates to provide mental health services across public and private settings in increasingly diverse communities. Career paths include community mental health centers, hospitals, private practice, telehealth services, and addiction treatment programs.
Estimated program tuition is around $33,960. Southern University reports a six-year graduation rate of about 30% for the most recent reported cohort, and the university has secured grant funding to strengthen student support and improve completion rates.
Admissions Requirements
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
- A minimum undergraduate grade point average of 2.7.
- Graduate Record Examination scores.
- Official transcripts from all institutions attended.
- Admission to both the Graduate School and the counseling program.
- Supporting materials as outlined by the Department of Rehabilitation, Disability Studies, and Counseling.
Application Deadlines
Applications are processed through the Southern University Graduate School on a priority schedule, with fall the main entry term for the counseling program. Because cohort sizes and review timelines vary by year, applicants should contact the Department of Rehabilitation, Disability Studies, and Counseling to confirm the current application window before submitting materials.
Jackson State University
Master of Science in Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Concentration
The Master of Science in Counseling with a concentration in Clinical Mental Health at Jackson State University is a 60 credit-hour degree offered through the Department of Counseling, Rehabilitation and Psychometric Services in the College of Education and Human Development. Students earn the degree by completing the required hours, maintaining a graduate grade point average of 3.00 or higher, and passing a graduate exit examination.
Jackson State is Mississippi’s urban research university and a leading HBCU, located in the state capital. The counseling department offers a family of CACREP-accredited programs, including clinical mental health, school counseling, and rehabilitation counseling, with accreditation valid through the October 2031 renewal cycle.
The department prepares counselors and psychometrists who deliver services in schools, mental health centers, hospitals, and public and private rehabilitation agencies. Its mission emphasizes addressing social problems and meeting the needs of Mississippi residents, including citizens living with disabilities.
A practical strength of the Jackson State degree is its built-in elective flexibility: students complete six credit hours of electives that can broaden their training in areas such as rehabilitation or addictions while still meeting the clinical mental health concentration requirements.
The program also houses an active chapter of Chi Sigma Iota, the international counseling honor society, giving students opportunities for professional development and connection beyond the classroom.
With a faculty of nine professors specializing in areas from group process to social and cultural foundations, students receive close mentorship throughout the degree, from their first core course to the final internship.
Courses and Curriculum
The Jackson State curriculum opens with a research and statistics core, followed by a required concentration block that covers the central knowledge areas of professional counseling. Concentration coursework includes clinical mental health counseling, introduction to professional counseling, analysis of the individual, lifestyles and career development, counseling principles and techniques, and group process.
Additional concentration courses address the psychological aspects of human development, psychodiagnosis and treatment, the social and cultural foundations of counseling, marriage and family counseling, a supervised counseling laboratory, and a seminar on ethical and legal issues in counseling. Each course generally carries three credit hours.
Before enrolling in internship, students must complete a defined set of prerequisite courses. The degree closes with a nine-credit internship and six credit hours of electives, bringing the program to its 60-hour total.
Some of the core courses include:
- Introduction to Professional Counseling
- Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Principles and Techniques of Counseling
- Dynamics of Group Processing
- Psychological Aspects of Human Development
- Psychodiagnosis and Treatment
- Social and Cultural Foundations of Counseling
- Marriage and Family Counseling
Practical Experience
Field training at Jackson State centers on a supervised counseling laboratory and practicum followed by a 600-clock-hour internship, which carries nine credit hours in the plan of study. Students must finish the required prerequisite concentration courses before they can enroll in internship, and they should apply for the internship at the start of the semester before they intend to begin.
Placements occur in schools, mental health centers, hospitals, and rehabilitation agencies across the Jackson area, where students practice counseling skills under qualified supervision.
Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the Jackson State program are prepared to:
- Acquire the professional skills needed to practice as professional counselors.
- Apply counseling principles and techniques in individual sessions.
- Lead group counseling using sound group process methods.
- Conduct psychodiagnosis and develop treatment plans for clients.
- Provide marriage and family counseling to couples and families.
- Apply human development knowledge across all life stages in clinical work.
- Meet the academic criteria required to apply for counselor licensing in Mississippi.
Career Preparation & Outcomes
Students who complete the program meet the criteria to apply for counselor licensure and to provide mental health, school, or rehabilitation counseling services. Graduates work in mental health centers, hospitals, schools, and public and private rehabilitation agencies, with many serving Mississippi communities and clients living with disabilities.
Jackson State reports a six-year graduation rate of around 51% in the most recent reporting period.
Admissions Requirements
- Admission to both the Division of Graduate Studies and the Counseling Program.
- A minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.00 for regular admission, or 2.80 for conditional admission.
- An interview and a writing sample.
- Three letters of recommendation sent directly to the department.
- Official transcripts from all institutions attended.
Application Deadlines
The Counseling Program accepts applications for fall or summer enrollment only; it does not admit new students for the spring term. Applicants should submit complete materials well ahead of their intended start term, since admission requires clearance from both the Division of Graduate Studies and the department before enrollment.
Alabama State University
Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
The Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Alabama State University is a 60 semester-hour degree offered through the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation in the College of Education. The program is typically completed in about two and a half years, with extended three-and-a-half-year and four-and-a-half-year plans available for students who prefer a lighter course load.
Alabama State, located in Montgomery, is one of the nation’s historic HBCUs, and its counseling program has held CACREP accreditation since 2011. That long accreditation history signals an established, nationally recognized credential for graduates.
The program trains caring, empathic counselors to work in schools, churches, community outreach agencies, and clinical settings. Coursework covers professionalism, family counseling, work within agencies, and the skills needed to serve individuals, families, and groups pursuing mental health and wellness goals.
A defining feature of the Alabama State degree is the volume of supervised field training: graduates leave with a minimum of 700 hours of real-world clinical experience at local counseling centers and community agencies, building a resume rich in applied practice before licensure.
Small class sizes are a deliberate part of the program design, allowing students to work closely with faculty mentors who are recognized regionally and nationally for their expertise and their commitment to social justice in mental health.
Students also join a connected professional community through the Counselor Education Student Association, which supports networking and peer collaboration throughout the degree and into early careers.
Courses and Curriculum
The Alabama State curriculum covers the core knowledge areas required of CACREP-accredited counseling programs, beginning with foundational courses in counseling theory and technique and the helping relationship. Early coursework builds the interviewing and relationship-building skills that underpin all later clinical work.
As students progress, the curriculum adds human development across all life stages, multicultural counseling, group counseling, career development, diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions, professional orientation and ethics, and family counseling. Together these courses prepare students for the breadth of issues counselors encounter in practice.
The program culminates in supervised clinical training and an exit examination. Coursework integrates classroom theory with applied requirements so that examinations, presentations, and projects build toward the work counselors perform with clients in the field.
Some of the core courses include:
- Theories and Techniques of Individual Counseling
- The Helping Relationship
- Counseling Across the Lifespan
- Counseling Diverse Populations
- Group Counseling
- Career Development and Counseling
- Diagnosis and Treatment of Mental Health Conditions
- Professional Orientation and Ethics in Counseling
Practical Experience
Alabama State requires a practicum of 100 clinical hours followed by two internships totaling 600 clinical hours, for a minimum of 700 supervised field hours overall. Placements take place at local counseling centers and community agencies, where students apply effective interventions with diverse clients under faculty and site supervision.
This emphasis on extended, hands-on training is a hallmark of the program and is intended to prepare graduates to step into practice and sit for licensure soon after completing the degree.
Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the Alabama State program are prepared to:
- Demonstrate high levels of self-awareness and ethical behavior as professional counselors.
- Apply counseling theories and techniques in individual sessions.
- Build effective helping relationships with clients.
- Recognize adaptive and maladaptive thought processes and behaviors.
- Use interventions that facilitate positive client behavior change.
- Counsel diverse individuals, families, and groups across community settings.
- Provide family counseling and agency-based services.
- Meet the academic requirements to sit for the clinical mental health counseling licensure examination.
Career Preparation & Outcomes
Graduates are prepared to earn licensure and pursue roles such as licensed professional counselor, substance abuse counselor, community mental health therapist, behavioral mental health specialist, clinical supervisor, and church counselor. The program’s combination of theory and extensive practice also positions graduates well for doctoral study in counseling. Employment for mental health counselors is projected to grow sharply over the coming decade.
Alabama State reports a six-year graduation rate of approximately 30% institution-wide, a figure prospective students can consider alongside the program’s strong clinical training model.
Admissions Requirements
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
- A minimum undergraduate grade point average of 2.5.
- Three letters of recommendation.
- A required essay or personal statement.
- Official transcripts from all institutions attended.
- Standardized admission test scores are not required.
What Degree is Best For Mental Health Counseling?
The most common and targeted degree is a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC), sometimes called a Master’s in Counseling or M.S./M.A. in Counseling. This is specifically designed to lead toward licensure as an LPC or LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor), depending on your state. If your goal is to do counseling and therapy directly with clients, this is usually the cleanest route.
What is the Quickest Way to Become a Mental Health Counselor?
Below is the quickest path to becoming a mental health counselor:
- Complete a bachelor’s degree (approximately 4 years), which may be shortened through community college credits or accelerated formats.
- Complete a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling, selecting an accelerated or year-round format completable in 18–24 months.
- Prioritize CACREP-accredited programs, as graduates may qualify for reduced supervised-hour requirements in certain states.
- Accumulate the required supervised clinical hours (typically 2,000–4,000, depending on the state) through full-time employment.
- Pass the applicable licensure examination and apply for state licensure.
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