This Master of Counseling online will prepare you to become a licensed professional counselor in Arizona and other states with comparable licensure requirements. Upon graduation, you can work in a range of settings from small clinical private practices to large agencies and hospitals.
In this program, you’ll focus on growing your ability to counsel clients of all ages and backgrounds. You’ll learn how to promote mental health within individuals, families, groups and organizations in a multicultural society. Additionally, you’ll gain clinical and non-clinical skills to apply in your counseling practice, such as:
- Assessment (intake, crisis, personality and diagnostic)
- Basic trauma response
- Case management
- Clinical counseling (individual and group counseling, couples counseling, family therapy and counseling children and adolescents)
- Clinical documentation
- Cultural responsiveness
- Research
Who’s a good candidate for this Master of Counseling?
Candidates from a variety of educational and occupational backgrounds are encouraged to pursue this program. To succeed, you should have an interest in providing clinical counseling services to diverse client populations, as well as managing a range of psycho-social-emotional challenges. You must also demonstrate your commitment to personal growth and reflection, multicultural awareness and an openness to supervisory feedback.
Additionally, this counseling master’s program is designed for those looking for opportunities to learn hands-on. You’ll complete three semesters of in-person, supervised field experiences in your geographic region. As a required component of the field experiences and state licensure, you’ll also participate in a live, virtual group supervision session weekly. These opportunities will allow you to develop your skills in providing counseling services, case management, crisis and risk assessment, clinical documentation and diagnosis.
Learn from expert faculty who are active in the field
In this Master of Counseling online, you’ll learn from faculty who are also leading professionals in a variety of areas of the field from research to direct practice. In addition to teaching, a majority of faculty are licensed in their respective fields, hold leadership positions and engage in scholarly work. Many also are fellows of the American Psychological Association and hold specialized credentials. Key areas of focus for program faculty include:
- Children and adolescents/play therapy
- Counseling process and outcome
- Couple and family relationships
- Crisis assessment
- Culturally responsive treatment
- Mental health disparities
- Nonbinary stress and resilience
- Social justice and advocacy
Offered through the School of Counseling and Counseling Psychology, Arizona State University's online Master of Counseling will prepare you to provide culturally responsive, clinical mental health services to clients across the lifespan. With a combination of coursework and supervised field experiences, you’ll graduate prepared to take the next steps to become a licensed professional counselor.
This program covers a range of topics from multicultural counseling and psychotherapy to human development across the lifespan and psychological tests. You’ll also have the opportunity to take elective courses in your interest areas such as neuropsychology, substance abuse and addiction, personality assessment and more.
Additionally, you’ll participate in three semesters of field-based clinical practice, which will provide you with a foundation for success during the licensure process. You’ll complete a practicum and two internships at a site you identify and that is approved by the program. This, combined with weekly live, virtual group supervision experiences, will allow you to practice providing clinical services in an array of mental health settings.
Faculty in the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts are committed to research and exploration in their fields of work. Many of our faculty and staff are recognized nationally and internationally for their achievements from psychology to writing.
- American Educational Research
- Association Fellows
- American Psychological Association fellows
- Fulbright scholars
ASU is a global university recognized for its commitment to innovation, research and high-quality academic programs. Our university is repeatedly awarded peer-reviewed honors from U.S. News & World Report and other respected organizations.
in the U.S. for innovation for 11 consecutive years, ahead of Stanford and MIT
best online bachelor’s programs
best global universities
of graduates reported their experiences at ASU inspired them to explore new career opportunities
Applicants to the Master of Counseling program must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts.
This program has a highly competitive admission process. Please note that the fall application deadline is Feb. 1 and the spring application deadline is Aug. 1.
Applicants must have a minimum of a 3.00* cumulative GPA in the last 60 hours of their bachelor's program. Alternatively, applicants must have a minimum of a 3.00 cumulative GPA in an applicable master's program.
*The program committee reviews applications holistically. While the minimum cumulative GPA required is 3.00, it’s preferred that an applicant has an undergraduate GPA of 3.50 and at least one year of work or volunteer experience in a helping setting. The committee emphasizes multicultural knowledge, awareness and skills, and the applicant’s strengths may offset an area of weakness.
All applicants must submit:
- Graduate admission application and application fee
- Official transcripts
- Personal statement
- Resume
- Two to three letters of recommendation
- Video submission
Recommendations should come from academic and professional references. Recommenders should be able to speak to an applicant’s academic potential (e.g., faculty member) and/or professional or volunteer experience (e.g., supervisor).
The purpose of the personal statement is for applicants to share their qualifications, such as professional experiences and personal attributes, as well as express their interest in the Master of Counseling online program. Your statement will also be used to assess your written communication abilities.
Your statement should be two to three pages and double-spaced. Document specifics also include using 12-point, Times New Roman font and one-inch margins. For the admission committee to appropriately review your statement, you must address the following prompts:
- Explain how your education and training, as well as your volunteer and professional experiences, inform why you want to pursue the Master of Counseling program.
- Outline how the Master of Counseling will help you meet your future career goals.
- Discuss your ability to work with and be sensitive to the needs of a multicultural and diverse society, including but not limited to members of diverse racial and ethnic groups and sexual minority individuals.
- An applicant whose native language is not English (regardless of current residency) must provide proof of English proficiency.
- The review committee may invite finalists to provide additional materials to supplement their application.
We strongly recommend you visit our state authorization page to learn how ASU is authorized to operate in your state, policies for out-of-state students and program exceptions.
ASU's academic programs that prepare you for professional licensure or certification are designed to meet Arizona's requirements. Completing an ASU program may not fulfill educational requirements for licensure or certification in other states. For additional information, visit the professional licensure webpage.
No, Arizona State University’s diplomas don’t specify whether you earn your degree online or in person. All diplomas and transcripts simply say “Arizona State University.”