Feb 17, 2026

2013-2014 Argosy University Academic Catalog—Graduate Programs | Volume 4, Issue 1

2013-2014 Argosy University Academic Catalog—Graduate Programs | Volume 4, Issue 1 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Program—Argosy University, Phoenix

Program Overview

The Master of Arts (MA) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree program is designed to provide students with a solid foundation for the eventual practice of mental health counseling. The program introduces students to basic counseling skills that integrate individual and group theoretical foundations of professional counseling into appropriate client interaction and intervention skills. The program is designed to emphasize the development of attitudes, knowledge, and skills essential in the formation of professional counselors who are committed to the ethical provision of quality services.

Licensure Information

Graduates of the MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree program are eligible to pursue licensure in Arizona as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and for certification as a Nationally Certified Counselor. Upon completion of educational requirements, two years of post-master’s supervised practice is required for licensure as an independent Counselor in the state of Arizona. For more information and application materials please contact the Arizona State Board of Behavioral Health Examiners, 3443 N. Central Avenue, Suite 1700, Phoenix, AZ 85012, 602.542.1882, or www.azbbhe.us. If a student intends to obtain licensure in a state other than Arizona, the student needs to contact the licensure board associated with the state they plan to obtain licensure in order to ensure they meet that state’s requirements.

Enrollment Requirements

Students in the MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree program enroll in a minimum of two 3 credit-hour classes per semester, which are offered in sequence. Students complete one course at a time. Students may take courses online (if available) after completion of the first four courses on campus. Students may take courses online within the first four courses only with the approval of the program chair.

While completing a field experience, students may enroll in two classes and the practicum/internship and seminar (9 credit hours) each semester, or they may enroll in the practicum/internship and seminar only (3 credit hours per semester) if they have already completed all other coursework.

Each in-residence course meets one weekend per month for two months. However, the official starting date of each Session I in-residence course corresponds to the date of the start of the term. Pre-assignments will be made available in a blended format, and contacts by instructors will occur weekly throughout the semester.

Requirements for Academic Progress

Students must make satisfactory progress toward their degree program by maintaining a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a scale of 4.0. Student progress in the MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree program is formally evaluated after the first four courses.

Students who receive a grade below a “B-” in any course must repeat the course. Students who receive two grades below “B-” in the first four courses, including a repeat of the same course, will not be permitted to continue in the program.

Students are expected to follow the recommended course sequence as outlined in the curriculum in order to complete all coursework in two years, with a maximum time limit for completion of five years. Students who have temporarily withdrawn from Argosy University will have five years plus the length of time that they were not enrolled, not to exceed one year, to complete the program.

Students are required to complete 60 credit hours. The suggested minimum amount of work that a student must complete each year following matriculation to successfully complete the program appears below:

Suggested Incremental Time Frame Completion Rates

End of Year One	12 credit hours
End of Year Two	24 credit hours
End of Year Three	36 credit hours
End of Year Four	48 credit hours
End of Year Five	60 credit hours

Students admitted into the MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree program are responsible for completing the program requirements in effect at the time of admission. The school retains the right to modify these requirements in accordance with the demands of the counseling profession. Coursework and degree requirements should be completed in the order recommended by the department administration. It is the responsibility of the student to inform the academic advisors regarding any intent to request any changes to the designated coursework.

Graduation Requirements

To be eligible for graduation, students must meet the following requirements.

Completion of 60 semester credit hours by the end of the fifth year of matriculation. The total credit hours must include:
- 45 credit hours of core course requirements
- 6 credit hours of elective course requirements
- 9 credit hours (10–12 months) of practicum and internship training experience
Successful completion of the Counselor Presentation Evaluation (CPE)
Successful completion of all practicum and internship requirements and assessments
Successful completion of the Comprehensive Examination
A grade point average of at least 3.0 on a scale of 4.0
A Completed Petition to Graduate Form submitted to campus administration

Program Requirements

The MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree program requires the satisfactory completion of 60 semester credit hours distributed as follows: core course requirements, 45 credit hours; elective requirements, 6 credit hours; and practicum and internship requirements, 9 credit hours.

Core Course Requirements—Students Are Required to Take the Following

Core Course Requirements—45 Credit Hours

Elective Requirements*—Students Are Required to Take the Following

Elective (3)
Elective (3)

Elective Requirements—6 Credit Hours

*Students choose elective courses in consultation with their advisor.

Practicum and Internship Requirements–Students Are Required to Take the Following

Practicum and Internship Requirements–9 credit hours

Practicum and Internship Requirements

Students may be placed in a training experience during the second year of study. A student may also have the option of waiting until all coursework is completed before beginning the training experience. For registration purposes, the practicum, internship, and seminar are treated like a single course. The practicum and internship carry 3 credit hours per semester and 9 credit hours per academic year. A practicum and internship must last a minimum of 9 months and can typically last for 12 months. Throughout the year, the student will be required to spend a minimum of 900 hours in the practicum/internship training experience. A Practicum and Internship may not be done in a student’s place of past or present direct employment, nor may students waive the practicum and internship requirements. Professional liability insurance is included in the cost of the practicum and internship.

To be eligible for a practicum and internship, student must have successfully completed or waived the following courses:

Practicum and Internship Eligibility

Practicum and Internship Seminar Requirements

All students enrolled in a field experience must also concurrently attend a related seminar. The seminar meets biweekly, on one week night, throughout the training year and allows the student to reflect on various field experiences and to acquire additional skills and attitudes useful in field training. The specific content and emphasis of the seminar varies according to the setting and focus of the enrolled students and the professional expertise of the faculty member.

Practicum and Internship Evaluation

The goal of the field experience is to focus on the training of competent counselors capable of providing basic and effective counseling and therapeutic intervention. Evaluation of student progress in supervised field training focuses on three areas:

Theoretical knowledge base
Counseling Skills
Professional Attitudes

A thorough review of site and seminar evaluations is conducted by the director of Training, and an overall grades of “Credit” or “No Credit” is included in the student’s academic record.

Counselor Presentation Evaluation Requirement

The Counselor Presentation Evaluation (CPE) requires each student to present a case study and conceptual analysis in writing, resulting in a case formulation, conceptual formulation, and recommendations for treatment relevant to the case conceptualization. The purpose of the CPE is to monitor the growth and development of the school’s standard of competency for mental health counselors.

The CPE ensures that students are prepared to demonstrate their conceptual abilities, theoretical knowledge, and applied counseling skills in class and in supervised field training. Faculty evaluators assess the student’s knowledge base regarding the foundations of mental health counseling, the student’s ability to manage an interview, and the student’s ability to arrive at an accurate diagnosis. Students are also evaluated on their ability to make appropriate and individualized treatment recommendations based on their case formulation. The document is written during the two semesters of practicum and internship, and the oral examination of the CPE is taken during the third semester of the student’s internship.

The CPE requirement is met by submitting a written document along with a digital recording and transcript or other approved sample of one psychotherapy session that the student has conducted with a client, and a diagnostic case formulation report, including a self-critique. The CPE is submitted to the student’s seminar faculty at a designated date.

The digital recording shall not be submitted either in the school or outside of it for review, supervision or critique. Students should refer to the Counselor Presentation Evaluation document for complete information concerning the requirements and process for completing the CPE.

Comprehensive Examination Requirements

All students who are enrolled in the MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree program are required to successfully complete a Comprehensive Examination. The information tested by the exam covers the end-of-program learning outcomes required of students in the MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree program. Students must have successfully completed all required coursework, with the exception of practicum and internship, to be eligible to take the Comprehensive Exam. Additional information regarding registration, qualification, format, and dates of the exam can be obtained from the program chair.

A student who fails the Comprehensive Exam is required to contact his/her faculty advisor who will assist in developing a remediation plan. Any student who fails the Comprehensive Examination a third time is automatically dismissed from the program.

Additional Course/Credit Transfer Information

A maximum of 12 graduate credit hours may be transferred from another University.