M.S. Counseling: Admission Information

In order to be considered for enrollment in a graduate program of Divine Mercy University, applicants must fulfill certain admission requirements. Below is a list of the requirements for the Master of Science in Counseling program within the School of Counseling (SOC).

Before you apply, please review below to ensure you qualify to apply to the M.S. in Counseling Program based on your location. Divine Mercy University (DMU) is obligated to comply with other states’ laws regarding the delivery of distance education to residents of other states. State laws regarding distance education vary state-by-state, and even program-by-program within a state.

Please note that at this time, DMU is not able to accept applications from those who reside in: Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Oregon.  For additional state and licensure disclaimers, please scroll to the bottom.

Schedule a brief call with an Admissions Advisor at your convenience!
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Please note that individuals seeking admission to multiple programs of study (i.e., M.S. Counseling and Psy.D. Clinical Psychology), must submit separate applications specific to each individual program.

  • A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution
  • Undergraduate cumulative GPA:
    • Minimum overall 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale, or 3.0 GPA in the applicant’s major field of study, or a minimum 3.0 GPA for the last 60 credits in the applicant’s undergraduate degree.
    • In rare circumstances, applicants with a cumulative GPA of less than 3.0 may be considered for admission. An applicant with such circumstances should contact the Admissions Office directly before completing the application process.
  • Complete the application process which includes:
    • Completed Application for Admission document
    • One Recommendation Form from an Academic Reference – If you believe you may have trouble obtaining an academic reference, please contact the Admissions Office to discuss this requirement.
    • Submission of official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions even if a degree was not awarded.
    • Submission of essays as noted in Application for Admission document
    • Current Curriculum Vitae or Resume
    • Official GRE general test scores (DMU school code 5639) within the past five years
    • $55 application fee, which the Admissions Office can choose to waive in extenuating circumstances
  • Availability for two video conference interviews after submission of all application materials.
    • Individual interview with admissions
    • Group interview with other applicants and SOC faculty
  • Applicants whose primary language is other than English please note the following:
    • Applicants whose native language is not English must have taken the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) within the past two years, and the scores must be submitted directly to DMU by the testing agency.
      • TOEFL scores must be at least 100 on the internet-based version (iBT), 250 on the computer-based version (CBT), and 600 on the paper-based version (PBT). Academic IELTS scores must fall into the overall band of at least 7.0, with no individual band scores below 6.0. Test results must be sent directly from the testing agency, who will only make them available for up to two years from the test date. For more information, please view our catalog.
  • For applicants, whose baccalaureate degree was earned at an institution outside of the U.S. please note the following:
    • Applicants holding degrees from outside the United States must submit any international transcript(s) to a NACES approved evaluation service for a “Course-by-Course” evaluation of their transcripts. For more information, please view our catalog.
    • Applicants holding degrees from outside the United States must demonstrate post-secondary education that is, at minimum, equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree.

Application Deadline

After all application materials have been completed and received by our Admissions office, the applicant will be invited to schedule a video conference interview with admissions. Pending the outcome of the individual meeting with admissions, a group video conference interview with other applicants and the SOC faculty members will follow. If you are seeking admission to a program after the Primary Application Deadline has passed, please contact Admissions for further assistance and to inquire if additional spaces may still be available. Note that seating is limited and cohorts may fill to capacity prior to published deadlines.

  • Early Application Deadline: November 17th, 2021 — $2000 incentive
  • Spring 2022 — Classes begin January 5, 2021

Space is limited! Application prior to deadline is strongly encouraged! Personal interview required.

Licensure Disclaimer

A license to practice is required by each state and/or jurisdiction where individuals might practice as a counselor.  It is the responsibility of each STUDENT to determine the license requirements for their respective state and to meet the requirements of their state for licensure.  License laws for each state may be found by visiting each state’s licensing board website, and through the American Counseling Association website: https://www.counseling.org/knowledge-center/licensure-requirements

The university does not offer the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program in the states of Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, and Oregon, due to the educational requirements for counseling licensure in these states.  If a student moves to any of these states prior to graduation they will not be able to proceed with the CMHC program.  Additionally, if a student moves to one of these states after graduation, the CMHC program will not meet the education requirements for professional licensure in those states.

Obtaining a license to practice as a professional, clinical mental health counselor often involves “layers” of licensing.  In some states, students can advance from one level of state licensure to the next level of licensure by meeting a higher criteria of educational and professional qualifications (for example, from Licensed Professional Counselor to Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, Licensed Associate Counselor to Licensed Professional Counselor, etc.).  Students are responsible for determining the licensure requirements in the state for which they intend to practice, and for meeting the various requirements to apply for a mental health practitioner license at each licensure level as defined by state regulation.

Practicum/Internship Site Disclaimer

Students are responsible for finding their own “site”, under the supervision of their Director of Training and Internships, to complete their practicum and internship hours.  Please see the Program Handbook for details regarding the site approval process.  Prior to enrollment, potential students who live in remote or rural areas should consider whether or not a sufficient opportunity exists to complete their practicum and internship hours, and to do so with proper supervision.  In other words, if the nearest counseling center is 100 miles away, a student needs to carefully assess their ability to consistently complete the commute needed to complete their practicum and internship hours.  The completion of practicum and internship is mandatory for every student and cannot be waived.

Disclaimer for USA Territories and Countries outside of the USA

The Divine Mercy University Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is not designed to meet licensure or certification standards for USA territories or any country foreign to the USA.  By virtue of alignment with USA industry standards for the counseling program curriculum, the CMHC program may meet the educational requirements for USA territories or foreign countries; however, students are responsible for determining the licensure or certification requirements for any USA territory or foreign country in which they intend to practice.

Disclaimer for California

In California, counseling students must complete a course in Psychopharmacology in order to meet the educational requirements for licensure.  To meet this requirement, DMU counseling students in the state of California are required to complete an additional course: COUN 730 (Psychopharmacology) for a total of 69 credits.

In California, several post-graduate continuing education units are required to be completed as a condition of licensure.  Please review the information from the following link from the California Board of Behavioral Sciences for specific information regarding the topics and hours required:

Additional Coursework Requirements for LPCC Applicants with Out-of-State Education

Please note: The post-graduate continuing education units are typically taken during the two (2) year supervised work experience after graduation and through a number of educational avenues, including an approved continuing education (CE) provider.

Disclaimer for Idaho

In Idaho, counseling students are required to complete 1,000 clock hours of experience in a counseling setting that includes 400 hours of direct client contact for Professional Counselor Licensure.  To meet this requirement, the University counseling students in the state of Idaho are required to complete an additional internship course: COUN 693 (Advanced Internship) for a total of 69 credits.

Disclaimer for Indiana

In Indiana, counseling students must complete a course in Contextual Dimensions in order to meet the educational requirements for licensure.  To meet this requirement, DMU counseling students in the state of Indiana are required to complete an additional course: COUN 710 (Clinical Supervision and Consultation for Community Mental Health) for a total of 69 credits.

Disclaimer for Maine

In Maine, counseling students are required to complete a 900-hour internship in order to meet the educational requirements for the LCPC (Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor) credential.  To meet this requirement, DMU counseling students in the state of Maine are required to complete an additional internship course: COUN 693 (Advanced Internship) for a total of 69 credits.

Disclaimer for Minnesota

In Minnesota, the DMU CMHC program meets the educational requirements for the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) credential; however, it does not meet the educational requirements for the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) credential.

Disclaimer for Ohio

In Ohio, counseling students must complete a course in Evaluation of Mental & Emotional Disorders in order to meet the educational requirements for licensure.  To meet this requirement, DMU counseling students in the state of Ohio are required to complete an additional course: COUN 750 (Advanced Evaluation of Mental and Emotional Disorders) for a total of 69 credits.

Disclaimer for Rhode Island

In Rhode Island, counseling students must complete a minimum of twelve (12) semester hours of supervised practicum to meet the educational requirements for licensure.  To meet this requirement, DMU counseling students must take one (1) additional practicum course: COUN 689 (Practicum 3: Counseling Practicum) for three (3) semester hours. The other nine (9) semester hours of required practicum coursework are included in the normal counseling degree program. Therefore, the required course sequence for Practicum and Internship in Rhode Island is listed as follows for a total of 69 credits:

  1. COUN 580 (Practicum 1: Counseling Skills and Helping Relationships) 3 semester hours.
  2. COUN 630 (Practicum 2: Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Planning) 3 semester hours.
  3. COUN 689 (Practicum 3: Counseling Practicum) This course must be completed “back to back” with COUN 690 over a 16-week span (8 weeks each) during the Summer semester prior to Internship. 3 semester hours
  4. COUN 690 (Practicum 4: Counseling Practicum/Advanced Clinical Intervention Skills) As stated above, this course must be completed “back to back” with COUN 689 over a 16-week span (8 weeks each) during the Summer semester prior to Internship. 3 semester hours
  5. COUN 691 (Counseling Internship 1). This course must be taken during the Fall semester after all Practicum requirements are met.
  6. COUN 692 (Counseling Internship 2). This course must be taken during the Spring semester following the completion of COUN 691.

Disclaimer for Utah

In Utah, counseling students must complete a total of 1,000 clock hours for their practicum and internship in order to meet the educational requirements for licensure.  To meet this licensure requirement, DMU students in the state of Utah are required to complete a third internship course: COUN 693 (Advanced Internship) for a total of 69 credits.

Disclaimer for Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, counseling students must complete a course in professional counseling orientation to meet the educational requirements for the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) credential.  To meet this licensure requirement, DMU counseling students in the state of Wisconsin are required to complete an additional course: COUN 740 (Advanced Seminar: Professional Orientation, Law, and Ethical Standards of Professional Counseling) for a total of 69 credits.