Viterbo University's Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree is accredited by The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. Our program is designed to meet state requirements for licensure as mental health counselors in the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa.
The key content areas include professional identity, social and cultural diversity, human growth and development, helping relationships, career development, group work, assessment, diagnosis, research, program evaluation, and evidence-based counseling, prevention, and intervention skills.
Students will have opportunities to learn through a variety of teaching methodologies including class discussions, role-playing, small group work, case-study analyses, and classroom simulations. Students will apply this knowledge in supervised clinical settings.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Viterbo University Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is to prepare professional counselors to provide treatment for individuals experiencing a continuum of mental health issues. The program educates counselors who will integrate the values of contemplation, integrity, hospitality, stewardship, and service into their personal and professional lives
Distinct Curricular Themes
- Mental health counseling: A curriculum that exceeds national and state standards by requiring core coursework in addiction counseling, psychopharmacology, family counseling, and wellness counseling, with emphasis on ethical professional practice.
- Bio-psych-social: This program will provide training emphasis on psycho-diagnostics, psychometrics, and psycho-pharmaceutical knowledge and clinical skill sets applicable across the life span and sensitive to cultural differences.
- Science-practitioner: A model that emphasizes not only evidenced-based clinical practices, but also data-driven decision making where trained mental health counselors embrace a research orientation and seek to maintain a clinical relevance in their research (i.e., science informs practice and practice informs science).
- Multicultural: A multicultural infusion encouraging a counselor identity that seeks an appreciation of diversity and human growth in context with social dynamics, while also advocating for community justice and equity.
- Integrative health: A perspective that recognizes the interplay of mind-body medicine within an emphasis on personal wellness where mental health counselors are trained to intervene for initial symptom relief as well as lifestyle patterns for increased well-being and longevity.
- Certificate of advanced training: Each graduate in a select specialty area of her/his choice can receive a certificate of advanced training. Those choices include certificates in: addiction counseling, integrative health, and child and adolescent counseling.
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MSMHC Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program Student Outcomes (Vital Statistics) |
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Clinical Mental Health Program Graduates |
4 in the spring of 2018, 4 in the summer of 2018, 6 in fall of 2018 |
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Student Completion Rate |
80% |
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Licensure Examination Pass Rate |
97% |
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Job Placement Rate within 6 Months |
90% |
The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), has granted accreditation to the Mental Health Counseling (MS) program in the College of Nursing, Health, and Human Behavior at Viterbo University.
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