Wake Forest University – Online Master of Arts in Counseling Programs

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Wake Forest University offers two online Master of Arts (M.A.) in Counseling programs: School Counseling, and Clinical Mental Health Counseling. These degrees are ideal for students who wish to serve children, adolescents and adults in counseling and human services.

Therapy techniques for the MA in School Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling cover key areas including group work, human growth and development, research evaluation, program evaluation, social awareness, cultural norms, and career development. Graduates of these programs qualify to take the National Counselor Exam (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Exam (NCMHE).

The MA in School Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling programs consist of 60 credits and can be completed in three years. Cohorts begin in the fall, spring, and summer. Online students take courses consecutively throughout all three sessions per year completing their degree with their cohort sequentially. The online counseling programs are part-time only. Online courses through Wake Forest University may contain asynchronous and synchronous components, including live scheduled class time each week. Assignments and assessments have specific due dates.

Students are required to complete two, 3-day residencies at the Reynolda Campus in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Residencies last from Friday at 5 pm to Sunday at noon. During these residencies students are evaluated for competency and readiness. In addition, students plan and assess field experience placements, get to know faculty and peers, and have a chance to network and develop relationships. Finally students meet the group experience requirement of the CACREP accreditation body.

A third residency may be required for School Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling students, on an individual basis, depending on readiness results from the first two residencies.

All degree paths include the following courses: Research and Statistical Analysis in Counseling; Theories and Models of Counseling; Lifespan Development: Implications for Counseling; Professional Orientation to Counseling; Basic Counseling Skills and Techniques; Career Development and Counseling; Advanced Counseling Skills and Crisis Management; Cultures and Counseling; Family Counseling; and Group Procedures in Counseling.

The MA in School Counseling also includes School Guidance and Counseling; Consultation and Program Development in Counseling; Appraisal Procedures for Counselors; Counseling Children; Issues in School Counseling; Addiction Counseling; Professional, Ethical & Legal Issues in Counseling; and Professional Identity Capstone.

In addition, School Counseling students complete the School Counseling Practicum which includes 200 hours of field experience in a school, community, or mental health setting; and two school counseling internships totaling 600 service hours.

The MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling also includes Clinical Mental Health Counseling; Consultation and Program Development in Counseling; Appraisal Procedures for Counselors; Addiction Counseling; Issues in Clinical Mental Health Counseling; Classification of Mental & Emotional Disorders; Professional, Ethical & Legal Issues in Counseling; and Professional Identity Capstone.

In addition, these students complete the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Practicum which includes 200 hours of field experience in a community, school, or mental health setting; and two school clinical mental health counseling internships totaling 600 service hours.

Wake Forest University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The MA in Counseling degrees are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).