Master's in Counseling and Psychological Services

• We review applications as they are completed and early applications are encouraged. Space in the program courses is limited and we cannot guarantee acceptance to your preferred semester if classes fill up.
• Applicants may apply for admission to master’s degree programs at any time during the year.
• Applicants must have completed an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution and maintained an overall grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale. 
• Applicants must demonstrate the language proficiency necessary for successful graduate coursework.
• Applicants may complete an interview with a program administrator as part of the admission process.

Students with transcripts from universities located outside of the United States, unless from a waiver country listed here, are required to take and pass English Proficiency testing.

Saint Mary’s accepts:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 72
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with a minimum score of 6.0
• International Test of English Proficiency (ITEP) with a minimum score of 4.0 or Pearson Test of English with a score of 51
• We also accept the SAT with a minimum composite score of 1000 (minimum 480 in English) and Duolingo with a minimum score of 100.

Your application must include the following items:

1. A completed application form
2. An official transcript(s) issued to Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota from the institution posting the applicant’s completed bachelor’s degree and other relevant transcripts documenting program prerequisites and potential transfer credits. (An official transcript is one that is sent to the university by the credit-granting institution.)
   • Transcripts from countries other than the U.S. must be evaluated on a course by course basis by a university accepted evaluation service, such as World Education Services, Educational Credential Evaluators, Educational Perspectives, One Earth International Credential Evaluators or any approved member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES.org) and be deemed equivalent to accredited U.S. university standards.
   • Saint Mary’s can order and cover the cost of transcripts from institutions that allow third-party requests for eligible degree-seeking applicants. Contact your enrollment counselor for more information.
   • Official Transcripts should be sent to Office of Admission
     • Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
       2500 Park Avenue
       Minneapolis, MN 55404
     • Or electronically: tcadmission@smumn.edu
3. A transcript for a college-level General Psychology course if it is not represented by the Bachelor’s degree transcript
4. Applicants who did not have an undergraduate degree in psychology or a similar area must have taken a general psychology course at the undergraduate level or they must take a general psychology course prior to starting the program or concurrently with the MPY600 class.
5. A reflective essay completed according to the instructions on the application form
6. Three recommendations that verify professional and/or volunteer experience and academic ability; and
7. Current résumé listing educational background and work experience.

Minneapolis:

• Fall: July 1 2024
• Spring: November 1, 2024
• Summer: March 1, 2025
• Fall: July 1, 2025

Online:

• Fall 2025: February 15, 2025

You can expect to be notified about your acceptance approximately two weeks following the admission interview.

Learn more

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Students are allowed to apply for a location change one time while enrolled in the program.

Yes! Contact one of our enrollment counselors to learn more.

The Online program operates as a cohort model that only admits students one time per year in the fall semester. Classes typically meet one time weekly (M-Th), remotely via Zoom, for 12 out of 16 weeks in a semester. The other four weeks in the semester are asynchronous learning. Classes are offered in the evenings and most commonly run from 6-9pm CST.

In the Minneapolis on-ground program locations, students attend the majority of their required courses in person on campus. For the required 3 credit courses, 12 weeks are held in-person and 4 weeks are held online and entail asynchronous class activities. Practicum classes and most of the elective courses are offered in a remote fashion (via Zoom).

Online Cohort counseling students attend classes year round, attending courses in all three semesters. Minneapolis students may elect to take courses year round or may take a semester off as needed. The fall semester typically runs from September-December followed by a two week break. The spring semester runs January through April followed by a one week break. And, the summer semester runs May-August followed by a one week break. Class sizes range, but each class generally has around 20 enrolled students.

Yes, attendance is expected during all synchronous class sessions. The remote (Online) cohort functions similarly to the on-ground courses, with the main difference being that classes meet virtually through video conferencing rather than in-person. Attendance and active participation are expected components of learning in all program locations and the online cohort/remote courses are no exception, as outlined in the program policies. Our synchronous program structure differs from other more traditional online programs that offer mostly asynchronous learning. We believe that synchronous class meetings facilitate relationship development and improved interpersonal skills with faculty and peers. In addition to providing a more supportive learning environment for students, these skills are also essential for future professional counselors.

There are many factors that one may consider when applying for one of the program locations. Some students are looking for an in-person learning experience, so attending our program in Minneapolis may be a better fit for them. Additionally, students who prefer to take the program at their own pace and/or need to have the option of daytime classes, should consider the Minneapolis location. Alternatively, some students prefer the flexibility of online learning. For students who do not live near one of our campuses or who have health or mobility limitations, the remote (Online) cohort offers the opportunity to continue to attend our university without the need to commute to a campus. Students who prefer a cohort model and who prefer evening classes may find the Online Cohort option a better fit.

*Students should note that they cannot switch back and forth between program locations; they must apply for the program location they are interested in and take courses out of that campus.

Most students are able to complete the program in 8 to 10 semesters (2.67-3 years) by taking 7-8 credits per semester.

The majority of counseling students, in all program locations, take 2-3 courses per semester. If a student would like to follow an accelerated course plan, the Minneapolis version will likely be a better fit, as the Online Cohort follows a precise sequence that only offers each course one time per year. It is not possible to move through the program in the Online cohort in an accelerated manner.  It is possible to progress through the program more slowly (taking 1-2 courses per semester) both in the Online and the Minneapolis locations.

Yes, all students are required to complete a 700 hour practicum experience at the end of the program. The practicum is not only required as part of the graduation requirements, but it is also a requirement for future licensure. Students are not assigned a practicum placement. Rather, they apply to practicums, with the oversight and guidance of the program, with the assistance of an extensive list of practicum opportunities and considering what site may best fit their personal circumstances and career goals. The practicum experience typically occurs at one community practicum site over the course of two semesters. Students work approximately 20-24 hours a week at their practicum site. Some practicum sites offer payment and some do not. Prospective students will want to carefully consider if this component of the program will be feasible for them to complete and they should plan ahead accordingly.

The program itself does not currently hold a specialty accreditation. However, the university is a regionally accredited institution that is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The program is also recognized by the Council of Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

We are intentionally not a CACREP accredited program. We have designed our curriculum to align with CACREP standards and common professional counselor licensure requirements across the United States, as this helps facilitate licensure requirements. However, we have chosen not to pursue CACREP accreditation due to philosophical differences. Our program values interdisciplinary collaboration and learning opportunities with professionals from related fields (i.e. marriage and family therapy, clinical social work, etc.) and resists the artificial divide between “counseling” and “psychology,” which is promoted by CACREP. The M.A. in Counseling & Psychological Services sees “counseling” and “psychology” as interrelated and inseparable components of professional counseling. The program is currently exploring alternative specialty accreditation options.

The M.A. in Counseling & Psychological Services program is designed to meet the educational requirements for the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) licenses in Minnesota. Applicants seeking future licensure in states outside of Minnesota should refer to the licensure standards in their state of intended practice to determine if the program meets educational requirements for licensure. Students may use their elective credits to fulfill additional content areas required by other states. Students are encouraged to meet with their program director to develop a plan if they anticipate seeking licensure outside of the state of Minnesota.

It is not uncommon for applicants to have undergraduate GPAs that may be lower than is typically expected for graduate school admission. We understand that sometimes a prospective student’s GPAs may not represent what they are currently capable of and may have been the result of extenuating circumstances at the time. If you have a lower GPA, please provide us with a brief explanation in your personal essay that would assist us in understanding the factors that contributed to your undergraduate GPA. Additionally, please tell us what has changed, or what you plan to do differently, to be successful in graduate school and meet the program’s GPA expectation of a 3.0 or higher.

No. Students from all educational backgrounds are welcome to apply to the program. For students who do not have a bachelor’s degree in psychology, applicants must have taken one 3 credit course in psychology as a prerequisite prior to potential admission. Please see the section of the website related to admissions for more information about this prerequisite requirement.

We strongly encourage applicants to request recommendation letters from people with whom they have had a professional relationship and who can speak to their potential to be successful in graduate school and in the field of professional counseling. Professional references may include previous faculty members, current or former bosses or supervisors, supervisors for volunteer work, or professional colleagues who have witnessed you in a professional setting. Please do not provide recommendations from personal sources such as family members, friends or one’s personal therapist. We suggest that you provide your recommenders with some guidance so they can provide you with a strong letter. Common components of professional recommendations for graduate school include:

• A statement regarding how the recommender knows you, how long they have known you, and how familiar they are with your work in a professional setting (i.e. school, work, volunteer work)
• A brief explanation of their opinion, and what supports their opinion, of your potential to be successful in graduate school and in the field of professional counseling.
• A summary of what they have witnessed to be some of your key strengths, qualities, and/or abilities

A strong recommendation letter is typically approximately a page in length. We discourage the use of AI in creating recommendation letters as letters written in the recommenders own words tend to be more personal and compelling.