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M.A. (Master of Arts)
Meet the New York state educational requirements needed to become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor through our convenient online program.
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Taking applications for fall 2024
60
credits
$780
per-credit
$3,340 Graduate Assistantships available per semester (Must be available to work on Albany or Troy campuses.)
3 years
to graduate
Online
program
A mix of live and asynchronous online courses with in-person internships near you
Support Well-Being
Licensed Mental Health Counselors have a master’s degree in counseling and provide evaluation, assessment, treatment and consultation services for adults and children, families and communities.
Online learning not for you?
We also offer an on-campus version of this program.
Explore Our Online Mental Health Counseling and Community Psychology Master’s Degree Program
We’ll put you on the path to become an LMHC
Our master’s in Mental Health Counseling and Community Psychology is approved by the New York State Education Department’s Office of the Professions. Graduates are eligible to take the exam required to practice as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in New York state.
(We offer a Community Psychology master’s for those not seeking licensure as a LMHC.)
- Flexible format: Courses are delivered online through a mix of live online meetings in the evenings (particularly clinical courses) and asynchronous courses taken on your schedule. Secure required in-person internships at a location near you with guidance from our dedicated internship coordinator.
- We combine community psychology and counseling in a way other programs don’t:You’ll learn to work directly with clients and to view mental health from a macro level.
- We provide a comprehensive curriculum: You’ll take academic, clinical, and research classes in the behavioral sciences and build therapeutic skills under the supervision of licensed professionals. We also offer courses in family counseling, psychopharmacology, and substance abuse counseling.
- New concentrations: Three elective courses are built into the program, and you can focus them around one of three specialty areas – Trauma and Acute Care, Couples and Family Counseling, or Substance Abuse and Addiction Counseling – adding a concentration to your master’s degree.
Concentrations and Certificates
You can earn additional concentrations and credentials for more marketability.
Use your program electives toward a concentration in any of these areas:
- Trauma-Informed Counseling
- Neuropsychology
- Choose from either: Risk and Resilience or Psychopharmacology
- Family Counseling
- Couples Counseling
- Choose from either: Child Psychopathology or Intro to Play Therapy (this course must be taken in-person)
- Alcoholism/Drug Addiction: Vulnerabilities, Dynamics & Problems
- Chemical Dependence Education & Prevention
- Neuropsychology
Earn an additional certification:
- Students who choose to concentrate in Substance Abuse and Addiction Counseling will also complete the requirements for obtaining Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor Trainee (CASAC-T) certification. The certification is forthose who provide direct clinical care services and substance use disorder counseling.
Course Requirements
Credits and Completion
Our master’s in Mental Health Counseling and Community Psychology program is 60 credits and can be completed full time in approximately three years. The program has been registered with New York State Education Department as meeting the educational qualifications leading to licensure as a Mental Health Counselor in New York state.
This program is registered with the New York State Department of Education and meets the education requirements for the New York state Licensed Mental Health Counselor credential. Students who want to become licensed in other states will need to research educational requirements specific to the state(s) of interest.
View Program Catalog
Psychology Graduate Programs Handbook 2023-2024
| Number of applicants | 58 |
| Number of acceptances | 54 |
| Percent accepted | 93% |
| Number of enrollees | 35 |
| Percent enrolled | 65% |
| Number of total students (part-time and full-time) | 84 |
| Graduates (Aug/Dec/May) | 19 |
| Number of core full-time faculty | 7 |
| Faculty to student ratio | 1:12 |
| Courses taught by adjunct faculty | 19% |
| Percent of graduates from 2019 to 2021 who are now Licensed Mental Health Counselors in NYS | 60% |
M.A. in Counseling & Community Psychology 2022-2023 (in-person program)
Application Requirements
Now taking applications for a fall 2024 start.
This new program is now taking applications for the fall 2024 semester. Space will be limited so apply by May 15, 2024, for a chance to secure your spot.
Applicants should have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 and should have completed undergraduate courses in Social Science Statistics, History and Systems of Psychology, and three additional courses in behavioral sciences.
- Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended
- Two letters of recommendation
- A one- to two-page essay describing your career goals
- A resume
- An RSC graduate school application
- GRE scores are not required
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Personal advising, experienced faculty
Our master’s program comes with a deep, Russell Sage-level of support from an assigned faculty advisor who works with you to ensure your success.
Gayle Morse, Ph.D., Professor “Students with a master’s degree in counseling walk out the door with jobs. There’s such a need for counselors that they have jobs immediately.”
Your Future Career with a Master’s in Mental Health Counseling and Community Psychology
Graduates of Russell Sage’s Mental Health Counseling and Community Psychology program become Licensed Mental Health Counselors and enter private and group practices or join state and county agencies, health care systems, universities, school districts, human service agencies, and more.
Internships
As a counseling psychology master’s candidate, you will work therapeutically with clients in person under the supervision of licensed, registered professionals. Students will be guided through the process of finding an internship site near them by our dedicated internship coordinator.
Research
You will also conduct research and may be eligible for research funding from Russell Sage College’s Broughton Graduate Fellowship or Paul Search Research Award in Community Psychology, or from the American Psychological Association.
Professional Networking
Professional organizations and conferences are another opportunity to learn. Our students have presented research at the American Psychological Association’s national and regional conferences and Russell Sage College’s Graduate Research symposium.
M.A. in Mental Health Counseling and Community Psychology Spotlights
Meet students and alumni from our counseling master’s program.
Need help?
Associate Professor of Psychology, Chair and Graduate Program Director
[emailprotected]
518-244-2223
