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M.S. in Counseling Psychology
Complete this short form to learn more about our M.S. in Counseling Psychology program. ACU’s Office of Graduate Programs will reach out shortly to discuss your interests and answer your questions.
Program Structure
What To Expect
These are the important details you will need to keep in mind as you prepare your application and degree plan.
You’ll expand your knowledge through classroom and clinical training for individual and group counseling, interviewing, crisis intervention, psychological testing, and professional issues and ethics. You’ll get real-world experience serving clients in our on-campus clinic under the supervision of experienced faculty mentors. And at the completion of the program, you will have fulfilled all the courses required for licensure in Texas.
Required Hours
Credit hours: 60
Program length: 2 years
2024/2025 tuition per credit hour: $1,468
Example Coursework
- Psychotherapy
- Clinical Research Methods
- Advanced Psychopathology
Department
Application Deadlines
Spring
December 1
Fall – International Students
February 15
Fall Priority (to be considered for scholarships & grad assistantships)
March 30
Fall
August 10
Frequently Asked Questions
Careers
A Master of Science in Counseling Psychology opens a variety of career opportunities, including counseling psychologist, behavioral specialist, mental health counselor, guidance counselor and addiction/substance abuse counselor. Note: It is important to become familiar with the licensing laws and rules of the licensing board in the state in which you plan to pursue licensure. The requirements vary widely from state to state.
Scholarships and Funding
Scholarships
Our program offers merit-based scholarships. These scholarships are awarded to students based on prior academic excellence. To be considered, students must submit a completed graduate application (including all supplemental documents) to the Office of Graduate Programs by the March 30th priority deadline. Scholarships may become available after March 30th or for January start-dates.
Average Merit Scholarships
- $20,000 awarded over the 48-60 hour programs: $10,000 each year for two years split evenly between fall and spring semesters. This scholarship is typical for the Clinical, Counseling or School Psychology programs.
- $9,000 awarded over the 36 hour program: $3,000 for each semester for three semesters. This scholarship is typical for the General Psychology program.
Student Loans
The vast majority of graduate students qualify for enough federal loans to cover tuition and living expenses, if needed. If you have questions regarding student loan options, please email jamie.bearden@acu.edu.
Research Funding
Many of our graduate students work with their faculty mentors with the goal of presenting research at professional conferences. Most recently our graduate students have presented scholarly projects at the American Psychological Association, the Southwest Psychological Association, the National Association of School Psychologists, Texas Association of School Psychologists, and the International Christian Association of Psychological Studies. Funding is often awarded for travel through departmental and college resources. Additional travel funding is available through our Graduate Student Association.
Cherisse Y. Flanagan, PhD
Licensed Psychologistst
Professor of Psychology
Director of Graduate Programs, Psychology
- Complete the online application;
- Pay the $65 application fee;
- An official transcript(s) in English (or translated to English) of all previous colleges attended. The transcript must indicate an earned bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university or equivalent;
- Unconditional admission requires an undergraduate GPA of 3.5-4.0. If an applicant meets all other requirements and has an undergraduate GPA of 3.0-3.49, he/she may be admitted on probation. The condition of probation means that the applicant must make a final grade of B or above in each of the first 4 courses required in his/her program. Failure to do so will result in suspension from the program;
- Three letters of recommendation. At least two must be from psychology faculty or psychologists who are familiar with the applicant’s academic work;
- Completion of at least 12 undergraduate semester hours in psychology including: statistics, experimental psychology, abnormal psychology and 3 additional hours that may be physiological, developmental psychology, cognition or principles of learning or an acceptable substitute. The applicant must have made a grade of B or higher in each of the prerequisite courses. Prerequisites must be completed prior to enrolling in graduate program courses; they may not be taken concurrently;
- A written statement (600-800 words) describing professional goals, interests and reasons for choosing to enter the psychology program at ACU;
- Because all professional psychology programs require students to provide services to clients in practicum sites, non-native speakers of English must pass an interview with two ACU psychology department faculty to establish that the applicant has sufficient skills in English and American culture to provide services to clients in practicum settings;
- International applicants also must meet the university’s English language test requirements;
- The Department of Psychology does not consider the GRE or other test as part of its admission requirements.
Graduate assistantships (GA) provide another form of financial support. GA’s typically work 10hours per week in a combination of research, service, teaching, or in ACU’s Psychology Clinic.
- GA’s are assigned to a specific faculty mentor for assistance with research or courses. GA’s may be required to attend classes for the course, teach and/or manage lab sections, give students written or oral feedback on their work, and/or hold office hours to assist undergraduate students.
- A number of our GA’s work in the ACU Psychology Clinic where they gain valuable professional skills that are needed to manage a private practice.
- The award is $1,650 per semester and is paid bi-weekly during the academic year. It is generally available for up to four semesters.
- All incoming full time graduate students are considered for graduate assistantships. The application is used to help match students with potential faculty and specific roles within the department that are more teaching or research focused, depending upon the career goals of the student.