College of Theology and Christian Ministry

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Darrell Gwaltney Dean, College of Theology and Christian Ministry

Janet Hicks (Program Director), Tom Knowles-Bagwell (Associate Program Director), Layla Bonner, Mary Mayorga

M.A. In Mental Health Counseling

The Master of Arts degree in Mental Health Counseling through the College of Theology & Christian Ministry at Belmont University is unique among contemporary counseling programs in that it embodies Christian and pastoral theological understandings of the care of human beings in addressing the depth and complexity of human suffering.  

The program seeks to guide the forming of professionals who will act with integrity in the world as agents of the ministries of healing and transformation serving individuals, couples, families or larger groups. The program seeks to accomplish this goal through the integration of the wisdom, insight and values of the Church’s care of souls tradition with the knowledge, skills and resources of contemporary scientific counseling.

What sets Belmont’s Mental Health Counseling program apart from other counselor education programs is this integration of Christian resources and scientific perspectives on human nature and development, suffering and psychopathology, treatment and the alleviation of suffering, guiding values and ideals for the living of life. The Mental Health Counseling Program is the only graduate degree program in the College of Theology & Christian Ministry at Belmont University.

The program was established to prepare professional counselors at the master’s (MAMHC) level. The program offers three specialty tracks:

• Marriage, Couples, and Family Counseling 
• Clinical Mental Health Counseling 
• Clinical Pastoral Therapy

Admissions ¹

Full admission to the M.A. in Mental Health Counseling program requires completion of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university.

Undergraduate students interested in admission to the program may apply for provisional admission to the program after completion of ninety-six undergraduate credit hours or 75% or their respective program.

Full admission will be granted only after transcripts confirming successful completion of the bachelor’s program are received. To be considered for admission to the M.A. in Mental Health Counseling program, the applicant must:

• Submit an application including an essay statement of professional interests and desired outcomes for participation in the program.
• Submit two letters of recommendation from individuals who are qualified to evaluate the applicant’s potential for successful masters-level graduate work.
• Interview with the Mental Health Counseling faculty.
• Submit a complete curriculum vitae and/or professional resume.
• Submit official transcripts from all prior regionally accredited college-level work.
• Submit an official GRE score no more than five years old, preferably three years or less.
• Be proficient in the English language.*
• Pay the graduate application fee.

* International applicants from countries in which the official language is not English are required to take either TOEFL or IELTS.

Academic Policy Regarding Transfer of Credit

Students accepted into the Mental Health Counseling Program may request graduate course credits from an accredited institution be reviewed for possible substitution for Belmont University course credit.

The program department will determine at its sole discretion what course(s) are eligible for transfer toward the student’s program of study. Eligible transfer course work must have at least a grade of “B” in each course. Other credit bearing work on a transcript such as academic projects, significant research, internships, and fieldwork courses with a grade of “P” may also be considered as an eligible transferable course provided that the content of the work is determined to have an equivalency for a course in the program. The department may accept up to 21 credit hours of course work toward the graduate degree.

¹ Prospective students should be aware that educational requirements for professional counselor licensure and marital & family therapist licensure vary from state to state and should check their state’s requirements prior to applying to the MAMHC degree. Also, prospective students should be aware that not all states license or certify pastoral counselors and that the educational requirements for those states that do may vary from state to state. Prospective students should check with their respective state’s licensure requirements prior to applying to the MAMHC program.

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