Clinical Mental Health Counseling Graduate Certificate
Build on your school counseling degree and prepare for licensure as a Professional Counselor.
- Offered in a Hybrid format (in-person, synchronous, and asynchronous)
- 7 Courses
- 21 Credit hours
- Not eligible for Title IV financial aid if not a degree-seeking student
Lead Others to Freedom
As a counselor, your job is not about fixing clients but walking alongside them. This bridge program is designed for school counselors who have already earned a 48-semester-hour Master’s degree in Counseling and want to expand their practice into clinical mental health settings. You’ll build on your foundation with coursework in diagnosis and treatment planning, psychopharmacology, crisis intervention, addictions counseling, and marriage and family counseling, along with an internship. Together, these courses complete the additional requirements to pursue licensure as a Professional Counselor.
What Are My Job Opportunities?
Completing this certificate helps prepare you for the licensure exam to become a Licensed Professional Counselor and opens doors to clinical roles in community agencies, private practice, hospitals and treatment centers.
Careers Possibilities
Current Median Salaries from US DOL Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025
Program Details
Our program at East Texas A&M University equips you with the foundational knowledge and practical skills needed for a career in clinical mental health counseling.
What Might I Learn?
You will have the opportunity to gain experience in a number of key areas.
Diagnosis and Treatment Planning
Learn to diagnose mental health conditions and develop treatment plans suited to each client’s needs.
Psychopharmacology
Understand how psychotropic medications work and how they affect the clients you serve.
Crisis Intervention and Family Systems
Prepare to support individuals and families in crisis, and connect them with resources.
Addictions and Marriage and Family Counseling
Gain an introduction to addictions counseling and to marriage and family therapy.
Ethical, Legal, and Professional Practice
Practice responsibly within the ethical and legal standards of clinical mental health counseling.
Taking Classes
Our 21-credit-hour certificate is a hybrid program combining in-person, synchronous, and asynchronous coursework. Please refer to the schedule of classes for up-to-date details on course offerings, locations and times, as they may vary.
Curriculum
Our curriculum consists of seven required courses that build on your school counseling degree and complete the additional coursework needed to pursue licensure as a Professional Counselor. A one-semester internship is required as part of the graduate certificate and is completed in an approved clinical setting. The Clinical Mental Health Counseling Graduate Certificate is designed as a bridge program between your school counseling degree and licensure. All courses are required to be completed at East Texas A&M University.
Finding My Community
We believe that education thrives in an environment where collaboration, support and mutual respect flourish. Our community of students and professors embodies these values, creating an enriching and dynamic atmosphere for learning and growth. Our students come from a variety of backgrounds and bring a wide range of experiences and perspectives to the table. Our professors are not only experts in their respective fields but also dedicated mentors who are committed to guiding and nurturing the next generation of scholars.
LaVelle Hendricks, Ed.D.
Alum Faculty
Michael K. Schmit, Ph.D.
Faculty
Ajitha Chandrika Prasanna Kumaran, Ph.D., NCC
Faculty
Student Organizations
Our campus has many ways to engage and get involved.
You can join various student organizations that promote professional growth, networking and leadership. These groups offer opportunities for collaboration, attending workshops, and connecting with peers and professionals.
I’m Looking For Something Different
Is this program close, but still not right for you? Check out our related degrees!
Financing My Future
Financial Aid
Financial aid includes a variety of programs, like scholarships, federal and state grants, and federal and state work-study programs. Find out how you may be eligible for scholarships, grants, loans and/or a graduate assistantship.
On-Campus Employment Opportunities
Enhance your expertise through on-campus employment opportunities.
Graduate Assistant/Research/Teaching
Graduate assistant teaching (GAT), graduate assistant research (GAR), and graduate assistant non-teaching (GANT) assistantships at East Texas A&M offer financial support and professional development for graduate students. Assistantships are available in academic and non-academic departments.
Cost Before Financial Aid
East Texas A&M is one of the most affordable colleges around the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Our tuition rates are some of the most competitive in Texas.
$3,851
for Texas residents
/
$7,703
For non-residents
Tuition and fees for graduate students taking nine credit hours are $3,851 for Texas residents and $7,703 for non-residents.
Additional Fees May Apply
- Online Courses ($50 per hour)
- Remote Locations ($20 per hour)
- Lab Fees ($5 – $30 per course)
How Do I Get Started?
If you have not already done so, complete the Request Information form. You will be connected with your enrollment specialist, who can answer your questions. When you’re ready, go ahead and follow the steps below to apply.
Admissions Requirements
To be considered for admission, you must first meet the following criteria.
- Master's degree from an accredited institution
Admission Process
Once admitted, you must:
- Earn a 3.0 GPA on all required coursework (No course substitutions may be applied on graduate certificates)
- Submit a Completion of Certificate Request while taking your final graduate certificate courses.
Note: This program is not currently available to international students
Deadline
Spring application and documents deadline: October 15
Fall application and documents deadline: July 15
No Summer Admission
Submit a graduate application here or create an ApplyTexas account or login if you already have one.
- Create an ApplyTexas account or login if you already have one
- Complete your profile section first once you log into your account
- Select “School Search” and select East Texas A&M
- Choose the semester you wish to begin
- Select “Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Graduate Certificate” as your “Program.”
- Pay the $50 application fee.
Wait to receive an application confirmation email before proceeding to the next step.
- Within two business days of your application, the Graduate School will send a confirmation email to the personal email account you used for ApplyTexas.
Submit the following documents after you receive an application confirmation email.
- Upload your documents at myLeo > Apps > Check Admissions Application Status & Test Scores or email your documents to your graduate coordinator unless otherwise specified below.
Your Graduate Coordinator
Domestic Transcripts
Contact your previous institution(s) and request that they send your official transcripts to your Graduate Student Services Coordinator. We accept transcripts officially via email (directly from the institution), through Parchment, and any other official transcript providing agency. If your university does not offer an electronic transcript service, you may request them to be sent via regular mail to:
East Texas A&M University
Attn: Graduate School
2600 S. Neal St.
Commerce, Texas 75428
If your degree is from East Texas A&M University, you do not have to order a transcript. We will access your transcript.
If we already have your transcript, we will reuse it for a new application as long as it is still on file.
International transcripts
WES ICAP evaluations will be required for certain countries; those are listed below:
- Transcripts/Degrees from universities in Nigeria
- Transcripts/Degrees from universities in China that do not come from CSSD (formerly CHESICC)
- Any country where the official transcript is not in English
For all other countries, an evaluation is not initially required. Original official transcripts are required for admission consideration.
Please know that upon receipt of your official transcript, the Graduate School reserves the right to require an external evaluation at that time.
Contact your previous institution(s) and request that they send your official transcripts to:
East Texas A&M University
Attn: Graduate School
2600 S. Neal St.
Commerce, Texas 75428
We will need official/original documents.
If those documents are the only copies you have, the Graduate School can mail them back to you upon request. Contact your graduate coordinator for more information.
Request two reference forms, using our department form, from professionals who can attest to your goals and ability to succeed in the program.
Those individuals should:
- Email the letter to your graduate coordinator or
- Send the form to yourself. Then, you will utilize the upload system: myLeo > Apps > Check Admissions Application Status & Test Scores
Submit a statement of self-exploration and personal and professional self-development.
Explain why these qualities are especially important for counselors-in-training and what you would do, if admitted to our master's degree program, to facilitate your own openness in these areas. Reference your answer to your own specific career goals.
Submit a resume or curriculum vitae (CV) which includes your academic and professional history and achievements.
Look for application updates in myLeo > Apps > Check Application Status
- Once an admission decision has been made, you will receive an email to your student email account at myLeo > Apps > Leomail.
- Apply for scholarships and graduate assistantships once you are admitted.
- Apply for financial aid by submitting a FAFSA and sending it to school code 003565.
- Contact your financial aid advisor with any questions.
Once registration opens and you are eligible to enroll, your graduate enrollment specialist will contact you to complete registration.
View Degree Plan
DegreeWorks is where you track your progress through your program and make sure you are meeting all your requirements for graduation.
- Sign in to myLEO
- Navigate to “Student Resources”
- Select “Grad School DegreeWorks”
Register for Classes
- To register for classes, go to myLEO > Student Resources > Registration Menu.
Contact your graduate enrollment specialist if you have any questions regarding your degree plan and registration.
Your Graduate Enrollment Specialist
I Still Have Questions
We are here to help! Send us an email. We can answer your questions and assist you in the application process.
Contact the Department
- Department of Counseling
- 903.886.5637
- 903.886.5594