Counselor Education

MISSION

We develop culturally and linguistically competent, ethical, caring, data-informed school and clinical mental health counselors eligible for certification/licensure. Counselor Education candidates promote equity, social justice, and human rights advocacy. School Counselor candidates develop academic, social-emotional, and career/college competencies for all students to help close opportunity and attainment gaps. Clinical Mental Health Counselor candidates develop mental health intervention and prevention competencies for all clients to close access and affordability gaps. Counselor Education emphasizes collaboration, leadership, self-awareness, and mutual respect among diverse groups and includes anti-racist and anti-oppression practices in coursework and fieldwork.

Masters of Science: Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Lehman College of the City University of New York offers a full-time, cohort-based, 60-credit, Master’s degree program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Students will attend the program full-time, year-round for two years and upon completion, they will be eligible to pursue New York State licensure in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

Masters of Science in Education: School Counseling

Lehman offers a 60-credit graduate program in Counselor Education: School Counseling (CE:SC). Graduates are eligible for initial and professional School Counselor Certification in New York State. The three-year, part-time program is offered as a year-round, hybrid, cohort model.

Message from the Program Coordinator

Man smiling in front of beach

Welcome to the Counselor Education Graduate Programs in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling. For five decades we have prepared 1500+ professional counselors serving the Bronx, other NYC boroughs, surrounding counties in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, multiple midwestern, southern and western US states, and countries including Cameroon, Canada, China, Spain, and Thailand. Graduates of our programs work as bilingual and monolingual K-12 school counselors, college access/admission counselors, career counselors, in nonprofit community mental health agency settings, hospitals, substance misuse clinics, and group and private practices. Clinical mental health graduates are eligible for a Limited Permit toward becoming Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHCs). School counseling graduates are eligible for Initial Certification as School Counselors and Bilingual Certification with an additional 3 credits. The Counselor Education: Clinical Mental Health Counseling M.S. is a 60-credit, 2-year, year-round, full-time, hybrid, synchronous cohort model program taught only on Saturday mornings and afternoons. The Counselor Education: School Counseling M.S.Ed. is a 60-credit, 3-year, year-round, part-time, hybrid, synchronous, cohort model program taught one evening a week usually Wednesdays nights with back to back classes at 6 and 7:50pm. Both programs run 2 traditional 15-week semesters each year and 3-4 week inter-sessions in January, June and mid-July to mid-August. Bilingual candidates may, for 3 additional credits, complete a Bilingual Counselor Education Advanced Certificate. Both programs require 700 hours of field work–a 100-hour practicum and a 600-hour internship. The School Counseling program has been nationally accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) since 2008, and the Clinical Mental Health Counseling will begin the CACREP self-study process once the first cohort (Class of ‘25) has graduated.