Counseling Program Details

In Bethel’s M.A. in Counseling program, you’ll gain expertise in clinical mental health counseling so that you're ready to serve clients in diverse settings. Our program is accredited for Clinical Mental Health Counseling by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

Total credits

60

Finish in as few as

33 months

Courses

Program plan of study

The M.A. in Counseling degree at Bethel is a 60 semester credit program offered over 33 months. The Program Plan of Study (pdf) shows the required courses by year. The final year of the program includes a 12-month clinical practicum/internship course sequence.

This program fulfills the educational requirements for licensure in the state of Minnesota. To obtain this license, you’ll need to complete and meet all requirements of the LPC/LPCC applications, pass a national exam, and complete additional supervision and clinical hours required by the state. While our program prepares you for the national exam, we cannot guarantee you’ll pass the exam. If you want to obtain a professional license in a state other than Minnesota, note that each state has its own licensure requirements. As a CACREP accredited program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, the M.A. in Counseling Program does fulfill the educational requirements for counseling licensure in almost all states. 

Methods of instruction

The M.A. in Counseling program incorporates a variety of instructional methods including role plays, group discussions, experiential activities, group and individual projects, papers, journal writing, presentations, and lectures to demonstrate knowledge and practice skills.

Practicum and internships

The program has a 12-month clinical training series beginning in the second summer and continuing throughout the end of the program. With support and assistance from the clinical director, students will secure a site in an area of interest, where they will work directly with clients under supervision to serve the mental health needs of the community. The clinical series is made up of three courses: Practicum (summer), Internship I (fall) and Internship II (spring).

Program mission

The M.A. in Counseling Program is informed by an understanding of Christian faith and mental health.  We are committed to training graduate-level clinicians to be instruments of change that reflect a compassionate presence to the diverse and changing communities they will serve. Graduate students are trained in the knowledge and skills of effective counseling and ethical practice in order to seek social justice and offer hope as they serve others with integrity and humility.

Program objectives

Graduates of the M.A. in Counseling program at Bethel University will:

• Develop a professional identity as a clinical mental health counselor within the broader counseling profession. 
• Demonstrate proficiency in the counseling core curriculum and specialty area of clinical mental health counseling. 
• Apply evidence-based practice research to the delivery and evaluation of effective counseling. 
• Demonstrate ethical responsiveness and ethical decision making in counseling practice. 
• Develop cultural sensitivity, responsiveness, and a social justice advocacy mindset as a professional counselor.
• Develop professional sensitivity and responsiveness to religious and spiritual diversity throughout the counseling process. 
• Demonstrate competencies as a professional counselor in a clinical mental health setting.  

2023-2024 Vital Statistics Report

*44 out of 46 of our graduates have taken the exam and passed.

2022-2023 Vital Statistics Report

*27 out of 30 of our graduates have taken the exam and passed.

2021-2022 Vital Statistics Report

2020-2021 Vital Statistics Report

 2019-2020 Vital Statistics Report*

*First graduating class of M.A. in Counseling program

Annual assessment report

The M.A. in Counseling program completes a comprehensive program assessment and publishes an annual report. 

• 2024 Annual Assessment Report (pdf)
• 2023 Annual Assessment Report (pdf)
• 2022 Annual Assessment Report (pdf)
• 2021 Annual Assessment Report (pdf)