Counselor Education FAQ
Stetson University’s Counselor Education programs combine rigorous clinical training with meaningful faculty mentorship, experiential learning, community engagement, and preparation for professional counseling practice. Below, you will find answers to common questions related to admissions, clinical experiences, licensure pathways, student involvement, and graduate student life.
We encourage you to explore the information below and reach out to our department with any additional questions about becoming part of the Stetson counseling community.
Quick Facts
CACREP-Accredited Programs
Our clinical mental health counseling and marriage, couple, and family counseling programs offer nationally recognized counselor training grounded in clinical excellence and professional preparation.
Small, Relationship-Centered Classes
Learn in a supportive environment shaped by mentorship, experiential learning, and meaningful connection.
Integrated Behavioral Health Training
Gain interdisciplinary experience through community-based and healthcare-focused clinical training opportunities.
Research & Leadership Opportunities
Students can engage with faculty on research and scholarly projects, conference attendance and presentations, and professional leadership experiences.
Active CSI Chapter & Community Engagement
Students can build professional identity through Chi Sigma Iota leadership, service, advocacy, wellness, and community activities.
Scholarships & Funding Opportunities
Students may access scholarships, research awards, and funded training opportunities that support professional growth and clinical preparation.
Practicum & Internship Across Central Florida
Students complete supervised clinical experiences in diverse counseling, healthcare, agency, and community settings.
Preparation for Licensure
Programs prepare graduates to pursue licensure as Licensed Mental Health Counselors and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists.
Admissions & Student Experience
Learn more about applying to Stetson’s Counselor Education programs, what graduate student life looks like, and how students experience learning within our counseling community.
Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and submit all required application materials through Stetson University Graduate Admissions. Admission decisions consider academic preparation, professional potential, interpersonal qualities, and alignment with the counseling profession. Current application requirements and deadlines are available at the Graduate Admissions Office.
The GRE and MAT are not required for admission to Stetson University’s Counselor Education programs.
Students must apply to and be formally admitted into a Counselor Education degree program before enrolling in counseling courses. At this time, students are not permitted to enroll in graduate counseling coursework prior to admission into the program.
Yes. Students from a variety of academic and professional backgrounds apply to our programs, including individuals who already hold graduate degrees and are pursuing a career transition or additional professional training.
Yes. It is possible to take select courses as a non-degree-seeking student to meet licensure requirements, pending course availability and departmental approval. Please note that practicum and internship courses are only available to students formally admitted to a degree program.
To begin the approval process, you should submit transcripts to the Graduate Admissions Office and provide documentation from the Florida licensing board outlining the required coursework. The Department Chair of Counselor Education will review the materials to determine whether Stetson’s courses align with your professional and licensure needs. Once approved, you will receive a link to complete the post-baccalaureate application. Standard application fees and post-baccalaureate tuition rates apply.
Students may be eligible for financial aid, scholarships, graduate assistantships, and funded training opportunities. The department also offers select scholarship and professional development funding opportunities to support student growth, research, leadership, and clinical training experiences.
Financial Aid Graduate Scholarships Graduate Assistantships Counselor Education Funding
Stetson’s Counselor Education programs combine rigorous clinical training with meaningful faculty mentorship, experiential learning, community engagement, and professional identity development. Students learn within a supportive, relationship-centered environment that emphasizes connection, reflection, wellness, ethical practice, and preparation for professional counseling work.
Many courses are offered during late afternoon and evening hours to support graduate students balancing professional and personal responsibilities. Course schedules may vary by semester and program needs.
Small by design, our classes are intentionally kept relatively small to support discussion, experiential learning, mentorship, and individualized feedback. This allows students to build meaningful relationships with faculty and peers throughout the program.
Clinical Training & Professional Preparation
Clinical training is central to counselor development at Stetson. Students complete rigorous coursework and engage in supervised practicum and internship experiences while preparing for professional counseling careers and post-graduate licensure.
Stetson University’s Counselor Education programs in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling are 60-credit-hour master’s degree programs designed to meet CACREP accreditation standards and prepare students for professional counseling licensure and clinical practice.
Additional advanced study options and specialty training areas may require coursework beyond the standard 60-credit-hour curriculum.
The length of the program varies depending on a student’s course load, sequencing, and clinical training timeline. Most students complete the program in approximately 3 to 3.5 years. Students are assigned a faculty advisor during their first semester and work collaboratively to develop a personalized plan of study that supports timely progression through coursework, practicum, and internship experiences.
Coursework is designed to provide students with a strong foundation in professional counseling knowledge, clinical skills, ethical practice, cultural responsiveness, and counselor identity development. Students complete courses aligned with CACREP core areas, including counseling theories and skills, human development, group counseling, assessment and diagnosis, career counseling, research methods, multicultural counseling, and legal and ethical issues in counseling.
Students also complete specialized coursework connected to their degree track. Clinical Mental Health Counseling students complete coursework focused on community mental health practice, treatment planning, and counseling in clinical settings. Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling students complete coursework in family systems, relationship counseling, and relational therapy approaches.
All students engage in supervised practicum and internship experiences in which they apply and advance their skillset. Students have the option to explore specialized topics such as play therapy, expressive arts, and spirituality in counseling.
Students typically begin practicum after completing foundational coursework and after advancement to candidacy. Practicum serves as the transition into supervised clinical counseling work and is followed by internship experiences. Practicum and internship spans three consecutive semesters, typically a student's last three semesters in the program.
Students complete supervised practicum and internship experiences at approved counseling sites across Central Florida. Placement settings may include hospitals, private practices, integrated healthcare environments, community agencies, university counseling centers, addiction recovery settings, and other specialized treatment programs. Students may work with children, adolescents, adults, couples, families, and groups while gaining experience in areas such as trauma, crisis response, addiction concerns, relationship counseling, evidence-based practices, and care for underserved populations.
Students complete supervised practicum and internship experiences that meet CACREP accreditation standards and licensure preparation requirements. Students in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) and Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling (MCFC) programs complete a minimum of 800 total hours, including at least 300 direct client contact hours, across three semesters of practicum and internship. MCFC students must also complete relational clinical experiences working with couples and families.
Students completing a dual major (CMHC/MCFC) program complete 1,400 total hours, including at least 520 direct client contact hours, across four semesters of practicum and internship. Dual majoring requires full internships in both CMHC and MCFC.
Practicum and internship experiences typically involve 10-25 hours per week at clinical training sites, depending on the stage of training and the needs of the site.
Yes. Graduates of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program may pursue licensure in Florida as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), while graduates of the Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling program may pursue licensure in Florida as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). Students receive preparation for post-graduate supervised practice, licensure examinations, and professional counseling careers.
Licensure requirements vary by state, and successful completion of the program does not guarantee licensure eligibility, examination eligibility, or licensure approval in any jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to review applicable state licensure laws and requirements prior to applying to the program.
Graduates pursue careers as professional counselors serving children, adolescents, adults, couples, families, and communities across a wide range of behavioral health and wellness settings. Alumni work in areas such as clinical mental health counseling, couple and family counseling, addiction recovery, trauma-informed care, integrated behavioral health, crisis services, school-based mental health, advocacy, and private practice.
Preparation for the counseling profession extends beyond coursework alone. Through clinical training, supervision, experiential learning, faculty mentorship, professional development opportunities, leadership experiences, and community engagement, students develop the knowledge, self-awareness, ethical foundation, and clinical skills needed for professional counseling practice.
Student Involvement, Resources & Graduation
Students are encouraged to engage professionally and personally throughout their graduate training through leadership opportunities, community involvement, mentorship, and professional identity development.
Professional identity development is an important part of counselor training at Stetson. Students may engage in conferences, workshops, leadership opportunities, scholarly activity, faculty research, community engagement initiatives, advocacy efforts, and professional organizations such as Chi Sigma Iota. In addition, students are required to join at least one professional counseling organization and attend two professional counseling conferences during their program to support ongoing learning, networking, and engagement with the counseling profession.
Chi Sigma Iota (CSI) is the international counseling academic and professional honor society. Stetson’s Alpha Omicron chapter promotes leadership, scholarship, service, advocacy, professional identity development, and community among counseling students and professionals.
Yes. Depending on availability and faculty projects, students may collaborate on research and scholarly initiatives connected to counseling and mental health practice.
Graduation requirements include successful completion of all required coursework, clinical training experiences, program benchmarks, and departmental graduation requirements. Students should work closely with faculty advisors throughout the program to ensure timely progression toward graduation.
Advancement to candidacy is a formal departmental process that evaluates students’ readiness to continue into advanced clinical training and internship experiences. The review considers academic performance, professional dispositions, ethical behavior, and overall readiness for professional counseling work.
The Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) is a standardized comprehensive examination commonly used in counselor education programs. At Stetson, the CPCE is one component of the graduation process and helps assess students’ knowledge across core counseling content areas.
Graduates remain connected through alumni engagement opportunities, departmental newsletters, professional events, Chi Sigma Iota involvement, advisory board participation, mentorship opportunities, and continued collaboration with faculty and fellow alumni.
Yes. Alumni regularly remain engaged through mentorship, speaking opportunities, community partnerships, adjunct teaching, clinical supervision, advisory board service, and professional collaboration with faculty and students.
Still Have Questions?
We’d love to connect with you. Whether you are exploring graduate school or learning more about the counseling profession, our department is here to help.
[email protected]
386-822-7037