This comprehensive 60-credit hour program prepares graduates for licensure as professional counselors. The curriculum integrates foundational counseling theory with practical clinical skills through coursework in professional identity, ethics, human development, multicultural counseling, assessment, psychopathology, and evidence-based treatment approaches.
Students develop expertise in individual, group, family, and career counseling while exploring specialized topics like substance abuse, clinical diagnosis, and treatment planning. The program culminates in supervised practicum and internship experiences providing direct client contact hours required for licensure.
Elective options allow for specialization in areas such as resilience counseling, human sexuality, couples and family work, or grief counseling. Graduates emerge ready to provide ethical, culturally responsive mental health services in diverse clinical settings.
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Course Requirements
| Course Name |
Hours |
| COUN 5309: Counselor Professional Identity and Function |
3 |
| COUN 5310: Ethical and Legal Issues in Counseling |
3 |
| COUN 5316: Human Growth and Development |
3 |
| COUN 5317: Multicultural Counseling |
3 |
| COUN 5318: Counseling Skills and Techniques |
3 |
| COUN 5319: Spirituality, Theology, and Counseling |
3 |
| COUN 5320: Theories of Counseling |
3 |
| COUN 5321: Group Counseling and Psychopathology |
3 |
| COUN 6309: Assessment and Testing |
3 |
| COUN 6310: Clinical Psychopathology |
3 |
| COUN 6320: Research Design and Program Evaluation |
3 |
| COUN 6321: Career Counseling and Lifestyle Development |
3 |
| COUN 6322: Marriage and Family Counseling |
3 |
| COUN 6324: Substance Abuse and Addictive Disorders |
3 |
| COUN 6325: Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Planning |
3 |
| COUN 6391: Counseling Practicum |
3 |
| COUN 6392: Counseling Internship I |
3 |
| COUN 6393: Counseling Internship II |
3 |
COUN 5311: Advanced Ethics and Practice Management OR
COUN 6319: Resilience and Coping OR
COUN 6326: Human Sexuality OR
COUN 6327: Pornography and Sexual Addiction Counseling OR
COUN 6328: Premarital Counseling and Marital Enrichment OR
COUN 6329: Assessment and Counseling with Couples and Families OR
COUN 6331: Grief and Loss Counseling |
3 |
| Total Hours |
60 |
Top Reasons to Attend HCU’s MACMHC Program
- Every course in our program is geared specifically for creating highly skilled professional counselors
- Dedicated, full-time faculty who believe in the open-door policy
- Wide range of adjunct faculty whose jobs are practicing in the fields our students want to join – instant networking and real-life experiences to share
- Practicum and internship sites across the city and across the spectrum of possible careers (e.g., churches, private practices, hospitals, prisons, community mental health, counseling centers)
- Small classes – 5 to 25 students – so there’s always time and space for us to prioritize your learning
- Classes are offered in the evenings to accommodate full-time workers
- You’re never just a number – every student is individually advised and individually valued!
Admissions Requirements
For unconditional admission to the program, applicants must indicate the following:
- A completed application file, including transcripts.
- An undergraduate degree
- A 3.0 undergraduate GPA or higher.
For students seeking certification or licensure inside the State of Texas: Programs offered at HCU designed to fulfill the educational requirements for a specific professional licensure or certification do meet the educational requirements for the State of Texas.
For students seeking certification or licensure outside the State of Texas: Students seeking certification or licensure from any state other than Texas should check with their state licensing board to determine eligibility. Houston Christian University has not determined whether their program of study meets the students state licensure requirements.
Additional Application Requirements
In accordance with best practices in the field of mental health counseling, applicants who meet the requirements specified by the graduate school will be invited to an interview and orientation. These interviews are typically held about once per month, and may take up to three hours depending on the applicant pool. Interview spaces are limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis; therefore, we encourage you to apply early. We remind you to turn in your application before the deadline set for the semester to which you are applying.
