Frequently Asked Questions 
MS in Mental Health Counseling

Our Mental Health Counseling program stands out both locally and nationally in that we are one of a few MS Counseling programs embedded in a medical school. This connection is evident through our Interprofessional Education (IPE) experiences. You will engage in at least four IPEs over the course of your years with us. These IPE experiences involve you having a three hour encounter in which you work collaboratively with a PsyD, PA and DO student.

We also have the opportunity for you to engage in a Standardized Patient (SP) experience.

Mentorship is also something the faculty do above and beyond just advising you. We also assign you a student mentor who is a second year student who meets with you to help you navigate our program.

Usually two years if attending full time, three years if attending part time.

Most classes are scheduled from 5:15-8:45 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and meet once a week in the fall, winter, spring, and summer terms. We also offer a few hybrid and online courses.

Over the past five years, our graduates have achieved a 100 percent pass rate on the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE).

Here are a few comments from our students:

• “I appreciated the support and mentoring shown by my professors.”
• “My practicum experience made me marketable to reputable and clinically relevant mental health agencies.”
• “My training at PCOM (specifically through STEPPS, the Standardized Training and Evaluation of Psychologists and Psychotherapists program) helped me to achieve my dream job in the field of child trauma years earlier than I ever thought possible.”

Any student who wants to be licensed in the state of Pennsylvania must complete a 60 credit-hour M.S. degree, pass a licensure examination and complete at least two years of 3,000 hours of supervised work experience (i.e., a paid position). Licensure requirements often differ by state. For more information on licensure requirements for professional counseling in all 50 states, visit Counseling.org - American Counseling Association.

Neither MAT or GRE scores are required for admission.