Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Program Overview

The Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree prepares individuals for careers in professional counseling settings such as community mental health, human service agencies, college and university counseling centers, and residential treatment facilities.  The curriculum provides a blend of counselor training experiences designed to provide the skills and knowledge necessary to become a professional counselor. Graduates are prepared to pursue National Counselor Certification (NCC) and licensure as a Professional Counselor (LPC). : The program has maintained CACREP (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs) since 2009 and was recently re-accredited under the 2016 standards until 2025.

QUALITY COUNTS: Gannon’s CMHC program is distinguished from other programs by:

• 100% pass rate on the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam (CPCE) and scores consistently above the national average for CACREP programs for past 8 years 

• 100% pass rate on first attempt 3 consecutive years.

• Gannon students have a 95% overall first attempt pass rate since 2005 (N=165).

• Gannon students' scores on the NCE have been consistently higher than other CACREP accredited counseling programs since 2009.

• Small class sizes, 1:10 faculty to student ratio

• Closely monitored supervised clinical experience with opportunities in over 25 sites in the Erie area

• Job placement rate has ranged from 95-100% over past 8 years

• All Gannon teaching faculty have doctoral degrees in contrast to other programs with Masters level instructors

• Students  spend over 60 hours training in closely supervised counseling labs prior to on-site clinical experiences that total 700 CACREP required hours 

• According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, career opportunities for professional counselors are rapidly expanding

• Graduates have successfully achieved licensure in other states such as Ohio, New York, and Connecticut