Admissions Requirements
Applicants must possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution, an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.30 on a 4.00 scale (or equivalent) from an international institution, and relevant professional or volunteer experience. Applicants should also possess a minimum of 15 credits in psychology courses with at least one course in each of the following areas:
- general or introductory psychology
- developmental psychology
- abnormal psychology or psychopathology
- psychology statistics (addressing the specific uses of statistics in psychology research; not general statistics in a math, business, or other department)
While applicants may apply with deficits in their undergraduate psychology preparation, if admitted they are required to complete additional undergraduate course work before or during graduate study. Applicants with no prerequisite psychology courses, who are strong students (GPA of 3.30 or above) with good understanding and motivation related to mental health counseling, may apply if able to complete the required courses before entering the program. Related internship, work experience, or participation in personal counseling or psychotherapy are not required but are considered highly desirable. Most accepted applicants have such experience(s).
Applicants must provide a personal statement, including discussion of related work, internship, and/or personal experiences. Applicants must also submit three letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with applicants' professional and academic experience. Provide at least two academic references. The program invites select applicants to participate in an on-site or phone interview and to complete an on-site writing sample.
Work, Internship, or Volunteer Experience
Successful applicants to the MHC program usually have some kind of related work, internship, or volunteer experience(s) that involves helping others in such settings as hotline, peer counseling, tutoring programs, teaching, camp counselor, social services, etc.
Probability of Admission
We admit approximately 60 applicants for each fall to fill 40 places, which are divided into cohorts of 20 students each to limit class sizes. More than 200 applications are received each year. Good quality applicants, who meet our entrance requirements, have a strong chance of being offered an on-site group interview and subsequent admission.
Standardized Test Scores
While standardized tests are not required, applicants are encouraged to submit GRE (including the Psychology Subject Test), MAT, and other test scores, especially if their undergraduate records do not adequately reflect their academic abilities.
Grade Average Standards
While there is no minimum GPA required for admission, most successful applicants possess a GPA of 3.30 or above. There are always exceptional circumstances: people who performed poorly years ago but have since performed well in subsequent academic or work settings; students who performed poorly for a period but subsequently sustained a much higher level of performance, particularly in upper-level psychology courses; etc. Please address such issues in the personal statement.
Applicants with poor academic records need to demonstrate sufficient academic preparation in psychology. Preparation can be demonstrated by performing well on the GRE Psychology Subject Test, attaining strong grades in graduate-level courses, and addressing preparation in the personal statement. You may apply without being able to demonstrate appropriate preparation, but you should be aware that you will be competing for admission with relatively large numbers of strong applicants.
Application Requirements
The Mental Health Counseling Program requires the following application materials:
- Personal statement (three pages maximum) describing your interest in and preparation for the mental health counseling field and any special experiences or circumstances related to your application.
- Complete and official transcript from all postsecondary institutions attended. Transcripts must include your personal information, courses, grades, GPA, and graduation degree notation. Internet and fax copies of transcripts are not suitable.
- Three letters of reference, at least two of which should come from college instructors or academic settings.
- Program application summary factsheet (pdf).
Nonmatriculated Students
Nonmatriculated students are not permitted to take program courses.
Spring and Part-time Admissions
We do not offer spring or part-time admission. All students begin in the fall semester of each academic year. The program may be offered on a part-time basis or with spring admission in future years.
Transfer of Graduate Credits
Only credits for courses that are directly equivalent to MHC Program course requirements may be applied toward this degree, with the possible exception of one advanced elective. A maximum of 12 credits may be transferred from other institutions or from outside the Psychology Department. Courses that have already been applied to an awarded degree may not be transferred. It is not possible for the program to pre-evaluate which credits would be eligible for transfer.
Transfer From Another Related Program
It is difficult to apply as a transfer student because most other MHC programs are not interchangeable (directly equivalent) with the Brooklyn College program. It is unusual for students to have all of the courses required to enter the second year of our program. Also, because we have only one elective course, we are unable to award credits for courses that do not match those in our curriculum.
If you wish to apply as a transfer student, compare the courses you have completed with those required for the Brooklyn College MHC Program, especially first-year courses. If you think you have completed a directly equivalent course for nearly all first-year courses, file an official admission application. Also e-mail or fax a complete copy of your application, including an unofficial transcript copy, a description of all equivalent courses, and a syllabus for each.
Potential Applicants in Possession of Related Master's Degrees
The Brooklyn College MHC Program is not well-suited for those holding related degrees because we cap transfer at a maximum of 12 credits. Those wanting to "fill in" a few "missing" courses to qualify for licensing will not find the Brooklyn College MHC Program a good fit for this purpose. This may change in the future. If you have a school counseling degree, you may instead want to consider mental health licensing preparation courses.
Application Due Date
We strongly encourage all applicants to complete their application as early as possible—during December, January, or February, if possible. We accept applications for fall from December through March 1 (and beyond on a space-available basis). We will begin scheduling interviews and making admissions offers by e-mail in January. Please check your spam filter, junk mail folder, etc.
Call us if you would like to apply late, and we'll let you know if we are still considering applications. Most applicants can expect a decision by June 1.
See the Applications page for more details about applying.
