Earn your M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Oklahoma City University
The online Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) from Oklahoma City University (OCU) offers a comprehensive counseling curriculum to prepare you for state licensure as well as a rewarding career as a counselor. With no waitlist, flexible online learning, and a private university education that delivers exceptional value, OCU makes it easier to take the next step toward your counseling career when you're ready.
Designed with an emphasis on the practitioner-wellness model, OCU’s online master’s program approaches counseling as a merging of art and science. Develop your sense of self-awareness and creativity while you build skills in therapy techniques and a foundation of behavioral pathology and counseling theory. Additionally, evidence-based practice is a hallmark of the OCU online M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
OCU’s remote clinical skills labs provide opportunities to practice counseling techniques in a flexible online environment designed to fit your schedule. Throughout each course week, you’ll coordinate practice sessions with lab partners, applying counseling theories and client-centered communication skills in realistic scenarios. The ability to record and review sessions supports ongoing self-reflection and growth, while constructive faculty feedback helps strengthen your clinical skills and build confidence for online counseling practice.
Practicum and internship courses built into the curriculum offer a first look at working in real-world settings with diverse communities while meeting fieldwork requirements for licensure.
Program Details
- 60 credit hours
- Fully online
- No waitlist
- Comprehensive counseling curriculum:
- Approved by the National Board of Certified Counselors
- Approved by the Oklahoma State Board for Behavioral Health
- Meets or exceeds board requirements of other states
- Flexible and remote clinical skills labs
- Practicum and internship included
- Complete in as few as:
- 2 years with full-time enrollment
- 3 years with blended full-time/part-time enrollment
- 4 years with part-time enrollment
This will only take a moment.
Small classes, online flexibility, and a proven curriculum make Oklahoma City University's online M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling a clear choice for your career. Learn more by downloading a program brochure.
OCU: Your launchpad to counseling mastery
It’s a great time to get into counseling. The field is expected to grow 17% between 2024 and 2034, adding 81,000 jobs across specialties like substance use counseling, family and marriage therapy, and adolescent counseling.1
The OCU counseling master’s trains students to work as professional counselors who can fit into any sector or speciality of their interest. Once they’ve completed all licensing requirements, students will be prepared to provide services to individuals, groups, and families experiencing personal, social, or career difficulties in settings such as community counseling centers, mental health clinics, youth and guidance centers, human service agencies, drug and alcohol treatment facilities, university counseling centers, abuse shelters, religious counseling centers, and private practice.
For students exploring the path to becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Oklahoma, OCU’s online Clinical Mental Health Counseling program offers a structured route to licensure preparation. Through a comprehensive curriculum that includes practicum and internship experiences, students gain the academic foundation and supervised field experience needed to pursue licensure requirements. More than a degree, the program is designed to help aspiring counselors build the skills, confidence, and professional readiness needed for a rewarding counseling career.
Fostering relationships, building careers
The online mental health counseling M.Ed. emphasizes students’ self-exploration as individuals and counselors as a part of the program experience. To support the well-being and mental health of students in the field, students are encouraged to take advantage of free counseling services at OCU for themselves. The university also supports students with stipends for attending and presenting at state and national conferences where they can network and pursue professional development opportunities.
Meet the Faculty
Prepare for impact
Counselors are increasingly needed to support individuals and families navigating trauma, transition, grief, substance use, anxiety, depression, and barriers to accessing care. OCU’s online Clinical Mental Health Counseling program helps students build a foundation for serving diverse communities, including veterans and military-connected populations, while preparing to make a meaningful impact where support is needed most.
Mental health and behavioral disorder diagnosis has been historically used as a tool of oppression, ignoring the systemic, cultural, and environmental factors that can have an effect on the psyche. To combat this, OCU’s counseling program places an emphasis on the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies set by the American Counseling Association (ACA). OCU guides each student through self-reflection on personal history with prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination and pushes counselors to expand their cultural competency to better serve their clients. Using the ACA competencies as a guide, your influence could go even further if you’re interested in contributing to research, education, and improving access to mental health resources to the most vulnerable populations in your community through advocacy.
Find rewarding opportunities with OCU’s online counseling program
No matter the sector or specialization, OCU’s online counseling master’s curriculum will help you build the necessary skills and confidence to make a difference. No waitlists, online courses, small class sizes, and an emphasis on ethics come together to deliver a counseling program that meets your needs and fuels your drive.
Love your work, live your life
When you choose a degree program like clinical mental health counseling, it’s crucial to maintain work-life balance to avoid burnout. OCU offers three different pacing options, each delivered primarily online, to help you maintain harmony with your other life demands:
- Complete in as few as 2 years with full-time enrollment
- 3 years with blended full-time/part-time enrollment
- 4 years with part-time enrollment
The best part? You can adjust your enrollment pacing year to year.
Clinical Mental Health Counseling Admissions Deadlines
- Retrieved on June 11, 2026, from bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/substance-abuse-behavioral-disorder-and-mental-health-counselors.htm