Clinical Mental Health Counseling, M.S.ED.

Degree Requirements

The Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE)

The Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) is an exit exam that all students are required to take and pass during term two of their second year in the CMHC program. Students who enroll in the CMHC program with a plan to continue into the School Counseling Program are also required to take the CPCE in the second term of their second year. Additional information about the exam format, costs, registration, test locations, and test dates can be found in the CMHC handbook. All questions about the CPCE should be directed to the program director.

Application for Mental Health License

Upon satisfactory completion of the appropriate program, the student will be prepared to take the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) through the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC). The Iowa Board of Behavioral Science evaluates the qualifications of applicants for licensure and grants licenses to those who qualify. Students are able to begin the application process 90 days prior to graduation with written pre-approval by the designated Program Director for the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program.

Time Limitations

All master’s degree requirements must be completed within four years of beginning the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program. Deactivation will occur if no registration activity is recorded 13 months after the last term of enrollment. Anyone removed for this reason must follow the regular application process outlined in the catalog. Readmission is not guaranteed.

Readmission Within One Year

Students who withdraw and want to return to the CMHC program within a year from their withdrawal date and are eligible to return may email the graduate student success director and program director with a request to be reinstated to the program. All returning students are required to meet with the program director and faculty advisor to review their academic standing and plan for successful completion of the CHMC program. If approved, students will be reinstated. Students who are on active remedial plans at the time of reinstatement may be subject to probationary admission pending successful completion of the remedial plan.

Readmission After One Year

Students who want to return to the CMHC program more than a year after their withdrawal or dismissal date, if they are eligible to reapply, must follow the regular application process. Students being readmitted after more than one year must meet the academic degree requirements which will be determined by a review of all previous coursework. The admission committee will determine if additional requirements are needed for readmission. If approved, students will be reinstated. Students may be subject to probationary admission.

Students who have failed two or more classes are not eligible for readmission.
Students who were dismissed for plagiarism or misconduct are not eligible for readmission.

Course Delivery and Schedule:

The master’s program in Mental Health Counseling is a two-year hybrid program. Courses are offered online year-round except for two (first and second summer) required week-long residencies on the BVU campus. Typically, students enroll in one graduate course per term the first year and one graduate course and practicum/internship per term the second year.

Admission Requirements Master of Science in Education, Clinical Mental Health Counseling:

• Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree completed prior to start of summer courses from a regionally accredited institution
• A minimum undergraduate college grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 (on a 4.0 scale)
• Two letters of recommendation from specified sources
• Official transcripts from all undergraduate or graduate institutions attended
• Completion of a biographical essay
• Completion of a graduate interview
• Access to minimum technology requirements
• Acceptance by the admissions committee into the program

Application Procedures: Master of Science in Education, Clinical Mental Health Counseling

The process for successful completion of the application packet is as follows:

1. Complete the application form (apply online at bvu.edu/grad.).
2. Obtain two letters with supportive endorsement or recommendation. Recommenders’ information will be submitted during completion of the online application and the recommender will receive the request electronically. The letters must come from:
   • Your current supervisor, and
   • A professional colleague or a person of your choice who has direct knowledge of your professional experience.
3. Submit a 2-3 page, double-spaced biographical essay (email to grad@bvu.edu):
   • Describe significant personal and/or professional experiences that influenced you to pursue the counseling profession.
   • Describe a time when you advocated for or demonstrated leadership in something that mattered to you.
   • Consider the values instilled by your family or caregivers regarding people who were different from you. How do your current attitudes and experiences as an adult either uphold or diverge from those values?
   • “Bias” can be defined as prejudice in favor of or against a specific thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair. They tend to impact our internal view of others and the world. What do you see as your potential biases, and how will you recognize and deal with them when/if they surface? 
   • You are entering a field dedicated to helping others. Discuss how you will take care of yourself or attend to your own well-being. 
4. Request official transcripts be forwarded to the Graduate Program Office.
5. Complete the graduate interview following submission of the application.

Contact Information
Graduate Programs
Buena Vista University
610 W. Fourth Street
Storm Lake, Iowa 50588
Toll-Free: 800.383.2821, ext. 1000
Direct: 712.749.1000
E-mail: grad@bvu.edu
Web site: bvu.edu/grad

Admission Timelines: Master of Science in Education - Clinical Mental Health Counseling

A new cycle for the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program begins in July at the start of Term 6. Applicants are encouraged to submit application materials as early as possible. Priority will be given to applications submitted before March 15. After March 15, applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

The application materials are available online (bvu.edu/grad).

Admission Decision: Master of Science in Education

All students are admitted to the program on a provisional status. Students must earn a grade of “B-” or better in all course work in the completion of the 18-credit hour Core Coursework for the Master of Science in Education. Students successfully completing this requirement will be granted full candidacy in the program. Students admitted on a provisional status who do not earn a minimum grade of “B-” or better in all course work while on provisional status will be reviewed by the Graduate Council and may be dismissed from the program. The provisional status agreement is communicated to the applicant in writing.

Transfer Credit Policy Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Requests for courses to be transferred for credit toward a graduate degree are reviewed upon request by the applicant. Such work must represent graduate-level courses relevant to the Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) Program at Buena Vista University (BVU), with course content and level of instruction resulting in applicant competencies at least equivalent to candidates in the CMHC Program at BVU.

Note: Requesting transfer course credit means that the course credits will count toward the total degree credit hours.

Applicants seeking transfer credit must provide the following to their academic program director:

• Published course description
• Course reading list
• Course requirements, including assignments and grading criteria
• CACREP Standards met in each course (must include year of standards)
• Course Learning Outcomes (when possible, Program Outcomes should be included)
• Information on the types of methods that were used to engage applicants in learning
• Official transcripts noting earned credit for the course.

In addition, the following guidelines apply:

• Coursework must have been completed within the past five (5) years.
• Coursework must have been completed at a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
• Grades earned on transferred work must be equivalent to B or better.
• Skills (individual/group counseling) or field experience (practicum/internship) coursework is not eligible for transfer credit.
• Courses taken on a pass/fail or satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis will not be included in transfer credit.
• Credit hours earned on transferred work will not be greater than the earned credit hours reflected on the official transcript. When necessary, earned credit hours will be converted to semester hours before posting as transferred credit hours.

Note: The CMHC program at BVU has discretion to allow fewer hours.

• The CMHC program does not accept transfer credit for non-credit courses, including courses taken for Continuing Education Units.
• No more than 9 hours of graduate credit may be/will be transferred in to meet the credit hour and course requirements for the CMHC Program.

Note: Courses must be from counseling programs. We will not accept Social Work, Marriage and Family, and/or Psychology courses. GMHC faculty reserve the right to deny acceptance of transfer credits and to require applicants successfully pass the CPCE to determine appropriate program of study.

Admission Appeal

Students may appeal a negative admission decision. A formal letter of appeal must be written to the Executive Director of Graduate Programs outlining the concerns regarding the admission decision. The case is forwarded to an appeals panel comprised of the Provost, the Vice President for Enrollment Services, and the Dean of the school of the graduate program. The student may request an interview with the panel. After review of the evidence provided by the applicant, the panel makes a second ruling with regard to admission.