Master of Counseling
Clinical Mental Health School Counseling
Counselors play an important role in helping people of all ages manage trauma, anxiety, stress and more. Our CACREP-accredited counseling program enables graduates to deliver professional counseling services in a clinical mental health or school setting.
The program is distinguished by exceptional in-classroom instruction, a cohort model where students form strong bonds, and both academic knowledge and theory. The experience of closely supervised practicum and internships build competence in counseling skills and in personal growth. Learn more.
Flexible by Design
Choose full-time or part-time pathways that work for your schedule.
Nationally Accredited
CACREP-accredited counseling program recognized nationwide.
Professional Licensure
Our program meets Oregon licensure requirements and aligns with requirements in many other states.
Program Details
Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program (90 credits)
The Clinical Mental Health counseling track is designed for individuals who want to work in community agencies, treatment programs, community colleges, and other counseling centers. During practicum, graduate students in the clinical mental health counseling program work in the OSU-Cascades Counseling Clinic which offers free mental health services to the Central Oregon community.
School Counseling Program (90 credits for students entering 2023 and later)
This program is designed for persons seeking an initial school counseling license. Incoming students must complete the 90-credit MCoun degree to be eligible for the Initial School Counselor license. Coursework in this track includes two field experiences: a 100-hour practicum and a 600-hour practicum in a K-12 school.
The Master of Counseling program at OSU-Cascades is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), which is recognized as the gold standard for university counseling programs.
The sequential nature of the program integrates academic knowledge and counseling theory with closely supervised counseling practice. Students enrolled in the sequence progress through the program in a cohort model. The cohort model allows students to develop a strong bond with one another and establish a supportive community while in the program and a professional network of future colleagues.
Courses are offered in-person at the OSU-Cascades campus in Bend, Oregon. The program is distinguished by exceptional in-classroom instruction, where learning objectives are accomplished through multiple methods of instruction including lecture of content, seminar-based discussions, role plays, experiential activities, written assignments, the use of online material and media, and accrual of clinical hours through field-based experience.
Summer 2026 Admission
Application opens: September 2025
Application deadline: December 1
First round decisions made: Mid-January
Interviews held: February
Final decisions made: TBA
Explore our courses, program tracks and learning goals - all built to meet national CACREP standards.
OSUcascadesGradPrograms@osucascades.edu or call 541-706-2101
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Courses
What types of classes will I attend?
- Developmental Perspectives in Counseling
- Social and Cultural Perspectives in Counseling
- Addiction Theories, Prevention, and Treatment
- Counseling Identity, Practice, and Ethics
- Introduction to Research Methods in Counseling
- Lifestyle and Career Development
- Group Work for Professional Counselors
- Introduction to Family Counseling
- Crisis, Suicide, Grief, and Threat Interventions for Counselors
- Diagnosis and Treatment: Applied Psychopathology & Psychopharmacology
- Social Justice, Diversity, and Advocacy in the Counseling Profession
Faculty Who Lead
Ryan Reese is an associate professor of counseling and lab director at OSU-Cascades and a nationally recognized expert in ecowellness. His ecowellness framework, developed in 2012, integrates the natural world into culturally responsive counseling practice. He was awarded the 2023 Garry R. Walz Trailblazer Award for his leadership and impact on the counseling profession.
Counseling Clinic
Real Experience, Real Impact
The OSU-Cascades graduate counseling clinic offers free counseling services to the Central Oregon community while providing supervised, hands-on training specifically for CMHC students. Serving approximately 150 individuals each year, the clinic allows students to build real-world experience while making a meaningful community impact.
Partner Schools
Embedded in K–12
Students in the school counselor track complete their practicum through the Professional Development Schools model, partnering directly with local K–12 schools. Working in small cohorts within one site, they deliver classroom guidance, lead small groups and provide individual academic and social support. With on-site supervision from university faculty and school counselors, students gain consistent, hands-on experience while serving school communities.
Student Spotlight
Lived Experience in Practice
Lauren Haas is a Master of Counseling alum and author of A Heart that Holds it All: A Story of Adoption, a children’s book inspired by her lived experience and written for young adoptees navigating questions of identity and belonging. During her time in the program, she deepened her understanding of child development and counseling practice, insights that now inform both her writing and clinical work. This year, she started as an elementary school counselor in Central Oregon. Read more.
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