Counseling Degrees & Licenses in Connecticut

Accredited Counseling Degree Programs in Connecticut

Central Connecticut State University

Central Connecticut State University is a public university founded in 1849. CCSU is Connecticut’s oldest publicly funded university. The school’s Counselor Education & Family Therapy Department offers three academic programs for counselor education: a master of science in counselor education with a specialization in clinical professional counseling, an MS in counselor education with a specialization in school counseling, and an MS in counselor education with a specialization in student development in higher education. The school also offers an MS in marriage and family therapy.

Within the clinical professional counseling program, students can choose from rehabilitation counseling, rehabilitation counseling with a drug and alcohol focus, or mental health counseling. All tracks prepare graduates for Certified Rehabilitation Counselor certification, licensing as a Professional Counselor, or licensing as an Alcohol and Drug Counselor.

The marriage and family therapy program meets academic and clinical requirements for licensure in Connecticut for marital and family therapists (LMFT) and clinical membership in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

• Location: New Britain, Connecticut
• Duration: The higher education MS is 42 to 45 credits; MFT is 51 to 63 credits; all others are 60 credits
• Accreditation: CACREP
• Tuition: Full time, per term; Connecticut resident $6,424; New England resident $8,343; non-resident $13,036

Fairfield University

Fairfield University is a private, Catholic university. It was founded by the Jesuits in 1942 and is part of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.

The school’s master of arts in clinical mental health counseling fulfills the requirements for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Connecticut. Fairfield’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program is ranked #1 for top value counseling master’s degrees in Connecticut.

Upon completion of the MFT program, students may apply for associate membership in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). Following additional post-degree clinical experience and supervision, they may apply for clinical membership in this organization and sit for Connecticut’s licensing examination.

Within the MFT program is a master of arts in family studies. This is not a clinical degree but is instead an advanced educational track focusing on early childhood, interpersonal relations, family studies, and human development. That program requires 33 credits and doesn’t lead to licensure.

• Location: Fairfield, Connecticut
• Duration: 60 credits
• Accreditation: The clinical mental health counseling programs is CACREP-approved; the MFT program is accredited by COAMFTE
• Tuition: $875 per credit

Southern Connecticut State University

Southern Connecticut State University is part of Connecticut’s Public State University System. It was founded in 1893. Southern Connecticut’s Department of Counseling and School Psychology prepares clinical mental health counselors, school counselors, and school psychologists to work in Connecticut.

Marriage and family therapy program graduates are eligible for Connecticut licensure and clinical membership in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

The licensure track master of science in clinical mental health counseling prepares graduates to take the National Counselor Examination, the exam required by the state of Connecticut for licensure as a professional counselor. This examination is also required for national board certification by the National Board of Certified Counselors. This program meets the requirements for Connecticut State Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).

The MS in school counseling program meets the State of Connecticut Certification (068) as a K-12 School Counselor. School psychology program graduates are eligible for certification as a school psychologist in the State of Connecticut as well as the Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) credential offered by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). In Connecticut, certification as a School Psychologist requires both the master’s and the sixth-year certificate, which are offered through the SCSU school psychology program. The master of science in school psychology is completed first, during which students apply for admission to the sixth-year program.

• Location: New Haven, Connecticut.
• Duration: The master’s of science in clinical mental health counseling, school counseling are 60 credits
• Accreditation: MFT is accredited by COAMFTE; others are accredited by CACREP; the school psychology program is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
• Tuition: Full-time Connecticut resident term total: $5,941; full-time non-resident term total: $12,643

University of Bridgeport

The University of Bridgeport is a private university founded in 1927. It began as the first junior college in Connecticut. The school’s MS degree in counseling prepares graduates to become Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) in Connecticut.

In addition to the master’s degree, a certificate of advanced graduate study (CAGS) is offered for those who wish to take specialized courses beyond the master’s and/or complete licensure requirements.

• Location: Bridgeport, Connecticut
• Duration: 60 credits
• Accreditation: CACREP
• Tuition: $780 per credit plus fees

University of Connecticut

The University of Connecticut is a public research university founded in 1881. The primary 4,400-acre campus is in Storrs, Connecticut, approximately a half-hour drive from Hartford and 90 minutes from Boston.

The School’s Department of Educational Psychology offers a counselor education and counseling psychology program. The counselor education program offers a concentration in school counseling, leading to a master of arts degree in educational psychology and a sixth-year certificate in counseling.

The Department of Allied Health Sciences under the umbrella of the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources and the Institute for Systems Genomics offers a master’s degree in genetic counseling.

• Location: Storrs, Connecticut
• Duration: 60 credits
• Accreditation: The genetic counseling program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC); the school counseling program is accredited by CACREP
• Tuition: Per nine credits, Connecticut residents pay $4,725, non-residents pay $12,267

The University of Saint Joseph

The University of Saint Joseph is a private Roman Catholic university founded in 1932 by the Sisters of Mercy of Connecticut. The school offers three master’s of arts in counseling-related fields: clinical mental health counseling, marriage and family therapy, and school counseling.

The MFT program Includes certification as a PREPARE/ENRICH facilitator to work with couples in therapy.

• Location: West Hartford, Connecticut
• Duration: 60 credits
• Accreditation: CACREP; MFT is accredited by COAMFTE
• Tuition: $735 per credit, plus fees

Western Connecticut State University

Western Connecticut State University is a public university founded in 1903 as a teacher’s college. Graduate programs include a master of science in counseling degree with both clinical mental health counseling or school counseling options.

The clinical mental health option meets the educational requirements for both the Connecticut Department of Health for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and the New York State Office of the Professions for licensure as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC).

The Western Connecticut State University school counseling option meets all the educational requirements for certification as a school counselor in Connecticut. Candidates seeking New York State certification will require additional coursework that may be taken at WCSU to meet certification requirements.

• Location: Danbury, Connecticut
• Duration: School counseling is 48 hours; clinical mental health counseling is 60 hours
• Accreditation: CACREP
• Tuition: Per nine credits, Connecticut residents pay $6,626.50, non-residents pay $13,238.50

Counseling Professional Associations & Resources in Connecticut

• Connecticut Counseling Association
• Connecticut Mental Health Counselors Association
• Connecticut School Counselor Association
• The Connecticut Career Counseling & Development Association
• Connecticut Occupational Therapy Association
• Connecticut Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
• Connecticut Association for Addiction Professionals
• Brain Injury Alliance of Connecticut
• The Connecticut Association for the Treatment of Sex Offenders
• Connecticut Psychological Association
• Connecticut Council of Family Service Agencies
• Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence
• Mental Health Connecticut

Mental Health Counseling (LMHC) Licenses in Connecticut: Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)

School Counseling Licenses in Connecticut

Substance Abuse Counseling Licenses in Connecticut

Rehabilitation Counseling Licenses in Connecticut

Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) Licenses in Connecticut

Marriage and Family Therapy Licenses in Connecticut

Child (Pediatric) Behavioral Therapy Licenses in Connecticut

Counseling Schools & Licensure in Nearby States

• Delaware
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• Vermont
• Washington DC