Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling

Students may begin applying anytime in the academic year prior to their anticipated start date, but applications are due by March 1^st of each year. Students are welcome to apply after the March 1^st deadline and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until all spots are filled.

Applications are reviewed by the admissions committee after the March 1st deadline. We aim to inform students of their admissions decision by the end of March at which time we administer a waiting list.

There are no specific prerequisite requirements for admissions. Applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree, preferably in psychology, rehabilitation sciences, human services, social sciences or a related field of study, with a minimum undergraduate GPAS of 3.0.

Yes. The Pitt Counseling program consists of students from diverse academic majors who greatly contribute to the learning experience. You may also view the specific admission requirements here: Admission | University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

No, the GRE scores are not required.

For applicants required to provide an English Language proficiency exam scores, we require a minimum TOEFL sub-scores of 26 for speaking and 24 for listening.

Interviews are not required for the admissions process. However, applicants may be asked to participate in a group interview with the counseling faculty.

Applications are complete when all materials, including a personal statement, 4 short essays, 3 letters of recommendation and academic transcripts, have been received. (update admission page) https://www.shrs.pitt.edu/mscrmhc/admission

We encourage you to attend one of our Fireside Chats or an SHRS Open House.  We generally have one during the fall term and one during the spring term. Attending a Fireside Chat or Open House will provide you with an opportunity to meet and speak with faculty and current counseling students.

Course syllabi are available upon request.

We would encourage you to attend one of our events. More information about upcoming dates can be found on the SHRS events page.

If you are unable to make it to one of these events, please contact PittCounselingProgram@pitt.edu to schedule a visit or meeting with a Counseling faculty member. 

We admit between 25-30 students each year.

The Counseling Program uses a cohort model and enrolls a new class each Fall semester.

No, we are not able to admit part-time students.

While undergraduate GPAs are very important, equally important are applicants’ responses to essay questions and letters of recommendation. The Admissions Committee carefully considers all evidence supporting applicants’ potential for being successful in a graduate program. Applicants from backgrounds that are historically under-represented in the counseling profession are particularly encouraged to apply.

Yes, applicants who have paid the required non-refundable admissions deposit may defer their acceptance by one year.

Yes. For more information on services to support international students at Pitt, please visit: 

https://admissions.pitt.edu/international/

https://www.ois.pitt.edu/office-international-services

• Students who have studied internationally will need to have their credentials evaluated. Check here for more information:  https://www.shrs.pitt.edu/admissions/international-applicants/academic-credential-evaluations. We receive most evaluations from WES or ECE.

Our program takes 2 years (5-terms, including one summer) to complete. Coursework begins at the end of August (fall term) and students graduate 2 years later in April.

Classes are held 2 days/week. In order to graduate in 5-terms, a full-time schedule of approximately 15-credits is required. During the first year, courses are held on Mondays and Wednesdays. Second year students take classes on Tuesday and Thursdays, in addition to completing a field placement for about 20 hours per week. This is in addition to the considerable time required to complete course requirements outside of class.

We strongly discourage full-time students from working full-time during the academic year. During the second year, students complete their clinical internship while attending classes 2-days per/week making opportunities for work difficult. Some students work part-time during the program, particularly during their first year. 

You can obtain information on financial aid from Pitt’s Office of Financial Aid. Most of our students are receiving some type of financial assistance, primarily through loans. Our Department does not have student assistant positions available. However, we may have paid positions for students through the Hiriam G Andrews Center and research grants that can help with living expenses or tuition. Additionally, we inform students of part-time employment opportunities they can pursue.

You can also find out about scholarship opportunities at the following links:

Please visit Project CRESTS and Nancy L Oyler to learn more about the counseling programs scholarships.

For more information about additional scholarships, please visit SHRS and Pitt.

Please visit Pitt’s Off-Campus Living web site.

Yes, the Counseling Program meets the educational requirements for our graduates to sit for the examination to become a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and a National Certified Counselor.

Yes, the Counseling Program meets the educational requirements for licensure in Pennsylvania and many additional states. Please check with your state’s licensing body for more information on the education requirements of that state.

Our program prepares students to provide a wide range of counseling services and our students have completed practicum and internship in school settings. The current curriculum does not contain the required CACREP standards for the school counseling specialization. 

Students in the program enroll in a formal mentorship class that structures the advisement process through the first year. Each advisor formally meets with their advisees a minimum of 2 times per semester. Mentorship meetings transition to focusing on the Clinical Capstone Exam and continue meeting with their advisor a minimum of 2 times each term.

Each faculty advisor has about 4-6 students per cohort.

Yes. This is demonstrated by a majority of our graduates obtaining employment in mental health counseling. Our program has a strong reputation in the region, including many of our graduates obtaining employment in mental health settings at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). As noted above, we believe that our students benefit from holistic training in rehabilitation and mental health counseling in terms of both training philosophy and broadening employment opportunities. We provide solid training in mental health counseling that is sufficient to pursue a career in mental health counseling. That said, if an applicant does not feel that their educational experience would be enriched by our program’s integrated, holistic approach, there are many “pure” mental health counseling training programs. 

Yes. All students in our program are eligible to sit in the National Counselor Examination (NCE). For those who are interested in taking the CRC exam, they must complete COUN 2724 Medical, Psychosocial and Assistive Technology Considerations in Disability and we match them to a clinical supervision group that makes them eligible to sit for the CRC exam.

Only one internship is required. Students complete 1 (600 hour) internship based on their clinical interest, to the greatest extent possible.

Yes, students pay tuition and fees for all 5 semesters that they are enrolled in the Pitt Counseling program.

For more information about the total program costs, please see the estimated costs for in-state students and out-of-state students. 

Yes, LPCs conduct counseling with couples and families. Pitt Counseling students take a class on Family & Couples Counseling in year 2 of their graduate training

As with all counseling programs, becoming licensed is a three-step process: Step 1 Graduate from our program; Step 2 Pass a certification exam (this varies by state—In Pennsylvania, you can take either the National Counselor Examination or the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Exam); Step 3 additional supervised practice post-graduation is required for our graduates.

The majority of our students sit for the NCE and a minority sit for the CRC or both.

While our program emphasizes training in evidence-based practice, which involves education in clinical research methods, there is no requirement to conduct research. Research opportunities are sometimes available by working on faculty members’ research projects.