Admissions & Financial Aid

Admission Process & Requirements

Full admission to the M.A. in Mental Health Counseling program requires completion of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university.

Undergraduate students interested in admission to the program may apply for provisional admission to the program after completion of ninety-six undergraduate credit hours or 75% or their respective program.

Full admission will be granted only after transcripts confirming successful completion of the bachelor’s program are received.

We only offer a fall cohort at this time.

How to Apply

To be considered for admission to the M.A. in Mental Health Counseling program, the applicant must:

• Submit an application including an essay statement of professional interests and desired outcomes for participation in the program by June 1st.
• Submit two letters of recommendation from individuals who are qualified to evaluate the applicant’s potential for successful masters-level graduate work.
• Interview with the Mental Health Counseling faculty.
• Submit a complete curriculum vitae and/or professional resume. This will be submitted through your applicant portal following the submission of your application.
• Submit official transcripts from all prior regionally accredited college-level work. 
  • Please arrange for official transcripts to be sent to Belmont Admissions at admissions@belmont.edu or by mail to The Office of Admissions, Belmont University, 1900 Belmont Blvd, Nashville, TN, 37212.
• Be proficient in the English language.*
• Pay the graduate application fee.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, with a final deadline of June 1st for our Fall cohort. The faculty consider applications until classes commence each August and review applications within 1-2 weeks of their full submission. Once the faculty receive all corollary assets of the application and have completed their initial review, the applicant will be considered for an opportunity to interview at an upcoming interview day as the final step of the application process. Interview days will take place on campus and include opportunities for students to learn more in-depth information about the program and meet our faculty. 

*International applicants from countries in which the official language is not English are required to take either TOEFL or IELTS.
**School counseling students must pass a background check and submit fingerprints prior to admission.

Application Deadlines for Fall 2025

• Priority Deadline: December 1, 2024
  
  • Recommended for the best chance of application consideration
  • Your application should be submitted by this date, but please ensure that your recommendations and official transcripts will be sent soon after
• Final Deadline: June 1, 2025 (as space is available) 

Transfer Information

The mental health counseling program will accept up to 21 hours of transfer credits from accredited universities. Students wishing to have courses transferred must contact the program director or associate program director and submit syllabi for those courses under consideration. Transferred courses must meet CACREP accreditation standards as evidenced by course syllabi and be determined to directly replace a course on the Belmont Mental Health Counseling Program degree plan. Courses not meeting CACREP standards will not be accepted into the professional counseling or marriage and family counseling track.

Tutition & Financial Aid

2024-2025 Tuition

2024-2025 Consolidated Graduate Student Fee

Graduate Cost Estimator (PDF)

Applying for Financial Aid

To determine your eligibility for any financial aid, graduate students should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is available online and should be completed each year. Complete and return the FAFSA by the February 15 priority date.

Belmont will start the financial aid awarding process by February 1 each year. Please allow approximately four weeks to receive a response. Once all the forms are received, your file will be reviewed.

Learn more about the Financial Aid Process

Other Forms of Financial Aid

The Mental Health Counseling program does not offer scholarships for Master's students at this time. In the spring, admitted students will receive information about any graduate assistantship opportunities that may be available.

Tennessee residents are eligible to apply for the Tennessee Behavioral Health Pathways scholarship. Scholarships are provided for tuition costs of up to $7,500 per academic semester and $15,000 per academic year for a total of $30,000 over two years. Students can be part-time or full-time. Learn more here and read about FAQs here. Questions should be directed to tamhao@ttmahao.org.