Prospective Students

November 2022 update: Our CACREP accreditation for our two new degrees is ongoing. We do not know if we will have a decision on accreditation for either degree before Fall 2023, however, based on our most recent communication with CACREP in October, as long as we receive accreditation by January 2025, all students who were in the program for the 18 months prior to accreditation being established will be considered graduates from a CACREP accredited program. This would include students who join the program in August 2023 and graduate May 2025.

Big changes are coming to UNC’s Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling program! Starting in Fall 2023, our program will offer two degree options, a master’s in clinical rehabilitation counseling (CRC) and a master’s in clinical mental health counseling (CMHC). Both programs provide a challenging curriculum of 60+ credits, and students in both degrees will continue our program’s history of specialized training concentrations in working with persons with developmental and/or psychiatric disabilities. Our program is ranked #9 in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report. Going forward please be advised we are no longer able to offer the combined Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling degree.

CRC degree graduates will be eligible for national professional certification as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC). CMHC and CRC degree graduates will be eligible for certification as a National Certified Counselor (NCC). The curriculum and respective certification exams for both degrees enable graduates of either degree to receive their North Carolina state credentials for Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC).

We anticipate accepting 25 new students each year divided between the two degrees, admitting approximately 10-15 new students for each degree. Prospective students can apply to one or both degrees, but each degree requires a separate application. If you are applying to both degrees, your application materials may be similar, but you are welcome to tailor it to the specific degree focus.

**Please note we submitted our application for full accreditation for both degrees to the Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) in May 2022. As of September 1, 2022, both new degrees are still under review for accreditation by CACREP. We have not received a decision for either degree yet. This means that our CACREP accreditation status for both degrees is still pending. We anticipate hearing back on the status of the review in the next few weeks and will update this website as soon as further information is available.

We encourage prospective students to attend our monthly information sessions to find out more information, including our proposed curriculum and clinical sites for each degree. Please continue to email crmhinfo@med.unc.edu with any questions.

A copy of the current syllabus for any course may be obtained by emailing Brenda_Hodges@med.unc.edu or by calling 919-966-8788.  Please include your name, the course syllabus being requested, and your contact information in your message.