M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Admission Requirements

Requirements for All Applicants

The M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) program is a residential, full-time, two-year program that operates on a cohort model and begins in fall semester only. Applications are reviewed holistically. All application materials are due by the application deadline in order to be considered for an interview.

1. Bachelor's Degree from a regionally accredited institution.
2. GPA 3.0 minimum.
3. Official Transcripts from all colleges where a degree was or is being earned.
   • Applicants will be required to provide official transcripts from each institution where they have received or will receive a degree prior to enrollment in Wheaton College Graduate School. Applicants who have earned more than 25% of their degree from institutions outside of their degree-conferring school will be required to supply official transcripts for those credits in the event they are not explicitly listed on their original transcript with course names and grades. Graduate Admissions will reserve the right to request additional transcripts as may be needed to meet departmental requirements or demonstrate proof of program-specific prerequisites.
   • E-transcripts preferred. Must be addressed to nancy.crane@wheaton.edu.
   • Mail hard copies to Graduate Admissions, Attn: Nancy Crane, 501 College Ave., Wheaton, IL 60187.
4. Application Form.
   • Three essays.
   • Affirmations of the Statement of Faith and Community Covenant.
5. Four Recommendations, which are online forms. Letters are accepted as supplements to the forms.
   • Academic. A professor from whom you have taken a class is preferred. Alternative: a college-level instructor from whom you have not taken a class or an acquaintance with a doctorate or master's.
   • Pastoral. Can be a Christian leader who is not a pastor.
   • Professional. A person with whom you have had a supervisor-employee relationship, which can be in a volunteer role.
   • Mental Health Professional. A licensed, mental-health practitioner. Can be your personal counselor. Alternative: a professor of psychology or related discipline.
   • Recommenders can upload optional letters on their online recommendation page.
   • Recommendations from relatives not accepted.
6. Resumé. Chronological. Include ministry/volunteer experience.
7. Application Fee. USD $30, non-refundable.

Interviews

By invitation.

• NOTE: All application materials, including official transcripts and recommendations, are due by the application deadline to be considered for an interview.
• Priority Deadline: November 1 of the year prior to enrollment. Interviews will be conducted virtually in November. Admission decisions will be emailed in December.
• Regular Deadline: February 1 of the year of enrollment. Interviews will be conducted on campus on Interview Day on a Friday in late February. Exact date to be determined. Virtual interviews will be available before Interview Day.
  • Interview Day is an all-day event between approximately 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. CST. Please plan to join us all day.

Additional Requirements for International Students

1. International students, and permanent residents of the US whose native language is not English, are required to take either the TOEFL iBT Test, IELTS Academic Test or Duolingo English test with the minimal scores indicated below:
   • TOEFL iBT Test: 80 with at least 18 in each category
   • IELTS Academic Test: 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each category
   • Duolingo English Test: 105
2. Applicants who wish to waive their English proficiency test, please refer to the English proficiency page for details.
3. An International Transcript Verification Report is needed for students who completed degrees outside of the United States.
4. All application materials are due by the application deadline in order to be considered for an interview.
   • Deadline for International Students: January 1, 2026
5. Interview by Invitation
   • After review of applications, International Students will be invited by the program for virtual interviews on January (TBD), 2026. Admissions decisions will be sent out in February, 2026.
6. Please review the International Student Graduate Admissions Process for full application requirements.