Counseling, MC (Master of Counseling) application requirements

Application process

The deadline for application submission is the first business day after January 1.

All materials required by the Master of Counseling program application must be received before the annual deadline for consideration to begin studies in the subsequent fall semester. Applications for the on-campus degree program are considered once per year for the fall semester only; there is no spring semester admission.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to review the application information and note requirements that could delay processing the application, as well as ensure they are applying for the appropriate semester for which applications are being accepted.

Applicants may verify that ASU has received their transcripts and letters of recommendation via their My ASU profile. It is the applicant's responsibility to check the application status and verify that all required materials have been received by the deadline.

Incomplete applications and applications submitted after the deadline will not be reviewed or considered.

All applicants must submit:

• Graduate admission application and application fee
• Personal statement
• Video submission (submitted via Dropbox)
• Two-to-three personalized letters of recommendation
• Resume
• Unofficial or official transcripts
• Proof of English proficiency (if applicable)

Graduate admission application and application fee

Applicants must submit the online Graduate Application and supplemental materials required by the Master of Counseling program to complete the application process. Requests for assistance with troubleshooting the graduate application may be sent to [email protected] and inquiries about the program may be sent to [email protected]. The School of Counseling and Counseling Psychology faculty are unable to provide guidance or advice to individual applicants during the submission process. Faculty and training directors are also unable to provide feedback to individual applicants following admission decisions.

Personal statement

Applicants are required to submit a two-to-three-page personal statement (12pt.Times New Roman font with 1” margin, double-spaced) that indicates their qualifications (e.g., professional experiences and personal attributes) and interest in ASU’s Master of Counseling program. Specifically, applicants are asked to describe their education, training, volunteer, and professional experiences. The applicant should inform the program why they want to pursue the Master of Counseling degree and outline how the program will help them meet their future goals. Applicants are expected to discuss their ability to work with and be sensitive to the needs of a multicultural and diverse society, including members of diverse racial and ethnic groups and sexual minority individuals.

If an applicant's cumulative GPA is lower than 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A"), the program recommends the applicant explain within the personal statement how their prior academic difficulties would be overcome in graduate school.

Video submission

As part of the review process, a video submission is required in addition to the application materials to be considered for our Master of Counseling program. Please submit a video following the Master of Counseling On-Campus Program: Video Submission Guidelines.

Letters of Recommendation

The Master of Counseling program application requires at least two, and at most three, written and personalized Letters of Recommendation. The recommenders must complete the Letter of Recommendation Form and a Written Personalized Letter of Recommendation. Letters of Recommendation that have been submitted without the Letter of Recommendation Form cannot be accepted. Applicants must contact their recommenders directly and inform them that they are applying to a graduate program. Applicants will need to provide their recommender ample time so they have enough time to prepare the letter and the form.

Written and personalized Letter of Recommendation:
Written on a personal letterhead and required to be uploaded by the recommender.

Letter of Recommendation Form:
A form prepared by ASU Graduate Admission Services with a set of questions that the recommender will need to complete.

Letters of Recommendation should come from professional sources who can speak to the applicant's academics, personal characteristics, professionalism, multicultural competency, aptitude for success in graduate school, etc. If a supervisor is able to speak to some or all of these pieces then they may be a good choice. Applicants are discouraged from asking for recommendations from individuals or acquaintances who have not overseen their academic, professional or volunteer work.

As part of the online graduate admission application process, applicants will need to provide the names and email addresses for each recommender. Upon submission of the application, recommenders will receive an email from ASU Graduate Admission Services. The email will include a link to upload the written and personalized Letter of Recommendation and the Letter of Recommendation form. Do not email, mail or fax any application materials.

Applicants should confirm with their recommenders that both the written and personalized Letter of Recommendation and the Letter of Recommendation form have been uploaded by the application deadline. If a written and personalized Letter of Recommendation and/or the Letter of Recommendation form has not uploaded, the application will be considered incomplete.

Applicants will be asked if they do or do not waive the right to review the recommendation sent on their behalf. Each recommender will be informed of the decision via email.

Resume

Applicants are required to submit a resume that includes any relevant work or volunteer experiences.

Transcripts

The Master of Counseling Online program requires one (1) unofficial or official transcript as part of the application process for each of the applicant’s undergraduate degree(s). In addition, if the applicant has obtained a graduate degree, an unofficial or official transcript for each graduate degree is also required as part of the application process.

Unofficial transcripts are uploaded within the graduate admission application. This is the only way we will accept unofficial transcripts. Emailed transcripts are not acceptable. Should an applicant submit their application without uploading an unofficial transcript, they must submit an official transcript. 

Official transcripts from every college and university from which you earned a bachelor's degree or higher must be sent directly to ASU Admission Services from the issuing institution's records office either by mail or through a secure electronic transcript service. For transcripts sent through a secure transcript service, please select Arizona State University from the vendor's dropdown list to ensure the transcript is routed to the correct place. If an email address is requested you can route to [email protected].

If you attended ASU, please upload your unofficial transcript to the graduate admission application. You do not need to request official ASU transcripts to be sent.

More about transcripts

If you are admitted to ASU and have only submitted unofficial transcripts, you will be required to send official transcripts to the university before registering for classes. Official transcripts are original academic credentials issued by the registrar of the institution attended, bearing the original raised or colored seal of the institution and the signature of your institution's registrar, academic official or recognized international organization.
 

Proof of English proficiency

An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of current residency. Applicants must meet one of the following English language proficiency requirements. See English Proficiency for International Graduate Students.