Bridge Program Admissions

Overview

Application Deadlines

*Applicants will be notified at the email address provided on their application if they are selected for an interview. The notification will include the scheduled interview date and time. Applicants admitted to the program will receive a confirmation email with their assigned New Student Orientation date.

Important: Applications must be fully complete by the stated deadline to be considered for review by the selection committee. A complete application includes all required materials, such as letters of recommendation, official transcripts, and any additional documentation outlined in the application instructions. Applications that are incomplete at the deadline are not guaranteed consideration.

Academic Prerequisites

• Master's degree in a mental health related field

Application Requirements

• Official transcript of all attended universities
  • *Applicants submitting international transcripts must provide an official transcript evaluation
• Two (2) letters of recommendation
  • *Must be from persons who can speak for the candidate's professional competence and academic ability
• Current Resume or CV
• Statement of Purpose, maximum 2 pages in length, double-spaced, addressing the following:
  
  • Motivation for the counseling profession
    • Describe your reasons for pursuing a career in professional counseling. Discuss the personal, academic, and/or professional experiences that have influenced your decision and how your values align with the ethical responsibilities and professional identity of a counselor.
  • Relevant experiences and interpersonal learning
    • Describe experiences that have prepared you for graduate study in counseling (e.g., helping roles, employment, volunteer work, leadership, academic experiences, or significant life experiences). Focus not only on what you did, but on what you learned about yourself, particularly in relation to interpersonal relationships, boundaries, empathy, and working with diverse individuals.
  • Self-awareness, professional dispositions, and growth
    • Counselor education requires ongoing self-reflection and personal development. Reflect on your interpersonal strengths and areas for continued growth as they relate to counseling practice. Provide examples that demonstrate your capacity for self-awareness, your ability to accurately assess your own strengths and limitations, and your openness to feedback, supervision, and personal change.
  • Professional goals and program fit
    • Describe your short- and long-term professional goals in counseling and how graduate training will support these goals. Explain why you are applying to the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s counseling program, including how the program’s mission, training model, and values align with your professional goals and your development as a counselor-in-training.
• Group admission interview (by invitation)

Application Process

1. Apply to the UNO Graduate College
   • Submit your application to the UNO Office of Graduate Studies and indicate your intended program. Click here to apply for admission.
2. Submit All Required Materials
   • Ensure that all required materials, including official transcripts, are submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies . Please note that transcript processing may take up to 3–4 weeks, so applicants are encouraged to request transcripts and letters of recommendation well in advance of any deadlines.
3. Department Review
   • Once your application and all required materials have been received by the Office of Graduate Studies, they will be forwarded to the Department of Counseling for review. The department carefully evaluates all completed applications, and eligible applicants may advance to the next stage of the admissions process. Based on the availability of seats within the program and the overall strength of the applicant pool, selected candidates will be invited to participate in a group interview with program faculty.
     Note: Applications are reviewed only after all required materials have been submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies. If you are missing application materials, you will be recieving emails from UNO Graduate Studies. Please be sure to check your spam folder if you have not recieved communications.
4. Group Interview
   • Selected applicants for the Bridge program will be invited to participate in a group interview with a faculty panel. Please be aware of the interview date for your selected term as indicated in the admissions timeline above. Admission decisions will be made following the group interview process and forwarded to the Office of Graduate Studies.
5. Admissions Decision
   • Applicants will be notified by the Office of Graduate Studies of their admission decision after the review and group interview process is completed.