Clinical Mental Health Counseling Admissions
Spring 2027 - September 15
Summer 2027 - February 15
Fall 2027 - February 15
SAHE, School Counseling (P-12), and Unclassified (Bridge, ACPP) Admissions
Spring 2027 - November 1
Summer 2027 - April 1
Fall 2027 - July 1
Please note, applications submitted for the student affairs practice in higher education, P-12 counseling or unclassified cannot be changed to the clinical mental health counseling concentration.
Admission Process
- Apply to the UNO Graduate College, indicating your desire to be accepted into the counseling degree program. Click to apply for admission.
- After your application and transcripts are received by the Admissions Office and you are admitted as a graduate student the Graduate College will forward your application to the Department of Counseling.
- Applicants will be selected to attend a group interview by a faculty panel. Admissions decisions will follow.
- Contact our graduate assistants with admission questions at 402.554.2764. The Department of Counseling will provide you with additional information about the application procedures and assist you through the process. Be sure to ask about deadlines! Visit the Frequently Asked Questions page for more details.
Academic Prerequisites for Counseling MS
- Bachelor's degree
Academic Prerequisites for Bridge Program
- Master's degree in a mental health related field
Admission Requirements for CMHC, P-12, & Unclassified (Bridge, ACPP) Applicants
- 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.
- Motivation for the counseling profession
- Group admission interview (required for admission to the clinical mental health counseling and P-12 school counseling concentrations).
Admission Requirements for SAHE Applicants
- Official transcripts of all attended universities
- 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.
- Motivation for the counseling profession
Non-Degree Admission
Verified Non-Degree Admission Status
Verified non-degree admission status may be available for an individual with an undergraduate or graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution who is not seeking a graduate degree from UNO or who would like to take classes prior to submitting an application for the degree program. Applicants applying for the verified non-degree admission status need only submit an application for admission, the required application fee, and official degree transcript. A cumulative GPA of at least a 2.7 is also required.
- Non-degree students are not eligible for financial aid. Advisors are not assigned to non-degree students.
- Non-Degree students are advised to consult with the department chair or other designee regarding class availability and prerequisites before attempting to register. Because of limited class size and resources, enrollment in classes as a non-degree seeking student is limited to a total of 9 credit hours. To determine whether a non-degree student is allowed to enroll in a graduate course, please check the course descriptions listed on the Class Search.
- Admission to a degree program, or to unclassified admission from non-degree status is not guaranteed. Graduate-level hours taken as a non-degree graduate student prior to admission into a master's degree program may be included in the program of study at the discretion of the department chair, counseling faculty, and the graduate dean. Students changing from non-degree status may also be required to take certain prerequisite courses by the department chair, counseling faculty, and the dean for Graduate Studies.