Master of Arts
Counseling

Guide others through life’s challenges with an M.A. in Counseling from Oakland University.

Ready to use your compassion and insights to make a positive impact? OU’s Master of Arts in Counseling prepares you to help others as they navigate obstacles, cultivate personal growth and foster self-awareness.

As a professional counselor, you’ll work closely with clients to identify specific goals and effective solutions to various challenges. Your focus will extend to improving communication techniques, coping skills, self-esteem and fostering behavior change for optimal mental health.

Thanks to OU’s broad-based education, you’ll draw from a foundation of research and theory in philosophy, psychology and education to apply therapeutic skills and consultation techniques that help individuals and groups, specifically those in school settings. Your counseling degree will empower people to expand their potential, facilitate development and live more satisfying and productive lives.

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M.A. in Counseling: The Oakland University Advantage

OU’s Master of Arts in Counseling is designed to cultivate both personal development and a comprehensive set of knowledge and skills. You’ll blend the power of science with subject insight to help and support patients.

Our master’s in counseling provides you with:

Practical, on-campus experience: OU is home to the Adult Career Counseling Center and SEHS Counseling Center, which are staffed, in part, by graduate students in the M.A. in Counseling program. Under the supervision of fully licensed professional counselors, you’ll have incredible opportunities to work with clients and offer caring and confidential counseling services.
Opportunities for groundbreaking research: OU’s renowned faculty are active in the counseling field and have diverse research interests. You can build your own CV through our master’s in counseling by joining professors as they research contemporary mental health culture or counseling issues that influence historically oppressed communities, to name a few topics.
Comprehensive academic instruction: With accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), our Master of Arts in Counseling upholds rigorous academic standards encompassing the most current research and evidence-based practice in counseling. This foundational work also prepares you for doctoral programs if you choose to continue your studies.
A school counseling specialization: Tailor your master’s in counseling to school counseling, and you’ll be prepared to work in professional counseling roles with children, youth, adults and families in school settings. Oakland also offers school counselor credentials with the Michigan Department of Education, so you can enter student environments ready to make a difference.

What Can You Do With a Master of Arts in Counseling?

OU’s master’s in counseling is ideal for those who thrive on helping others and solving problems. Within a school setting, graduates of our counseling degree work with students who need social, academic and career assistance.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for school and career counselors is projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2032.
This growth is partly driven by an increased need for mental health services and counseling across all industries, especially within educational settings.
Employers are noticing how OU counseling degree graduates exceed expectations in the workplace. As noted in the Department of Counseling’s 2022–23 program evaluation report, one student commented, “my place of employment specifically mentioned that my education from Oakland University was a highlight and played a positive role in hiring me as a counselor.”

OU’s Master of Arts in Counseling will prepare you to work in a variety of positions:

Career counselor
Clinical therapist
Community health worker
Family or group therapist
Marriage counselor
School counselor

Top Courses for the Master of Arts in Counseling

OU’s master’s in counseling includes courses that dive deep into academic counseling topics as well as intense clinical sessions to equip you with the skills and experience needed in real-world settings.

Initial courses introduce the theoretical and professional components of the field. Later courses emphasize research and clinical skills.

You’ll complete 60 credits of coursework in subjects like:

Advanced School Counseling: Addictions, Crisis and Systems Advocacy

Counseling and Ethics
Diversity and Social Justice Issues
Individual and Family Development
School Counseling and Consultation
Testing and Assessment in Counseling
Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy

You’ll also complete a practicum and internship as part of your counseling degree.

M.A. in Counseling Resources

Programs Related to the M.A. in Counseling

Not sure if OU’s counseling degree is right for you? Check out some of our other graduate degree programs and contact our admissions team to discuss your options:

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Master of Arts Counseling