7 Accredited Masters in Counseling Programs in San Antonio

Many communities throughout the United States face a shortage of mental health professionals. Masters in counseling programs in San Antonio have become a necessity since 246 out of 254 counties in Texas are considered Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas. This makes the educational investment worth it. The average cost of pursuing a counseling degree in San Antonio ranges from $8,000 to $15,000 per year for in-state graduate students at public universities. San Antonio offers several CACREP-accredited options for those interested in masters in counseling programs or clinical mental health counseling master’s programs. This guide explores seven accredited programs and covers admission requirements, tuition details, specializations and clinical experience opportunities that help you make an informed decision.

1. University of Texas at San Antonio – Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Program Overview and Accreditation

UTSA’s Department of Counseling operates the Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program from its downtown campus at 501 W. Cesar Chavez Blvd. The program holds CACREP accreditation through October 31, 2033, with accreditation starting January 14, 2016. The program’s roots trace back to July 2008 when it received original accreditation as a Community Counseling program before transitioning to its current Clinical Mental Health Counseling designation.

The 60-credit-hour program prepares multiculturally competent professional counselors for South Texas and beyond. Your training will meet or exceed standards set by state and national bodies. This positions you well when seeking Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) licensure, applying for federal employment, or working with military families and veterans. The department’s mission emphasizes creativity and diversity, along with developmental and relational processes, ethics, and professional identity within clinical mental health counseling.

Seven mission-based student learning objectives guide the program. These range from articulating client conceptualizations from strength-based views to showing multicultural and social justice counseling competencies. Graduates become eligible for professional licensure by the Texas State Board of Examiners for Professional Counselors and the National Board for Certified Counselors.

Admission Requirements

Your application requires a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale from your bachelor’s degree, though the department may think over your GPA from the last 60 semester credit hours. International students must achieve a minimum TOEFL iBT score of 100 or an IELTS score of 7.

Submit your application through the UT San Antonio Graduate Application portal with a non-refundable fee of $50 for domestic applicants or $90 for international applicants. Your application package must include unofficial transcripts from all institutions attended, though you’ll need to submit official transcripts if admitted. You must complete a two-page narrative statement that addresses specific prompts and provide three Applicant Rating Forms from recommenders who can speak to your academic and personal attributes.

The program maintains competitive admission standards. Fall 2022 saw the department receive over 225 applications and accept roughly 80 students. Application deadlines fall on March 1 for fall semester admission and October 1 for spring semester admission. Decisions arrive within four to six weeks after the posted deadline.

You’ll need 18 semester credit hours in a field appropriate to the master’s degree. Students from Education, Psychology, Sociology, or related human service fields don’t require additional background courses. You must complete approved prerequisite courses without appropriate background coursework.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Your tuition costs vary substantially based on residency status. Texas residents pay $9,362 in tuition and fees for a 9-credit-hour term, while non-Texas residents pay $27,310 for the same enrollment.

Student Type9 Credit Hours (Full-Time)6 Credit Hours (Part-Time)

Financial aid opportunities come through a variety of sources. Submit your FAFSA using UTSA’s code 010115 to determine eligibility for grants and scholarships, along with loans and work-study options. Begin your FAFSA application on October 1 and submit before priority deadlines to maximize grant opportunities.

Graduate assistantships exist in university departments of all types, though these part-time positions do not help with tuition and fees. The counseling department offers limited scholarships. Admitted students receive email notifications as opportunities become available. Texas non-citizens may qualify for state financial aid through the Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA) if classified as Texas residents for tuition purposes.

Specializations and Clinical Experience

Your clinical training follows a structured four-course sequence totaling 700 hours. The sequence begins with COU 5393 Development of Counseling Skills, where you master basic professional counseling skills. You must earn a B or better in all clinical courses to progress.

Practicum in Counseling (COU 5683) requires 100 clock hours over a minimum 10-week term. You’ll complete at least 40 hours of direct service with actual clients. This includes a minimum of 15 hours devoted to individual, couple, or family counseling and a minimum of 10 hours of group counseling, which cannot exceed 25 hours per semester. Most practicum students complete hours at the department’s Sarabia Family Counseling Center, though approved affiliated sites are available depending on semester availability.

Your internship experience spans two semesters through Clinical Mental Health Counseling Internship I and II (COU 5713 and COU 5723). Each 300-hour internship must occur at an approved community agency setting such as outpatient facilities, mental health residential substance abuse programs, bereavement services, or group private practices. You’ll complete at least 120 hours of direct service per internship, with a minimum of 60 hours devoted to individual, couple, or family counseling. Supervision comes from licensed mental health professionals, preferably Texas Licensed Professional Counselors.

You arrange your own placement from the department’s list of approved affiliated clinical sites. You must complete a mandatory Clinical Orientation/Training session before your first practicum class meeting. The program requires submission of practicum and internship applications to the Student Development Specialist the semester before enrollment.

2. Texas A&M University-San Antonio – Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Program Overview and Accreditation

Texas A&M University-San Antonio achieved CACREP accreditation for all three counseling programs in 2023 and joined an elite group that has only two other San Antonio institutions. The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program operates as one of 374 CACREP-accredited programs nationwide. It received full 8-year accreditation through March 31, 2031. This accreditation represents a multi-year effort by faculty, staff, alumni and students to develop curriculum meeting the highest standards of knowledge attainment and skill development.

Your 60-credit-hour Master of Arts program satisfies the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) academic requirements in Texas. The curriculum develops professional counselors who function as ethical problem-solvers, aware of roles, policy, technology and legalities relevant to the counseling field. CACREP’s core areas within the program have professional counseling orientation and ethical practice, social and cultural diversity, human growth and development, career development, counseling and helping relationships, group counseling and group work, assessment and testing, and research and program evaluation.

The accreditation offers portability for licensure in other states and expands your professional opportunities beyond Texas. On top of that, approximately 180 students participate in the program at present, and the counseling department maintains a student-to-teacher ratio of 12:1 or less per class.

Admission Requirements

Your application process begins through GradCAS with a $49 application fee for domestic students or $69 for international applicants. You must hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally-accredited institution before the program admits you.

The program requires either a 2.75 cumulative undergraduate GPA on a 4.0 scale or a 3.0 average on your last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework. Submit official transcripts from every college or university attended, printed within the preceding 12 months from the print date.

Your application package must have a 3-page statement of purpose addressing three specific questions: which counseling track you wish to pursue, what in your background has prepared you to counsel, and your career objectives and rationale to pursue the degree at A&M-San Antonio. You’ll also submit a curriculum vitae or résumé and participate in a faculty interview.

International students need minimum scores of 79 on the TOEFL Internet-based test, 213 on the TOEFL computer-based test, 550 on the TOEFL paper-based test, or 6 on the IELTS.

The department reserves the right to examine your prerequisites, accept equivalent hours or require additional preparatory coursework. Students with previous graduate work must be in good standing with their prior university.

Tuition and Financial Aid

All first-semester students pay a $220 program fee providing lifetime access to the Tevera data integration platform and the Counseling Skills Scale (CSS). Both tools integrate throughout your entire program of study to track academic progress and professional development.

Financial aid becomes available through completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA). You must complete FAFSA annually, as awards do not continue automatically beyond the award year. The 2025-26 FAFSA application opened in October, with a priority deadline of January 15 to maximize financial aid opportunities.

Graduate assistantships exist through various university departments, though specific funding varies by department. Some competitive fellowships offering $1,000 or greater per academic year allow you to pay tuition at the in-state rate.

Specializations and Clinical Experience

Your program requires 700 hours of clinical experience divided across four classes and has 100 practicum hours and 600 internship hours. This division helps you manage hours while gaining varied counseling experiences and receiving sufficient feedback before graduation.

Courses follow face-to-face delivery with flexible full-time or part-time enrollment options. The average completion time spans 3 years. You must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, with only grades of ‘A’ or ‘B’ accepted toward the degree.

Practicum and internship applications require submission by departmental deadlines: November 1 for Spring semester, April 1 for Summer semester and July 1 for Fall semester. You must demonstrate proficiency in standard assessments spaced throughout the program and complete all skill-level courses at A&M-San Antonio before participating in practicum or internship.

Your final requirement has passing a complete examination administered on the second Saturday of February, June and September. You must complete the core curriculum, maintain a 3.0 GPA or better and hold good academic standing to qualify. Transfer courses remain limited to six hours and require approval, with courses that demonstrate counseling skills ineligible for transfer credit.

3. St. Mary’s University – Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Program Overview and Accreditation

St. Mary’s University stands among San Antonio’s CACREP-accredited institutions. Both Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Counselor Education and Supervision programs hold this prestigious designation. The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program received original accreditation on January 1, 2005 as a Mental Health Counseling program before transitioning to its current Clinical Mental Health Counseling designation in August 2013. Your degree remains accredited through March 31, 2029.

The program operates under 2016 CACREP standards at One Camino Santa Maria. The accreditation body identified the program as meeting standards, though it requires additional reporting on its adherence to the 12:1 FTE student-to-faculty ratio. This hands-on program is offered in-person at the San Antonio campus and integrates Marianist values of justice, peace and human dignity into your counseling practice.

Your 60-credit-hour curriculum divides into core courses, electives and clinical components. Core coursework spans group counseling methods, assessment and appraisal, career planning, counseling theories and techniques, abnormal behavior and crisis counseling, substance use and addictive disorders, research methods, couples and family counseling, professional and ethical issues, social and cultural issues, mental health and psychopathology, and human growth and development. You must complete at least 5 credit hours of elective courses and a Clinical Mental Health Capstone Course. The program accommodates both full-time and part-time enrollment patterns.

Admission Requirements

The program considers your application on a rolling basis. You have the flexibility to begin classes in fall, spring or summer terms. Domestic applicants face no application fee, and the program processes applications as they arrive. Recent admission data shows 48 applications submitted, 34 accepted and 14 students enrolled.

Application deadlines vary by semester: July 1st for fall admission, November 15th for spring admission and April 1st for summer admission. You must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. The program requires either GRE General Test or MAT scores, though recent updates indicate GRE scores are optional for most applicants. Your application package has a written statement of purpose, two letters of recommendation and official college transcripts.

Recommendations should come from past employers or faculty members from your previous undergraduate studies. They should address your intellectual competence and potential for success. Your personal statement must indicate your interest in becoming a professional counselor or performing work that requires counseling skills.

International graduate applicants show English proficiency through minimum scores: TOEFL paper score of 550, TOEFL iBT score of 80, IELTS score of 6 or Duolingo English Test score of 115+.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Financial award applicants submit FAFSA with a priority deadline of March 31. St. Mary’s commits to providing scholarships, fellowships and tuition assistance to make graduate education available. The Office of Financial Assistance works individually with you to provide personal financial solutions.

Over 95% of first-year students receive some form of financial aid. U.S. News & World Report ranks St. Mary’s as the #1 Best Value university in the West. You may qualify for federal student loans, internships, graduate scholarships and assistantships. Submit your FAFSA using St. Mary’s University school code 003623.

The program enrolled 63 total graduate students, with 7% representing international backgrounds. Student demographics show 39.68% Hispanic/Latino, 30% White or Caucasian, 11.11% Black or African American and 1.59% Asian students. Gender distribution shows 74% female and 25% male enrollment.

Specializations and Clinical Experience

Your clinical training covers 700 hours working in a variety of settings under skilled supervision while engaging with clients directly. This requirement divides into practicum and internship experiences. Counseling Practicum accounts for 3 semester hours, followed by Internship in Counseling I and Internship in Counseling II, each worth 3 semester hours.

You practice counseling at the Family Life Center, a department-run clinic, and community settings. Faculty research focuses on relational-cultural theory, aging, human personality and interculturalism. Program graduates must pass a written examination before degree completion.

The department maintains externally sponsored research expenditures, though recent data shows no external funding in the last reported year. Your training prepares you to integrate community counseling principles and social justice into professional practice through dedicated coursework.

4. Our Lady of the Lake University – Online MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Program Overview and Accreditation

OLLU’s Master of Arts in Counseling operates as a fully online program. You can complete coursework from anywhere without campus visits. The 60-hour program delivers courses in a 14-week format that combines asynchronous and synchronous instruction. Most classes follow an asynchronous structure. You can complete weekly assignments on your own schedule without logging in at specified times. Synchronous courses meet online at designated times each week.

Forbes Advisor ranked OLLU’s Online Master of Arts in Counseling among the 10 best programs in the U.S. for 2023. The Clinical Mental Health Counseling specialization gives you the competencies to address circumstances you’ll face as a clinical mental health professional. Your training focuses on identifying, assessing and addressing mental health symptoms. This helps clients of all ages and cultures improve their emotional health and well-being using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) criteria.

The curriculum follows standards that the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) has set. You can apply as a candidate for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor through your state board of examiners after you complete the degree program. You will need additional supervision for an internship before your licensure approval. This program provides the academic essentials needed to begin that process for most states.

Admission Requirements

Your application requires a completed OLLU application with a non-refundable application fee, an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution and official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended. Transcripts must show baccalaureate or higher degrees earned and the date conferred. You need a minimum undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

No entrance exams are required for admission. Your application package must have a current resume, a personal statement and a reference form. You’ll also complete a background check with a fee of $10.00. The program accepts applications for fall, spring and summer admission.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Your total tuition amounts to $59,460.00 for the 60-credit-hour program, with a cost per credit hour of $991.00. This estimate excludes additional fees, textbooks, supplies, personal expenses and loan fees.

InstitutionTotal Tuition

OLLU is a Yellow Ribbon School and offers a 10% tuition discount for active military members and veterans. Online classes make it easier to balance education with your service. Financial aid counselors help you determine how to pay for tuition and take advantage of any assistance available to you. Submit your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to explore grants, scholarships, loans and work-study options.

Specializations and Clinical Experience

You can choose from three specializations: Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling and School Counseling. Each specialization has field-based experiences through practicum and internship courses. These improve learning through supervised counseling experience at an approved site.

Your clinical training has 100 hours of practicum experience and 600 hours of internship experience. The program spans 40 months for completion. You’ll gain real-life, hands-on experience through various internships and practicums at approved counseling sites in your local area. The program allows you to continue working full-time while pursuing your advanced degree. You will be prepared for the Licensed Professional Counselor exam after you complete this 60-credit program.

5. Texas A&M University-San Antonio – Master of Arts in School Counseling

Program Overview and Accreditation

A&M-San Antonio’s Master of Arts in Counseling & Guidance: School Counseling earned CACREP accreditation in 2023 as one of 269 accredited school counseling programs nationwide. The 51-credit-hour degree prepares you to work in educational settings and trains you to use therapeutic and developmental principles while you implement and manage school counseling programs.

The program satisfies academic requirements for School Counselor Certification in Texas. You can add 9 hours of prescribed coursework to meet the 60-hour Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) academic requirements if you plan to pursue clinical licensure beyond school certification. This flexibility expands your career options while you retain focus on school-based counseling.

Admission Requirements

Your admission requires either an undergraduate cumulative GPA between 2.75 and 2.99, or a 3.0 or higher for your last 60 semester credits. For school counseling certification, you must document two years of classroom teaching experience in an accredited school. This teaching prerequisite distinguishes school counseling admission from other counseling tracks.

You need to submit a three-page Statement of Purpose that addresses which counseling track you wish to pursue, your background preparation for the counseling field, and your career objectives at A&M-San Antonio. You’ll participate in a group interview with the Counseling Admissions Committee. International applicants need scores of at least 79 on TOEFL Internet-based test, 213 on TOEFL computer-based, 550 on TOEFL paper-based test, or 6 on IELTS.

You must provide a teaching service record from a public or accredited private/charter school and complete the school counseling degree program application. Your appointment has an oral interview, discussion of supply and demand, GPA verification, personal vision statement, and ethics code review. You’ll also receive notification that criminal record checks are required before practicum and internships.

Tuition and Financial Aid

All first-semester students pay a $220 program fee that gives lifetime access to the Tevera platform and Counseling Skills Scale assessment tool. Your cumulative GPA must remain at 3.0 or higher throughout the program.

Specializations and Clinical Experience

You complete 100 hours of practicum and 600 hours of internship split across four classes. The program maintains a 12:1 student-to-teacher ratio and supports approximately 180 students across all counseling tracks. For certification eligibility, you must pass the TExES-152 School Counselor Exam. You should meet with the School Counseling Program Coordinator at least four weeks before the TExES registration deadline to receive approval for testing.

6. St. Mary’s University – Master of Arts in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling

Program Overview and Accreditation

St. Mary’s University offers a specialized Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling track within its Department of Counseling and Human Services. Your training focuses on foundational theories of marriage and family therapy and emphasizes family systems work and therapeutic change processes. The program prepares you to work with couples, families, and relational dynamics using approaches distinct from individual counseling models.

AAMFT approved supervisors provide clinical supervision and position you for professional credentialing upon program completion. Your coursework begins with CN 6370 Foundations of Marriage and Family Therapy, covering fundamental concepts and theories of change. You’ll progress through CN 7371 Strategies of Family Therapy, applying core approaches to clinical work while developing skills for working with families.

Admission Requirements

Your application follows the general counseling program admission standards at St. Mary’s. You must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Positive recommendations from past employers or faculty members addressing your potential as a counselor strengthen your application. Your personal statement should indicate interest in becoming a professional counselor or performing work that requires counseling skills.

Tuition and Financial Aid

The Family Life Center operates on a sliding scale based on household income and personal financial situation. This makes services available to clients with limited resources. The center determines fees at the time you schedule your first therapy session during clinical training.

Specializations and Clinical Experience

Your clinical sequence has CN 7372 Clinical Practicum in Marriage and Family Therapy, providing experiential focus on attending and listening skills. This practicum introduces individual and group therapy while covering special situations like suicide, depression, and substance abuse treatment.

Your internship spans four consecutive semesters through CN 7380, CN 7381, CN 7382, and CN 7383. Each internship requires 15-20 hours of supervised clinical practice weekly at the Family Life Center and approved off-campus sites. You’ll complete 10 client contact hours weekly with individual and group supervision on campus, though off-campus supervision arrangements are available.

Prerequisites for internship enrollment are completion of CN 6370, CN 7371, CN 7372, CN 7374, at least 24 semester hours in the program, and candidacy for the Master’s degree. Successful completion follows competency-based evaluation with limited enrollment. The Family Life Center staff consists of clinicians-in-training supervised by licensed University faculty and offers counseling services to adults, couples, teens, and children.

7. University of the Incarnate Word – Master’s in Counseling Programs

Program Overview and Accreditation

University of the Incarnate Word provides multiple pathways within its masters in counseling programs in San Antonio. Your program selection depends on career goals, with options that may include clinical mental health counseling master’s programs and other specializations offered through the School of Professional Studies.

Admission Requirements

Your application to UIW requires evidence of an earned baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Official transcripts from each college or university you attended must be sent to the Registrar’s Office.

All candidates are expected to demonstrate satisfactory command of English in oral and written work. Additional admission criteria may include nationally recognized entrance tests, professional evaluations, letters of recommendation, minimum credit hours in the discipline with specified GPA requirements, interviews with faculty or writing samples. The Admissions Office sends completed applications to the program director for evaluation.

Tuition and Financial Aid

UIW awarded $228 million in financial aid to students for the 2024-2025 school year. FAFSA must be submitted to access scholarships, loans and work-study programs. Graduate students may qualify for Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans and Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans. Both require at least half-time enrollment.

Specializations and Clinical Experience

Your program advisor can provide information about specific clinical requirements and specialization options available within masters in counseling offerings.

Choose Today

San Antonio provides seven accredited pathways to aspiring mental health professionals. Each offers distinct advantages based on your career goals. You might be drawn to clinical mental health counseling master’s programs at UTSA or A&M-San Antonio, school counseling certification, or specialized marriage and family therapy training. These CACREP-accredited options prepare you for professional licensure.

Tuition ranges from about $9,000 to $27,000 per year depending on residency status. Assess financial aid opportunities at each institution with care. Programs offering graduate assistantships or military discounts reduce costs by a lot.

Your next step involves identifying which specialization lines up with your professional vision. Submit applications before priority deadlines. This maximizes scholarship opportunities and secures your spot in these competitive programs.