Please refer to our Graduate Psychology Advisement page for information on the best contact to help answer any questions you may have.
Mental health counseling refers to the application of principles of human development, learning theory, group dynamics, and psychopathology to individuals, couples, families, groups, and organizations, for the purpose of treating mental disorders and promoting optimal mental health and functionality. It includes, but is not limited to, the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental and emotional disorders, educational techniques developed to prevent such disorders, and the application of a wellness model of mental health. Mental health counselors and programs strive to follow principles and standards established by the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American Mental Health Counselors Association. Licensed counseling has become one of the fastest growing professions in the United States. Currently, 48 states have authorized the licensure of counselors. New York recently recognized the need to license mental health counselors, passing the Laws of 2002, Chapter 676, Education Law Article 163. In 2005, the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, Sections 52.32-52.35, and Subparts 79-9 – 79-12, established educational criteria for licensing mental health counselors; the State Education Department has begun authorizing university programs that prepare students for this career.
Forensic mental health involves the application of counseling theory and practice to criminal justice, family court, and other legal settings. Many counselors work in forensic treatment settings, with forensic populations that require specialized training. Such settings include jails and prisons, victim service agencies, probation and parole offices, child protective services, and the courts, hospitals, clinics, social service agencies, juvenile detention centers, and private practice. In addition to the standard required courses in counseling, the Forensic Mental Health Counseling Program offers students the opportunity to take specialized courses in criminal behavior and aggression, juvenile delinquency, substance use, correctional and reentry counseling, risk assessment, crisis intervention, policing, sex offenses, terrorism, criminal profiling, and victimization and trauma (including intimate partner violence, child abuse, and sex trafficking).
Developed within the Department of Psychology, the Forensic Mental Health Counseling program is a "license eligible" academic program that satisfies the state's educational requirements for professional licensure as a mental health counselor. The program is approved by New York State, where upon completion, students are eligible to obtain their limited permit, leading to licensure as a mental health counselor with a specialization in forensics. Students learn to work with diverse populations within forensic clinical settings.
Within the program, students develop skills in interviewing, assessment and counseling, based upon established theories, principles and research in human development, personality, psychopathology, and counseling. Students are uniquely prepared to work towards licensure as counselors in settings including but not limited to victim services, correctional facilities, juvenile detention centers, probation and parole agencies, and social service agencies. The program places a strong emphasis on intersections among race, class, gender, ethnicity and sexuality with an aim towards developing multicultural awareness. The program requires clinical fieldwork
Application forms and catalogs may be obtained through the Forensic Mental Health Counseling Graduate Admissions Website.
For more information about the application portal or process, please contact graduateadmissions@jjay.cuny.edu
Applications can be submitted for admission in the Fall and Spring terms. Application deadlines will be posted on the Graduate Admissions Website.
- Minimum undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Most successful candidates have a grade point average of 3.4 or higher.
- Three academic letters of recommendations (can be completed within the application)
- Personal statement highlighting interest, career goals, and intended field of research
- 12 credits of prerequisite undergraduate courses in psychology (passed with a grade letter of B or better)
- 3 credits of a prerequisite undergraduate course Research methods in Psychology or Experimental Psychology (passed with a grade letter of B or better)
- 3 credits of a prerequisite undergraduate course in statistics (passed with a grade letter of B or better)
- The General GRE requirement is currently waived for the current application cycle. (Note: The General GRE can be taken and is strongly encouraged for students applying with a grade point average of 3.3 or lower).
- Requirements are also detailed on the Forensic Mental Health Cou
Students who have not completed an undergraduate statistics and/or research methods/experimental psychology course may have the option, providing they meet all other requirements, of completing the Advanced Certificate of Victimology to complete the necessary missing course (STA 250 and/or PSY 311) and certificate graduate courses. Upon finishing the certificate, students will need to have passed all classes with a B or better before reapplying for the Masters program. Students must submit only their application again for John Jay College's Forensic Mental Health Counseling program if they have submitted one previously.
Requirements for admission are detailed on the Forensic Mental Health Counseling Program Requirements webpage.
Please Note: The Advanced Certificate in Victimology Studies is a standalone certificate. Completion of the certificate does not guarantee entry into the Forensic Psychology nor the Forensic Mental Health Counseling MA programs. Students seeking to strengthen their application to either of the psychology MA programs by completing the certificate must complete all certificate courses (with entered grades) to be eligible for consideration.
Students with a GPA under 3.0 are only admitted under exceptional circumstances.
If your GPA does not meet the minimum requirement (or surpasses it only slightly), we suggest taking additional psychology courses at an accredited university to increase your GPA.
In addition, while we are not requiring the GRE for admission at the moment, some students opt to take the GRE to increase the competitiveness of their application.
Finally, you should also ensure that your essay is exceptional and that your recommendations highlight your abilities/strengths and speak to your capacity to succeed in graduate school.
We cannot provide an exact figure, as there are multiple factors that determine how tuition is calculated. Some of the factors that determine the cost include:
- Online/In-Person Program
- NYS Resident/Non-NYS Resident
- Credits offered per class/total credits taken per semester
- Matriculated/Non-matriculated status
- Academic Excellence Fees (depending on your Graduate program of study)
It is always recommended to review our website for the most current tuition rates: Graduate Tuition & Fees | John Jay College of Criminal Justice. You may use the chart as a guideline for the anticipated cost (however, be advised that this chart does not account for books/supplies or other outside costs).
*Please Note: The tuition rates on the JJC website are for the current academic year and may increase in the future.
The MA Program in Forensic Mental Health Counseling is designated as a program of Excellence by CUNY, and began adding an Excellence Fee charge to each of its courses in Spring 2016. These charges are used solely to enhance the excellence of MA Programs by providing specialized student support in academic, externship, and career advisement.
Students are encouraged to file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine their eligibility for aid and loans.
There are some state and federal grants and loans which are available at John Jay College, as well as at most universities. Work Study Programs are also available for financially-qualified applicants. For further information, contact John Jay's Office of Student Financial Services via email (financialaid@jjay.cuny.edu) or telephone at 212-237-8151.
Additional scholarships may be awarded depending on funding availability and eligibility requirements.
John Jay College welcomes students from 130+ countries and offers the opportunity to meet with an International Admissions Specialist to discuss important deadlines and requirements. More Information for International Applicants.
For all inquiries related to tuition and cost of attendance, we recommend reaching out to the Financial Aid Office and/or the International Students Office for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
Students who graduated with a Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology at John Jay College less than 10 years prior to the time of enrollment in the FMHC program may utilize a maximum of 30 credits from the previous MA towards the second MA degree program.
Students who graduated with a Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology at John Jay College 10 or more years prior to the time of enrollment in the FMHC program are ineligible to transfer any credits from the previous MA toward the second MA degree program.
For students who have completed an MA program outside of John Jay OR a non-Psychology MA degree program at John Jay (e.g., Criminal Justice MA, etc.), the maximum allowable transfer credits are 12. All credit transfer requests must be approved by the program prior to processing by the Office of Registrar.
Students are also required to complete all FMHC program requirements even if they exceed 60 credits.
Students are strongly advised to clarify and confirm their Degree Works information and understanding with an FMHC program advisor to ensure accuracy. To transfer these credits, please contact the FMHC or PSY MA office.
Readmitted FMHC students may transfer 30 credits from their previous FP MA degree if they completed their degree less than 10 years prior to the time of readmission; if 10 or more years, no credits are transferable.
No, this is an in-person program.
We recommend incoming students prioritize taking the required introductory courses (PSY 700, 715, 745, 769) within their first year in the program.
For more information, please see this webpage for detailed information regarding program requirements
Use this webpage for detailed information regarding program requirements, as well as course descriptions for electives.
Most students who graduate from this program find employment in social service and state agencies, acquiring 3000 hours of counseling experience under the supervision of a licensed mental health professional. They also take the national exam in Mental Health Counseling and apply for licensure as a Mental Health Counselor in New York State. Following licensure, such individuals are able to practice as licensed counselors in state and agency jobs as well as in private practice in New York State.
There are over 35 full-time faculty members who make up part of the Psychology Department, which offers a unique blend of expertise in research, scholarship, and teaching. Many of our adjunct faculty are leaders in their area of forensics and teach specialty classes. Many have extensive experience as clinicians in forensic and legal settings, including hospitals, family courts, correctional centers, not-for-profits, and police departments. A number of our faculty members have both law degrees and PhDs.
Full-time faculty have published significant articles and/or books on their research in cutting edge and emerging areas of forensics including trauma and mental health stigma, microagressions and racial trauma, domestic violence victimization, sexual assault victimization, sex trafficking, queer issues in forensic psychology, and mindfulness approaches to treating violent offenders, as well as more established areas in forensics including child abuse, false confessions, serial offenders, sex offenders, jury selection, eyewitness research, forensic assessment, and mental health law. Our programs are committed to racial, gender, and sexual minority justice within the forensic system.
Many full-time faculty in the John Jay Psychology Department have active research labs with ongoing projects and/or archival data from previous research.
Students interested in gaining research experience have the option to join a research project, join a faculty mentor’s lab, and/or complete a thesis.
The Masters Student Research Group (MSRG) is committed to the advancement of research and professional development among graduate students in the PSY MA Programs. In addition to various programming throughout the year, they survey faculty each semester to determine who has ongoing/active research projects and is accepting research assistants. Please find more opportunities for research on the MSRG webpage.
Please Note: Unlike the MA Program in Forensic Psychology, all students in the MA Program in Forensic Mental Health Counseling must complete a 600-hour externship, even if they choose the thesis track.
The Masters Student Research Group (MSRG) is committed to the advancement of research and professional development among graduate students in the PSY MA Programs. In addition to various programming throughout the year, they survey faculty each semester to determine who is accepting thesis students. For assistance in finding an advisor, please contact msrg@jjay.cuny.edu.
We recommend beginning the search for an advisor in your first or second semester of the program. For more information of the thesis process, contact forensicpsychologyma@jjay.cuny.edu
You can find a step-by-step thesis guide on the MSRG webpage!
Please Note: Unlike the MA Program in Forensic Psychology, all students in the MA Program in Forensic Mental Health Counseling must complete a 600-hour externship, even if they choose the thesis track.
The Forensic Mental Health Counseling MA is a 60-credit, license-eligible program, which may be best suited for students whose post-graduation plans involve clinical, therapeutic practice (e.g., in social service agencies, forensic settings, private practice, etc.). The majority of clinical positions available to our graduates prefer (or require) clinical licensure.
The Forensic Psychology MA is a 42-credit program, which may be best suited for students whose post-graduation plans involve additional graduate education (e.g., doctoral programs in psychology or law school) or a career in research (e.g., in academic or organizational settings), direct service (e.g., forensic case management), or threat management/intelligence.
Yes, John Jay College's Forensic Mental Health Counseling is a program accredited by NYSED. It is not CACREP-accredited.
While the New York State requirements for Mental Health Counselors are similar to the requirements in other states, each state has its own regulations which may differ somewhat from those in New York. Consequently, if graduates of the program apply for licensure in other states, their coursework here may not be fully accepted, and/or they may be required to complete additional coursework and/or clinical training, depending upon the state’s requirements. Other than for New York State, students are responsible for contacting the licensing board of the state in which they wish to get licensed. Students should also contact the Career Externship Office (psychmaexternships@jjay.cuny.edu) upon enrollment if they know they wish to get licensed in a state other than New York.
While the MA degree is considered a “terminal” degree for counseling practice, some students will pursue doctoral level study in Counselor Education programs or in Psychology programs. If doctoral studies with an academic career are being considered, students should consider the thesis track electives in the MA Program in Forensic Mental Health Counseling or check out the MA in Forensic Psychology Program.
Students may apply to transfer from the FMHC program to the FPMA program while they are matriculated at John Jay College. They must have completed at least one semester of their program and be in good standing (GPA of 3.0 or higher).
If you are considering making a change between these two programs, please contact the current Academic Advisor: AdvisorPSYMA@jjay.cuny.edu
There is no BA/MA Program in Forensic Mental Health Counseling at this time, although such a program is in development. It is anticipated to begin in Fall 2025.
Students from the Criminal Justice MA program interested in the FPMA program will need to reapply through the Graduate Admissions Website.
An externship refers to John Jay’s internship program in which students work in their field to gain hands-on practical experience. Students search for placements using InPlace, a comprehensive platform of former and current opportunities. Externships are completed at the end of a student’s program.
Summer 2025 Admits and Beyond
You cannot begin your externship until you have:
- Completed 36 credits
- Passed all four required prerequisite courses: PSY 758, PSY 745, PSY 760, and PSY 761
- No INC (Incomplete) grades on your record
Students Admitted Before Summer 2025
- You may begin applying for your externship once you are enrolled in 24 credits and have completed or are in progress of completing PSY 760 or PSY 761.
- You may begin your externship once 24 credits and all prerequisite courses (PSY 758, PSY 745, PSY 760, and PSY 761) are complete.
For specific questions, please email the Career and Externship Advisement office at psychmaexternships@jjay.cuny.edu.
*Eligibility is typically met in a student’s second-to-last semester in their program.
Once the program requirements are met, schedule an appointment with the Psychology Career and Externship Office through EAB Navigate using the following instructions:
- Log into EAB Navigate
- Use your CUNYfirst credentials: https://jjay-cuny.campus.eab.com/home
- Schedule an Appointment
- Schedule an Appointment > What type of appointment > Career Services > Service > Externship Advisement > Find Available Times > Select Desired Timeslot
- Finalize Appointment
- Meeting type defaults to Virtual.
- Ensure Email and Text Reminders are checked.
- Click Schedule to confirm.
- Meeting Preparation
- Send a copy of your unofficial resume to psychmaexternships@jjay.cuny.edu prior to your appointment.