Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling

Admission Requirements

Applicants to the MS in Mental Health Counseling program must have completed a bachelor's degree in psychology, counseling, education, social work or nursing from a regionally accredited institution.

Bachelor's degrees in other specialty areas will be considered on a case-by-case basis. No standardized exams (GRE, MAT, etc.) are required for this program.

GPA Requirement
The Mental Health Counseling program prefers that applicants have a 3.0 GPA (B average) or higher, but applicants with a GPA lower than 3.0 may still be considered.

Coursework Requirements
To ensure that program courses are taught at the highest possible level, applicants without a major or minor in psychology must have completed, prior to admission, at a bachelor's level or above, the following courses:

• Introduction to Psychology
• Research/Statistics
• Abnormal Psychology/Psychopathology

Application Process

When is the deadline to apply?
This academic program operates on a rolling admission basis. The application closes in August  2026; however, an early application is highly recommended.

How to Apply
Application requirements and a link to the online application is available at https://www.pcom.edu/admissions/apply.

Next Steps
Once your application has been submitted, you will be contacted via email with a confirmation of its receipt including reminders of the appropriate steps to complete the application process. Note that there is no application fee to PCOM.

Where do I send my college transcripts?
Official college transcripts from all colleges/universities/schools attended must be sent directly to:

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Office of Admissions
4170 City Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19131

We will accept electronic transcripts via email from Parchment Services and National Student Clearinghouse to admissions@pcom.edu.

Where do I send my letters of recommendation?
Letters of recommendation can be submitted through PCOM's application portal or sent directly to PCOM Admissions in PDF format to recommend@pcom.edu.

Additional application requirements
Your application will be processed and assessed by the Faculty Committee on Admissions only after the receipt of:

• Three letters of recommendation (one faculty letter of recommendation is strongly recommended)
• A résumé
• A general autobiographical statement explaining your interest in this academic program as it relates to your desire to become a professional counselor (in 500 words or less)
• Writing sample that is 5-25 pages (Preferences: APA format, graded, subject matter related to the counseling field)

Admissions Process

What happens after I apply to the Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling program?
This program utilizes a rolling admissions policy and applications will be considered throughout the year as they are received. Students will be accepted into the program until the desired class size is reached. Classes begin in the fall term (late August).

The Admissions Committee screens applications, invites some applicants for an interview, evaluates the applicants and selects new students. Following the completion of the admission process, each applicant will be notified of the Admission's Committee decision in writing, including any conditions that must be satisfied prior to or following enrollment.

Interviews for this program will be offered both virtually and in-person for the 2025-2026 application cycle.

As an applicant to PCOM's Master of Science program in Mental Health Counseling, you are responsible for ensuring that all admissions materials are completed accurately and submitted in a timely manner.

Should you have any questions, please contact us via email at admissions@pcom.edu.