The Master of Arts in Counseling (COUN) is a program aimed at preparing counseling professionals who will provide direct services and resource coordination for individuals. Four tracks are offered under the MA in Counseling; each student is only admitted to one track. 

• Counselor Education, a 48-hour program that prepares students to serve as counselors in school settings. The track is accredited by CAEP and meets all requirements for licensure in Arkansas and many other states. 
• Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling, a 60-hour program…The track meets all requirements for licensure in Arkansas and many other states. 
• Clinical Mental Health, a 60-hour program…The track meets all requirements for licensure in Arkansas and many other states. 
• Traditional Rehabilitation Counseling, a 60-hour program…The track meets all requirements for licensure in Arkansas and many other states. 

The program is offered fully online through UA Little Rock’s eLearning Online Campus. For more information, visit the program’s website. 

Admission Requirements

Regular and Conditional Admission

All applicants must have:

• Completed an application for admission through the UA Little Rock Graduate School.
• Completed a successful personal interview with a program faculty member or a designated representative. 

Program Application Deadlines (for all tracks except Counselor Education): 

• Fall Term: April 15
• Spring Term: October 15
• Summer Term: March 15

Regular Admission

• Bachelor’s degree from an institutionally or regionally accredited institution of higher education with an overall undergraduate GPA of 2.70 (3.00 in the last 60 hours)

or

• Grade point average of at least 3.0 for the last 60 credit hours of undergraduate courses. 

or

• Master’s degree from an institutionally or regionally accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.0. 

Conditional Admission

Note: “Conditional” means that the student must make a B or greater in the first 12 hours taken in the UA Little Rock Master of Arts in Counseling curriculum.

There are two categories within conditional admission:

• Admission of students based on GPA for graduate hours at other institutionally or regionally accredited institutions: Students not qualifying for regular admission based on their undergraduate grade point averages may be admitted to the program as “conditional” if they have successfully completed a minimum of 9 semester hours in a relevant graduate program at UA Little Rock or another institutionally or regionally accredited institution with a GPA of at least 3.0 and a grade of B or greater in each course taken.

or

• Admission based on an Admissions Portfolio (For employed Rehabilitation Counselors only): Employed Rehabilitation Counselors have the option to submit a satisfactory Admissions Portfolio of academic and professional work to obtain conditional admission. The guidelines for the portfolio are available from the program coordinator. Letters of reference are not required unless specifically requested by the program coordinator.

Transfer Credit

Students have the opportunity (upon review and approval) to transfer as many as 27 semester hours of credit from other institutionally or regionally accredited graduate programs.