Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's in Mental Health Counseling

You’re fascinated by human behavior and think you want to study psychology as an undergraduate. A major in psychology provides excellent preparation for a wide variety of careers. If you already know you want to help people as a mental health counselor, Suffolk’s accelerated bachelor’s/master’s program can help you begin your masters level coursework faster.

A graduate degree is necessary to work directly with patients. In our joint program, you’ll take two graduate-level courses in your senior year, allowing you to complete your combined undergraduate/graduate studies in six years, saving tuition and waiving our GRE requirement.

Your graduate coursework will build on your undergraduate studies and provide the academic and clinical skills to assess, diagnose, and treat clients with a variety of mental health issues. By starting your graduate degree early, you'll become familiar with the professors and curriculum sooner than most, easing your transition to graduate school.

Admission & Degree Requirements

This program is designed to provide an accelerated path for undergraduate psychology majors at Suffolk to obtain a master’s degree in mental health counseling. Students benefit from the experience of a smooth transition from undergraduate to graduate study in a familiar environment.

Requirements to Apply

To apply for this program, students must:

  • Be a declared psychology major
  • Be in junior class standing
  • Have a junior year (first semester) overall (transfer credits included) GPA of 3.5 or higher
  • Hold a major GPA of 3.5 or higher in the psychology major
  • Complete of a minimum of four psychology undergraduate courses at Suffolk
  • Receive a faculty nomination and a second recommendation (for more information, see "Applying to the Program")

Students who transfer to Suffolk in their junior year are eligible to apply, if all other criteria are met. Junior transfer students that do not meet all criteria are encouraged to consult with the MHC Program Director for advising.

Students may be eligible to enter this program in the fall term only.

Applying to the Program

For students on track to graduate from their undergraduate program after the spring term, the recommended application deadline for this program is February 1st of the junior year, rolling thereafter. Enrollment would begin the first semester (fall) of the senior year.

To apply for this program, applicants must:

  1. Complete the standard Suffolk University graduate application
  2. Consult with Assistant Dean Sharon Lenzie who will audit your academic program and advise you
  3. Request a faculty member of the Psychology department submit a nomination on your behalf through a recommendation form. Nominations may be submitted electronically through the online application form. Online recommenders will receive a unique link for submission. A second recommendation is required, and may be from an instructor or supervisor. Additional information regarding recommendation forms can be found on the Graduate Admission website.
  4. Complete your application. Completed applications are reviewed by the MHC Graduate Admission Committee.

Learn more

Suffolk undergraduate psychology students interested in the Accelerated Bachelor’s / Master’s Mental Health Counseling program are encouraged to review this video for additional information.

Download video transcript [PDF]

Courses & Requirements

Learn more about the classes, degree requirements, and different options available to complete the program.