Admission Requirements

Students can begin the M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program in August or January and must indicate their intended cohort on their application.

Admission to each cohort is offered on a rolling basis until all available seats are filled. We encourage prospective students to apply early, as a cohort may reach capacity before the published application deadline. Once a cohort reaches capacity, qualified applicants will be placed on a waitlist and considered if a seat becomes available.

Applications received after the published application deadline will be considered for the next available cohort.

Application Requirements

Applicants who possess a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university will be considered for admission pending a review of the following requirements:

• Lebanon Valley College graduate online application
• An official transcript from your undergraduate college or university showing a minimum college GPA of 3.00 (on a 4.0 scale); any applicants not meeting this standard will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  • Official transcripts should be signed and sealed by the issuing school and mailed to the Graduate Admission Office.
  • Secure, electronic delivery to graduateadmission@lvc.edu is also available.
  • Official transcripts are required from all attended undergraduate and graduate institutions.
  • Institutions outside of the United States must be recognized as a degree-granting institution in its home country. A course-by-course evaluation of all foreign university transcripts by an independent service based in the United States is required. World Education Services (WES) and SpanTran Evaluation Services are two suggested evaluators. Please have your official evaluation sent directly to Lebanon Valley College.
• A personal statement (maximum 500 words) focused on your long-term goals in the counseling profession and how LVC’s program will help you reach those aspirations.
• A current professional résumé.
• 2 professional or academic references who can speak to your qualifications for graduate study (e.g., professors, supervisors, or colleagues in a relevant field).
  • References will be asked to complete an online reference form provided by LVC. Separate letters of recommendation are not required.
• GRE scores are not required, but applicants may—at their option—submit them for consideration.

The most qualified applicants, based on a review of the above admission standards, will be invited for a personal interview; a final admission decision will be made after the interview.

Application materials can be uploaded in the Graduate Application Portal, submitted to graduateadmission@lvc.edu, or mailed to:

Graduate Admissions
Lebanon Valley College
101 North College Avenue
Annville, PA 17003

Spring 2027 Application Cycle

• Application Deadline: November 30, 2026
• Final Deadline for Application Materials: December 7, 2026
• Spring Term Start: January 11, 2027

Fall 2027 Application Cycle

• Application Deadline: August 2, 2027
• Final Deadline for Application Materials: August 9, 2027
• Fall Term Start: August 23, 2027

Transfer Credits

For students who want to transfer graduate credits into LVC’s program during the application process, those credits must have been earned within a CACREP-accredited program, with any transferred-course grade being no lower than “B.” Further, students can only transfer a maximum of 15 credits, and transfer credits will not be accepted for CNS 600, 711, 720, 721, 750, 870, 900, and 901. Once students begin their initial course at LVC they cannot transfer courses from other programs. See courses on our Degree Requirements page.