Develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions you need to become a reflective practitioner in the art and science of counseling. Gain the experiences you need to pursue entry-level licensure or certification as a caring, committed, competent, and culturally aware professional.
Equip people to navigate relationships, environments, and challenges in their lives and communities as a Licensed Professional Counselor.
Details
Meet the academic, career, and personal/social needs of culturally diverse students in the elementary, middle, and secondary schools as a Certified/Licensed School Counselor.
Geared toward providing rehabilitation and vocational services for clients with disabilities as Certified Rehabilitation Counselors.
This graduate degree at À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ follows a cohort model designed to meet the most commonly accepted national standards for counselor preparation: those of the (CACREP). Truman’s Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling degrees are CACREP-accredited. The Rehabilitation Counseling degree will not be eligible for consideration until the first students graduate;ÌýRehabilitation Counseling is not CACREP-accredited until approved by the CACREP Board of Directors.
For information on State Authorization and licensure requirements in a particular state or territory, seeÌý.
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Your degree will be a mix of core coursework, internships, a practicum, and professional practice.
Dr. Karl Witt, Counseling Program Chair Ìý A native of rural Texas, Dr. Witt has a Ph.D. in counselor education and also holds an M.S. in counseling from Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi and a B.A. in physics with a mathematics minor from Texas A&M University. He is a national board-certified counselor and a dually-licensed counselor and counselor supervisor with current research interests in rural mental health and counselor training.
Dr. Daniel Bates, Assistant Professor of Counseling Ìý Dr. Bates earned his Ph.D. in counselor education from the University of Cincinnati and holds professional licenses in several states. He is also a nationally board-certified counselor. His research, advocacy, and published work explore the intersection between men’s mental health, access to services, and masculine norms.
Dr. Elsa Soto Leggett, Professor of Counseling Ìý Dr. Leggett earned her Ph.D. in counselor education from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi (CACREP Accredited) and has worked in higher education as a counselor educator since 2004. A licensed professional counselor and supervisor in Texas, she also holds certifications as a registered play therapist supervisor and professional school counselor (TX). Her clinical experience, research, and publications focus on children and adolescent counseling, counseling in schools, solution-focused counseling, play therapy, and clinical supervision.
Dr. Suzanne Maniss, Assistant Professor of Counseling Ìý Dr. Suzanne Maniss earned her doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision (CACREP) from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, TX. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate, National Certified Counselor, and Board-Certified Telemental Health provider. Her recent publications and grant activity have focused on school-based mental health, techniques for working with trauma, evidence-based training for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder, and counselor preparation.
Dr. Christopher Todd, Assistant Professor of Counseling Ìý Dr. Christopher Todd earned his Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision from the University of Memphis (CACREP). He is a certified rehabilitation counselor, a licensed associate counselor in Arkansas, and a licensed school counselor in both Arkansas and Tennessee. His research interests include religion and spirituality, multicultural issues, accessibility for persons with disabilities, and student success.
Dr. Caitlyn Ybarra, Assisstant Professor of Counseling Ìý Dr. Ybarra earned her Ph.D in Counselor Education and Supervision from Liberty University (CACREP Accredited), an M.A in Community Counseling from Norfolk State University, and a B. S in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is also a Licensed Professional Counselor in Virginia. She has work experience in various community agency-based settings, including providing in-home services, working in transitional-living facilities, inpatient treatment facilities, and she has also done work through a few non-profit organizations, to include her own. Her research and advocacy interests focus on racial and gender issues, policy implementation, inclusivity of racial and gender disparities, and the career development of women.
Preferred: À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ by July 1
Preferred: À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ by November 1
Admission is made on a rolling basis but is limited to 24 students per cohort (across both Mental Health and School Counseling programs). À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ early for priority consideration.
In addition to the , you’ll need to submit the following:
Please send official transcripts from every undergraduate and graduate school attended, even if that content is reflected on another school’s transcript.
The GRE® is also required for applicants with an undergraduate GPA below 3.000. Applicants with an earned master’s degree from a college or university accredited by one of the six regional accrediting bodies recognized by the US Department of Education and reflecting a graduate GPA of 3.000 or above are exempt from the GRE requirement.
Once all materials are submitted, qualified applicants will be invited to participate in a Zoom interview.
Excludes textbooks and HIPPA-compliant Zoom account during internships and practica.
*Total estimated tuition based on 2026-27 academic year. Tuition subject to change.
Degree-seeking students enrolled in at least six credit hours per semester are eligible for federal financial aid programs. For more information, see Financial Aid Resources for Graduate Studies or contact the Financial Aid Office at (660) 785-4130 or finaid@truman.edu.
Limited scholarships now available, and we hope to continue introducing institutional scholarships and graduate assistantships.
Get an inside look at the online learning environment, meet your professors, and get all your questions answered during a virtual visit.