Frequently Asked Questions

For admissions related questions, please visit How to Apply.

Classes can be taken through any accredited undergraduate institution that is able to provide transcripts of completed work to Seattle University. Classes can be online, in-person or hybrid in format. In the Seattle area, institutions that offer this coursework include (but are not limited to):

1. Bellevue College
2. Seattle Central Community College
3. North Seattle College
4. South Seattle College
5. Shoreline Community College

While we do not recommend specific online programs or providers, many are available. They simply need to be accredited. 

Please note: Personality Psychology (sometimes called Personality Theory) can be a difficult course to find as it's often only offered once a year, so please plan accordingly. Taking the course online may offer the most flexibility. 

Seattle University is regionally accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) and this accreditation applies to the MAP program as well. Regional accreditation is a requirement for licensure in some states. The MAP program’s curriculum meets licensure requirements in the State of Washington for the Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate (LMHCA) credential. Our graduates are trained and qualified to enter professional work in counseling, community mental health, psychotherapy and other vocations. Requirements for licensure in other states are established on a state-by-state basis. It is the responsibility of applicants to the MAP program to research states where they may wish to practice and determine if the MAP program will meet the licensing requirements for that state. 

Students are part of a yearly cohort; the average size is 20 students. 

Class sizes vary somewhat between elective and required courses.  In general, in required courses for the program class sizes tend to be approximately 20 students. This reflects the fact that, since students are part of a cohort, they take many courses together with their peers. However, elective classes tend to be smaller, having an average of 12 to 18 students. Certain intensive clinical skills courses are taught in smaller groups of from three to six students.   

Most class meetings take place Monday through Thursday. Classes begin no earlier than 3:15pm and end no later than 9:00pm. In summer term classes are often run in four-week blocks during weekday daytime hours. In summer term classes are run in four-week blocks during weekday daytime hours. 

The MAP program is a 90-credit program that typically requires 3 years to complete. 

The LMHC license in Washington state is a general mental health counselor license. Students do not have to have an emphasis on work with a specific clinical population, though many do have areas of practice in which they want to focus. Students can choose what populations they want to work with in their clinical internship experiences whether children, adults or families, and what particular types of clinical issues and approaches they would like to focus upon.  

The core curriculum includes the following subject areas: 

• Foundations for Existential-Phenomenological, Relational and Humanistic Clinical Practice 
  • Diagnosis and Treatment: Assessment and Testing 
  • Abnormal Psychology and Psychopathology 
  • Professional Counseling Orientation and Ethical Practice 
  • Social and Cultural Diversity
  • Counseling and Helping Relationships
  • Group Counseling and Group Work
  • Counseling Couples and Families
  • Human Growth and Development
  • Research and Program Evaluation
  • Career Development 
  • Internship and Practical Experience
• Electives may include the following subject areas: 
  • Trauma/Race and Trauma 
  • Reproductive Mental Health 
  • Addictions 
  • Play Therapy 
  • Mindfulness 
  • Hermeneutics 
  • Counseling Across the Gender and Sexual Spectrum 

For the 90-credit program, students must take 72 hours of required course credits, which includes completing a clinical internship and a capstone integration paper. Additionally, students need to take 18 credits in elective coursework. 

Seattle University's MAP program is existential-phenomenological (EP) and humanistic in its orientation. EP is a continental philosophical tradition that speaks to contemporary psychology and psychotherapy by offering a fundamentally different model of training than most other training programs. The program offers a broad foundation in psychology, philosophy, and psychopathology that also engages the humanities. Through exploring these in relation to psychotherapy and counseling, students come to appreciate the significance of therapeutic attitude and presence. Most fundamentally, we place a strong emphasis on the relational and ethical dimensions of psychotherapy. 

The MAP program is primarily a clinical training program. MAP students frequently author papers for professional presentations and sometimes publication.  While there are opportunities to get involved in ongoing qualitative research projects with faculty members and alumni, there are significant limits on the support that the program can provide for student research and research training. 

Only under exceptional circumstances may a student substitute undertaking a master’s thesis (that is, a research project involving human subjects review, collection and analysis of original data) for completion of the program's capstone Integration Paper. These exceptional circumstances include: 

• A thesis is necessary to fulfill licensure requirements of the student's home country--outside of the US. 
• The thesis represents a continuation of a pre-existing academic project. 

A thesis cannot be undertaken in the MAP program solely in anticipation of pursuing future graduate study (e.g., PhD, PsyD). Students focused on seeking graduate training at the doctoral level and interested in gaining additional research experience should speak with the program faculty regarding the available options. Applicants to the program should consider as well whether their ultimate career goals might be best served by applying directly to a research-focused doctoral program.   

Each MAP faculty member brings their distinct educational background and experiences to teaching and training students. Most are experienced clinicians; all are active researchers in the human sciences. In addition, we have an excellent supporting team of clinical instructors and mentors with expertise across a wide range of clinical areas.

Yes. Twenty (20) hours per week is manageable. Thirty (30) hours is more difficult. We do not recommend working full-time while in the program. Students in their third year will also have an approximately 20-hour weekly internship requirement.

No.

Yes.

The need for affordable housing is a critical issue for many students and those thinking about attending the MAP program. For information and resources for housing that is located near the SU campus visit Housing or Dining or visit Seattle University's partner Places4Students. 

MAP students fulfill a substantial clinical internship requirement (600 hours) in their third year in the program. The MAP program holds an Internship Orientation Session each year in the winter quarter in which the MAP Clinical Director and clinical faculty walk second year students through the steps of the process of researching and applying to clinical internship sites. 

We provide students with a list of roughly thirty sites in the Puget Sound area with which the program has worked in the recent past. The list provides an overview of the orientation of each clinic, the clientele served, as well as contact information for site training directors and previous interns from the MAP program who may have worked there. Students are responsible for choosing which sites they want to apply to, and then applying and interviewing with sites. Clinical internship entails roughly 20 hours per week of work in the role of counselor/therapist for a period of 9 to 12 months. 

Some limited scholarship (fellowship) aid is available to new students entering the MAP program. 

• Continuous enrollment of at least three credits per term, and a minimum of 12 credits per academic year, is expected to remain eligible for renewal of the graduate award. 
• Recipients receive between $2,000 to $3,000 per academic year for each of the three years in the program if they remain in good standing.  
• A separate application is not needed to be considered for a fellowship. You will automatically be considered for a scholarship award when you submit your application. 

More information on scholarships, including selection criteria and notification process, can be found on the Tuition and Scholarships page.