Counseling Degrees & Licenses in Tennessee

Accredited Counseling Degree Programs in Tennessee

Austin Peay State University 

Austin Peay State University is a public university in Clarksville, Tennessee, that has been on the same site since 1845. The school offers a master of science (MS) in counseling with a concentration in either clinical mental health counseling or school counseling. Both programs require 60 credits. A prerequisite for either of these degrees is 12 hours of psychology (or related) courses. 

The clinical mental health counseling concentration meets the educational requirements for licensure in Tennessee as a Licensed Professional Counselor with Mental Health Service Provider status. The curriculum includes a 100-hour practicum experience, a 600-hour internship, and a comprehensive examination. 

The school counseling concentration prepares graduates for school counseling positions at elementary, middle/junior high, and high school levels. Graduates will meet the current licensing requirements for the Tennessee Board of Education. The curriculum includes a 120-hour practicum, a 600-hour internship, and a comprehensive examination. Students entering the program without prior teaching experience will be required to take two education courses as electives.

• Location: Clarksville, Tennessee
• Duration: 60 credits
• Accreditation: Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
• Tuition: $450 per credit hour for hours 1-10 plus fees, Tennessee resident; $727 per credit plus fees, non-resident

Belmont University

Belmont University is a private Christian university founded in 1890 by schoolteachers. The master of arts in counseling is the only graduate program in Belmont’s College of Theology & Christian Ministry. The MA in mental health counseling combines scientific theory with a Christian worldview. Students in the mental health counseling program choose one of four specialty tracks. Each requires 60 hours of coursework. 

The clinical mental health counseling track meets the requirements for Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and the Licensed Professional Counselor with the Mental Health Service Provider designation (LPC-MHSP) in Tennessee. The marriage, couple, and family counseling track qualifies students to apply for licensure as a Marital and Family Therapist (LMFT) in Tennessee. The clinical pastoral therapy program satisfies the requirements for licensure in the state of Tennessee as a Clinical Pastoral Therapist, which is a field that engages in faith-based counseling. 

Finally, the school counseling program prepares graduate students to serve as school counselors in public or private pre-K-12 schools and satisfies the requirements for licensure as a School Counselor in the State of Tennessee. The school counseling program is a new program for the school.

• Location: Nashville, Tennessee
• Duration: 60 hours
• Accreditation: Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
• Tuition: $1,480 per hour

East Tennessee State University

East Tennessee State University is a public research university. This school’s graduate programs include a master of arts (MA) in counseling with an elementary/secondary school counseling concentration or an MA in counseling with a clinical mental health concentration. 

Through the College of Education, students can also earn an educational science degree in educational leadership with a counselor leadership concentration. The ETSU School Counseling concentration is approved by the state of Tennessee and is CACREP-accredited. All program graduates will be prepared to be licensed to work in grades Pre-K through 12. 

Students wishing to specialize in couples and family therapy can take courses as electives for that specialization. Students who are interested in licensure in Tennessee as a Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) can work with their advisor to complete coursework and clinical experiences that may lead to licensure as both an LPC-MHSP and an LMFT.    

• Location: Johnson City, Tennessee
• Duration: 60 credits; the educational leadership degree is 31 credits
• Accreditation: Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
• Tuition: $20,220 per year

Lincoln Memorial University

Lincoln Memorial University is a private liberal arts university with a large campus bordering Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. Lincoln’s counseling program offers master of education (MEd) concentrations in either PreK-12 school counseling or mental health counseling. 

Students in both concentrations start by taking the Common Counseling Core, which consists of 36 credit hours. Then, students take courses within their concentration. 

The PreK-12 school counseling program meets the academic requirements for licensure as a PreK-12 Counselor in the state of Tennessee. Students are required to be covered by insurance provided with an American Counseling Association student membership. After graduation, students are required by the State Department of Education to pass the Praxis Specialty Area Test in School Counselor with a score of at least 156 to be eligible for licensure as a PreK-12 school counselor in Tennessee. 

Graduates of LMU’s mental health counseling program will qualify to apply for licensure in professional counseling (LPC). After graduating, students must pass a national counselor certification test (NCE) and complete post master’s supervision hours prior to LPC licensure. Students majoring in mental health counseling are required to be covered by insurance provided with an American Counseling Association student membership. 

• Location: Harrogate, Tennessee
• Duration: 60 credits
• Accreditation: Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
• Tuition: $1,300 per credit plus fees

Middle Tennessee State University

Middle Tennessee State University is a public university founded in 1911. Middle Tennessee State University offers a professional counseling educational science degree. MTSU’s professional counseling program offers two concentrations: clinical mental health counseling and school counseling. 

The MTSU Professional Counseling program was the 2011 recipient of the “Outstanding Master’s Program Award” by the Southern Association of Counselor Education and Supervision. Both degree programs are 61-hour programs. 

Students who complete the concentration in clinical mental health counseling will have met the educational requirements for licensure as professional counselors with mental health service provider (MHSP) designation in the state of Tennessee. Students who complete the concentration in school counseling will have met the educational requirements necessary for licensure as a school counselor in the state of Tennessee.

• Location: Murfreesboro, Tennessee
• Duration: 61 hours 
• Accreditation: Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
• Tuition: $6,103 for 12 credits per semester, Tennessee resident; $15,243 for 12 credits per semester, non-resident

Tennessee Technological University

Tennessee Technological University is a public research university that was formerly known as Tennessee Polytechnic Institute. The Counseling and Psychology Department offers either a master of arts or an education specialist degree. Students can choose from four degree concentrations: clinical mental health counseling, psychology, school counseling, or school psychology. 

Graduates of the clinical mental health counseling program are qualified to obtain LPC licensure with a Mental Health Service Provider endorsement. Licensure requires supervised clinical experience beyond the hours required for a degree. The psychology master of arts is a general non-licensure concentration. Licensure as a school counselor requires successful completion of the guidance section of the Praxis examination. The educational psychology program is a non-licensure track. 

• Location: Cookeville, Tennessee
• Duration: 60 hours for the licensure track programs
• Accreditation: Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Programs (CACREP)
• Tuition: $5,881 for 10 credits per semester, Tennessee resident; $7,561 for 10 credits per semester, non-resident; $13,141 for 10 credits per semester, international 

University of Memphis

The University of Memphis is a public research university founded in 1912 with an enrollment of more than 22,000 students. The school has several master of science (MS) in counseling degree programs with concentrations in addiction counseling, clinical mental health counseling, clinical rehabilitation counseling, rehabilitation counseling, or school counseling. The clinical rehabilitation counseling program requires 12 more credits than rehabilitation counseling. 

• Location: Memphis, Tennessee
• Duration: The school counseling and rehabilitation counseling programs are a minimum of 48 semester hours; clinical mental health counseling and clinical rehabilitation counseling are 60-semester hour programs.
• Accreditation: Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), Council of Rehabilitation Counseling (CORE)
• Tuition: $6,230 for 12 credits per semester, Tennessee resident; $9,970 for 12 credits per semester, non-resident; $12,646 for 12 credits per semester, international students

University of Tennessee – Knoxville

The University of Tennessee is a public research university founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state. The school offers master of science (MS) degrees in counseling with two concentrations: clinical mental health counseling and school counseling. 

The clinical mental health counseling concentration meets educational standards for licensure as a professional counselor in Tennessee and most other states. All states also require additional testing and postgraduate supervised experience for licensure. 

The school counseling concentration meets the requirements for PreK-12 licensure as a school counselor in Tennessee and most other states. Some states may have additional experience and testing requirements. 

• Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
• Duration: 60 credits
• Accreditation: Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
• Tuition: $34,844 per year, Tennessee resident, $53,332 per year, non-resident 

University of Tennessee – Chattanooga 

The University of Tennessee’s Chattanooga campus offers a similar counseling education program as the Knoxville campus, but the awarded degrees are slightly different. The Chattanooga campus offers master of education degrees in counseling with two concentrations: clinical mental health counseling and school counseling. 

The clinical mental health counseling concentration meets educational standards for licensure as a professional counselor in Tennessee and most other states. All states also require additional testing and postgraduate supervised experience for licensure. 

The school counseling concentration meets the requirements for PreK-12 licensure as a school counselor in Tennessee and most other states. Some states may have additional experience and testing requirements. 

• Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee
• Duration: 60 credits
• Accreditation: Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
• Tuition: $5,394 per year, Tennessee resident; $9,426 per year, non-resident

Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University is a private research university founded in 1873. Vanderbilt offers a counseling degree in the field of human development counseling (HDC) in either clinical mental health counseling or school counseling. The master of education in human development counseling is a 48- to 60-credit program. 

Both tracks in the Human Development Counseling program include a practicum and full-year internship placement in a mental health facility, social service agency, or school setting under supervision. 

In addition to an on-campus master’s program in Human Development Counseling, the Peabody College of Education and Human Development also offers an online master’s program in the school counseling specialization track.

• Location: Nashville, Tennessee
• Duration: 60 credits
• Accreditation: Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
• Tuition: $2,215 per credit, plus fees

Counseling Professional Associations & Resources in Tennessee

• The Tennessee Licensed Professional Counselors Association (TLPCA)
• Tennessee Counseling Association (TMHCA)
• The Tennessee School Counselor Association (TSCA)
• Tennessee Association of Pastoral Therapists (TAPT)
• Tennessee Psychological Association (TPA)
• The Tennessee Association of Mental Health Organizations (TAMHO)
• Tennessee Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (TAMFT)
• Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association (TNOTA)

Mental Health Counseling (LMHC) Licenses in Tennessee: Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)

Licensing Authority	Eligibility & Details	Renewal Requirements
Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists	Tennessee credentials Licensed Professional Counselor-Mental Health Service Providers (LPC/MHSPs) and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPCs). In order to receive LPC licensure, candidates must: Be 18 years old Pass the NCE exam and the Tennessee Jurisprudence Exam Complete a master’s degree in counseling from an accredited institution of at least 60 semester-hours. It must include an internship of at least 500 hours, of which 300 must be direct client contact Submit an online application Complete a background check Complete two years of supervised professional experience, which consists of at least 1,000 hours of face-to-face professional counseling work and at least 50 hours of direct supervision Provide letters of recommendation Pay $200 application fee Pay the annual $400 Professional Privilege Tax To be an LPC-MH, candidates must hold an LPC license as well as: Pass the NCMHCE exam Complete nine graduate semester-hours of coursework related to the diagnosing, treatment, and assessment of mental disorders Complete 3,000 hours of supervised work experience. Of this, 1,500 hours must be face-to-face counseling and 1,500 must be clinically related work. There must also be 150 hours of consultation with an approved supervisor.	Renewals for LPC/HMSPs and LPCs in Tennessee are due every two years, may be completed online, and cost $115. Counselors are required to complete 20 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle. Three of those hours must be in ethics or Tennessee rules and regulations.

School Counseling Licenses in Tennessee

Licensing Authority	Eligibility & Details	Renewal Requirements
Department of Education	The Tennessee Department of Education issues school services personnel licenses with a school counselor endorsement. There are five paths to earn a practitioner level license and endorsement. Candidates must: Have an advanced degree in school counseling from a regionally accredited institution, complete a state-approved educator preparation program in school counseling, have a recommendation by the approved educator preparation provider Pass the Praxis Professional School Counselor exam Candidates must be 18 years old to apply. Applications are completed online and must pass a National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) screening. To advance from a practitioner to professional licenses, school counselors must: Complete three years of qualifying work experience Earn 30 qualifying professional development points	A practitioner personnel license with a school counselor endorsement issued in Tennessee is valid for three years and may only be renewed once. A professional license is valid for six. Renewal applications must be completed online. Professional license holders must earn 60 professional development points (PDPs) per renewal cycle. There are no continuing education requirements for practitioner licenses.

Substance Abuse Counseling Licenses in Tennessee

Licensing Authority	Eligibility & Details	Renewal Requirements
Tennessee’s Board of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors	Tennessee’s Board of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors issues licenses for Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors Level I and II (LADC). LADC Level I licensure candidates must: Be 21 years old Have a high school diploma or GED Complete three years and 6,000 hours of work experience as an alcohol and drug counselor Submit a three page written philosophy of treatment Send a passport-sized photo Two letters of recommendation Pass the Tennessee jurisprudence exam Complete 270 hours of drug and alcohol counseling education (six of those hours must be in ethics) Pass a criminal background check Pass the NCAC Level I or MAC exam Pay $250 application fee and $50 license fee LADC Level II licensure candidates must: Be 21 years old Earn a bachelor’s or master’s in behavioral health Complete two years (4,000 hours) of work experience as an alcohol and drug counselor if the applicant has a bachelor’s degree; master’s degree applicants need only one year (2,000 hours) of work experience Submit a three page written philosophy of treatment Send a passport-sized photo Two letters of recommendation Pass the Tennessee jurisprudence exam Complete 270 hours of drug and alcohol counseling education (six of those hours must be in ethics) Pass a criminal background check Pass the NCAC Level II or MAC exam Pay $250 application fee and $50 license fee	LACD Level I and IIs in Tennessee must renew their licenses every two years. Renewals cost $325. Counselors must complete 15 hours of continuing education. Three of those hours must be in ethics and at least nine hours must be face to face.

Rehabilitation Counseling Licenses in Tennessee

Licensing Authority	Eligibility & Details	Renewal Requirements
Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists	Rehabilitation counselors in Tennessee are either Licensed Professional Counselor-Mental Health Service Providers (LPC/MHSPs) or Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs). In order to receive LPC licensure, candidates must: Be 18 years old Pass the NCE exam and the Tennessee Jurisprudence Exam Complete a master’s degree in counseling from an accredited institution of at least 60 semester-hours. It must include an internship of at least 500 hours, of which 300 must be direct client contact Submit an online application Complete a background check Complete two years of supervised professional experience, which consists of at least 1,000 hours of face-to-face professional counseling work and at least 50 hours of direct supervision Provide letters of recommendation Pay $200 application fee To be an LPC-MH, candidates must hold an LPC license as well as: Pass the NCMHCE exam Complete nine graduate semester-hours of coursework related to the diagnosing, treatment, and assessment of mental disorders Complete two years of supervised work experience. Of this, 1,500 hours must be face-to-face counseling and 1,500 must be clinically related work. There must also be 150 hours of consultation with an approved supervisor.	Renewals for LPC/HMSPs and LPCs in Tennessee are due every two years, may be completed online, and cost $115. Counselors are required to complete 20 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle. Three of those hours must be in ethics or Tennessee rules and regulations.

Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) Licenses in Tennessee

Licensing Authority	Eligibility & Details	Renewal Requirements
Health Professional Boards Applied Behavior Analyst Licensing Committee	The Tennessee Health Professional Boards Applied Behavior Analyst Licensing Committee credentials Licensed Behavior Analysts and Licensed Assistant Behavior Analysts. Candidates must: Submit a completed application Have a BCBA or BCaBA certification Pay a $250 application fee for a Licensed Behavior Analyst application $150 for Licensed Assistant Behavior Analyst applications; both types of licensees must pay a $100 fee as well Provide proof of supervision, if the applicant holds a BCaBA Pass a criminal fingerprint records check Submit a recent passport-sized photo Be 21 years old or older	Behavior analyst licenses issued in Tennessee are valid for two years. Renewals cost $300 for full analyst licenses and $200 for assistant licenses. Renewal applications must be accompanied by proof of current BACB certification and proof of completing three continuing education hours on cultural diversity

Marriage and Family Therapy Licenses in Tennessee

Licensing Authority	Eligibility & Details	Renewal Requirements
Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists	The Tennessee Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists credentials Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT). If a candidate hasn’t met the supervised experience hour requirements they can receive a license as a Certified Marriage and Family Therapist in the interim. In order to receive LMFT licensure, candidates must: Be 18 years old Pass the AMFTRB exam and the Tennessee Jurisprudence Exam Complete a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from an accredited institution, including a 300-hour internship Submit an online application Complete a background check Complete two years of supervised professional experience (at least 1,000 hours of face-to-face professional counseling work and at least 200 hours of direct supervision) Provide two letters of recommendation Pay $210 application fee	Renewals for LMFTs in Tennessee are due every two years, can be completed online, and cost $115. Counselors are required to complete 20 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle. Three of those hours must be in ethics or Tennessee rules and regulations.

Child (Pediatric) Behavioral Therapy Licenses in Tennessee

Licensing Authority	Eligibility & Details	Renewal Requirements
Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists	Child therapists in Tennessee are either Licensed Professional Counselor-Mental Health Service Providers (LPC/MHSPs) or Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs). To receive LPC licensure, candidates must: Be 18 years old Pass the NCE exam and the Tennessee Jurisprudence Exam Complete a master’s degree in counseling from an accredited institution of at least 60 semester-hours. It must include an internship of at least 500 hours, of which 300 must be direct client contact Submit an online application Complete a background check Complete two years of supervised professional experience, which consists of at least 1,000 hours of face-to-face professional counseling work and at least 50 hours of direct supervision Provide letters of recommendation Pay $200 application fee Pay the annual $400 Professional Privilege Tax To be an LPC-MH, candidates must hold an LPC license as well as: Pass the NCMHCE exam Complete nine graduate semester-hours of coursework related to the diagnosing, treatment, and assessment of mental disorders Complete two years of supervised work experience. In total candidates must accrue 1,500 hours of face-to-face counseling and 1,500 of clinically related work. There must also be 150 hours of consultation with an approved supervisor.	Renewals for LPC/HMSPs and LPCs in Tennessee are due every two years, may be completed online, and cost $115. Counselors are required to complete 40 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle. Three of those hours must be in ethics or Tennessee rules and regulations.

Counseling Schools & Licensure in Nearby States

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Florida
• Georgia
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• North Carolina
• Oklahoma
• South Carolina
• Texas
• Virginia
• West Virginia