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Counseling and Mental Health, BA

College of Applied Human Sciences School of Education and Counseling

Counseling and Mental Health, BA

If you’re drawn to helping people through life’s toughest moments, the Counseling and Mental Health program can help turn that passion into a career. You’ll learn how mental health concerns and substance use affect individuals, families, and communities, and how to help people build resilience, access resources, and move toward recovery.

In this program, you’ll examine the systems that shape mental health care, the science behind prevention and treatment, and the role of trauma and adversity across the lifespan. You’ll also gain hands-on experience working with diverse populations and develop communication and decision-making skills essential in the helping professions.

This program is designed with the future in mind. Many graduates go directly into the workforce in mental health and human services, while others pursue graduate study in counseling, social work, or public health, including master’s programs in clinical mental health counseling for those working toward licensure as a professional counselor.

Your Degree Plan

Two women smiling and clapping their hands.

This major gives you the knowledge and hands-on experience to support individuals and communities facing mental health and addiction challenges. You’ll be ready to begin your career in the workforce or pursue graduate school.

The Counseling and Mental Health major brings together coursework from counseling, psychology, sociology, and child development and family studies. You’ll also select a minor that expands your preparation in areas such as addiction studies, aging, disability, wellness, and cultural studies.

Through your core classes, you’ll examine the history and development of mental health systems, learn how services are structured and delivered, and explore how trauma, addiction, and recovery affect individuals and communities. The curriculum helps you build a foundation in ethical decision-making, recognize barriers to care, and communicate effectively in professional settings.

Tailor this major to your interests by taking 1 of these courses:

Introduction to Addiction Studies

COUN 240

Overview of core concepts related to substance use and substance use disorders. Topics include the history of drug use/addiction, effects on societal members, pharmacology of common psychoactive drugs, theories of addiction, treatment approaches, mutual support, recovery, and relapse.

Trauma, Resiliency, and Children

CDFS 416

Overview of core issues of trauma and its impact on children and families, with an emphasis on growth, learning, and adult relationships. Students apply critical inquiry to explore the broader impact of trauma on society, including individual productivity and financial costs, and develop public awareness and learning material.

Take advantage of special options related to this major:

Honors

Expand your curiosity and enhance your curriculum through the WVU Honors College. Two programs are offered: Honors Foundations and Honors in Action.

Explore Honors

The WVU Difference

What sets this program apart?

This major is the first of its kind in West Virginia and one of just a few undergraduate programs in the field nationwide.
You’ll learn from faculty with real-world experience as counselors and social workers in the community.
Over 60% of the graduating class in 2026 secured jobs or graduate school placements in counseling or social work before commencement.

Learn by Doing

Get involved outside the classroom.

Complementary minors include:

Students interested in social justice and serving diverse populations might choose 1 of these minors:

Connect with other students who share your academic interests as a member of:

Mental Health and Addiction Studies Club

View all of the student organizations you can join.

The Counseling and Mental Health, BA will prepare you for your career with these skills:

Development of foundational counseling and interpersonal skills.
Critical self-care and reflective skills necessary for continued growth within the helping profession.
Assessment and intervention skills within an ethical treatment of individuals, families, and communities.

Live, study, and learn in a residence hall community that shares your interests:

The program culminates in a capstone course that brings your coursework together through ethical inquiry, research on a population of your choosing, and a service-learning field experience. You’ll complete a research paper and present your work in an oral poster presentation. Past students have focused on populations including children, adolescents, individuals with substance use disorders, unhoused individuals, and rural communities.

Students have completed service-learning field experiences within the following agencies:

Careers and Outcomes

How does this degree prepare students for a career?

Social and Human Service Assistants

Assist other social and human service providers in providing client services in a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, or social work, including support for families. May assist clients in identifying and obtaining available benefits and social and community services. May assist social workers with developing, organizing, and conducting programs to prevent and resolve problems relevant to substance abuse, human relationships, rehabilitation, or dependent care.

Has a Bright Outlook

Median Salary: $45,120

Possible Job Titles: Advocate, Clinical Assistant, Social Work Associate, Social Worker Assistant

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Mental Health Counselors

Counsel and advise individuals and groups to promote optimum mental and emotional health, with an emphasis on prevention. May help individuals deal with a broad range of mental health issues, such as those associated with addictions and substance abuse; family, parenting, and marital problems; stress management; self-esteem; or aging.

Has a Bright Outlook

May Require Graduate Degree

Median Salary: $59,190

Possible Job Titles: Clinician, Counselor, Mental Health Specialist, Mental Health Therapist

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Child, Family, and School Social Workers

Provide social services and assistance to improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families and to maximize the family well-being and the academic functioning of children. May assist parents, arrange adoptions, and find foster homes for abandoned or abused children. In schools, they address such problems as teenage pregnancy, misbehavior, and truancy. May also advise teachers.

Median Salary: $58,570

Possible Job Titles: Case Manager, Family Protection Specialist, Family Service Worker, School Social Worker

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Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers

Assess and treat individuals with mental, emotional, or substance abuse problems, including abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and/or other drugs. Activities may include individual and group therapy, crisis intervention, case management, client advocacy, prevention, and education.

Has a Bright Outlook

May Require Graduate Degree

Median Salary: $60,060

Possible Job Titles: Case Manager, Mental Health Therapist, Social Worker Therapist

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