Counseling Programs offered at Iona University
Iona University provides two distinct graduate counseling degree programs designed to prepare you for licensure and successful careers in mental health services. The Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling and the Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy give you specialized skills to address the growing need for qualified counselors in a variety of clinical settings.
Your school matters when pursuing a counseling degree. Iona University sits in New Rochelle/Bronxville, just 20 miles north of midtown Manhattan. This proximity opens doors to coveted internship placements and career opportunities throughout the New York metropolitan area and Westchester County. Students secure clinical positions at prestigious institutions like New York Presbyterian Hospital, Westchester Medical Center, and St. Vincent’s Hospital.
The Marriage and Family Therapy program holds exceptional credentials. Iona’s program is one of only four programs in New York State accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) and earned the #1 ranking in New York by CounselingPsychology.com in 2025. This COAMFTE-accredited degree spans 60 credits and has 500 supervised face-to-face clinical experience hours that you can complete in three years.
Mental Health Counseling students gain a distinctive advantage through diagnostic privilege. You can diagnose clients upon graduating and obtaining licensure, placing your diagnostic skills on par with social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists. This designation expands your employment options, allows you to join broader insurance panels, and enhances earning potential.
Both programs emphasize hands-on learning through role-playing exercises and immersive case-based teaching. Faculty members are practicing professionals who provide mentorship-style instruction and connect you with industry contacts that aid internship and job placements. Students conduct original research and present findings at local, regional, and national conferences.
Career prospects remain strong for counseling graduates. Employment for mental health counselors is projected to grow 19% from 2023-2033, while positions for marriage and family therapists are expected to increase 16% between 2023 and 2033. These growth rates are nowhere near averages for most occupations, with approximately 5,900 annual openings projected for marriage and family therapists alone.
What counseling programs does XX offer?
Iona University’s NewYork-Presbyterian School of Health Sciences offers three distinct counseling degree programs that prepare you for professional licensure and clinical practice. These programs are a Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling, a Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy, and a Master of Arts in School Psychology.
The MA in Mental Health Counseling requires 60 credits distributed across multiple specialized areas. Your foundational coursework has five core courses totaling 15 credits. These courses cover proseminar in personality and social psychology, experimental research methods, quantitative research methods, professional issues and legal requirements, and advanced lifespan development.
You complete seven required specialization courses worth 21 credits. These courses train you in psychopathology, counseling theory and practice, interviewing and counseling practices, dynamics of group processes, behavioral assessment and intervention, intellectual and educational assessment, and personality assessment. You choose between completing a thesis supervision course or a literature review paper seminar worth three credits before you graduate. You must complete 30 credits before receiving departmental permission to begin either option.
Clinical training occurs through internships in community or clinical mental health settings. You complete three to six credits of internship work after finishing 30 credits of coursework. On top of that, you select five or six elective courses depending on your internship credits. Options range from psychology of exceptional individuals and health psychology to understanding and treatment of addictive behavior, stress components, community psychology and traumatology, conflict resolution, and psychological aspects of sexual health.
The MA in School Psychology spans 65 credits and holds full accreditation from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). This program prepares you to function as a school psychologist through 15 credits of core courses, 38 credits of specialized school psychology courses, and 12 credits of practica and internships. You must pass intellectual assessment courses with a grade of B- or better to qualify for practicum and internship placements. Training through the Iona Center for Interprofessional Education gives you the ability to cooperate with other school professionals.
The MS in Marriage and Family Therapy has 60 credits and requires 500 supervised face-to-face clinical experience hours. Half of your courses meet online with immediate interaction, while the other half occur in person.
Internships/Practicum at Iona
Clinical training begins with hands-on experience requirements that vary by program. You complete a 600-hour clinical internship at a mental health site or facility as part of your Mental Health Counseling degree. You work with clients as a counselor under supervision of a licensed clinician during this internship. Faculty members assist you in gaining these clinical internship positions, and organizations throughout the New York metropolitan area and Westchester County often hire graduates after they complete local internships.
The externship program offers intensive clinical training within a supportive, collegial environment. Eligible applicants include current doctoral students in APA accredited Clinical Psychology, Counseling Psychology, or School/Clinical Psychology programs and second-year master’s students in Mental Health Counseling. Externs gain experience working with individuals presenting a variety of concerns and clinical diagnoses. The program provides complete training in individual therapy, including intake evaluation, risk assessment, short-term therapy and group therapy. You rotate to a different supervisor midway through the externship. This helps you gain expertise in using various theoretical approaches in psychotherapy. Weekly didactic seminars cover topics of clinical interest and emerging issues relevant to treating college student populations.
The Dolce Postgraduate Fellowship serves new graduates of doctoral programs in Clinical Psychology, Counseling Psychology and School/Clinical Psychology, as well as Masters’ programs in Mental Health Counseling. This paid fellowship operates as either a full-time, 12-month appointment or a part-time, two-year appointment. Fellows expand their clinical skills while earning necessary supervised hours toward New York State licensure. Fellows deliver individual counseling services addressing a broad range of clinical needs in a caring, balanced environment. They focus specialized work on neurodivergent students, including those with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
What sets Iona University apart?
Accreditation quality distinguishes Iona University counseling programs from competitors. The Marriage and Family Therapy program maintains full accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). This makes it one of only three such programs in New York State. This national accreditation will give your curriculum and supervised clinical experience hours transfer to all 50 states,.
Program outcomes demonstrate measurable success. Alumni data reflects a 100 percent pass rate for the National Exam among students seeking state licensure in Marriage and Family Therapy. Graduates report a 100 percent pass rate for the National MFT Exam. You can feel confident in your preparation for professional certification.
The Iona Family Therapy Center serves as your primary clinical training facility. This center handles approximately 1,100 client appointments per year. Each graduate student manages an average of six clients annually. You gain supervised experience working with individuals, couples and families in a professional clinical environment.
Small cohort sizes enable personalized instruction. Faculty members provide individualized attention that functions more as mentorship than traditional teaching. Close guidance from practicing professionals allows you to develop confidence and clinical competence.
Iona University holds institutional accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). The university received reaffirmation of accreditation on March 10, 2022. Multiple programs across the institution maintain specialized accreditations. The LaPenta School of Business holds AACSB International accreditation, a recognition awarded to just 6 percent of business schools worldwide.
National recognition extends beyond individual programs. U.S. News & World Report recognized Iona as a top institution for social mobility in the country. Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce ranked an Iona degree in the top 6 percent nationally for long-term return on investment.
Next steps
Complete the online application to start your application to Iona University’s counseling graduate programs. The application requires no fee and considers you for merit scholarships automatically. Graduate students qualify for merit scholarships during their programs,.
Submit your application and then fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to qualify for financial aid. Iona’s school code is 002737. You’ll need to submit official college transcripts, a resume and letters of recommendation. Your chosen program may require additional materials.
Review the information in your acceptance and financial aid award letter once you receive it. Submit your deposit to reserve your spot in the incoming class.
Campus visits are a great way to explore Iona’s facilities and meet faculty. You participate in a group information session followed by a student-led tour during your visit. Individual sessions are available after the tour. Contact the campus visit coordinator at (914) 633-2622 or (800) 231-IONA to arrange a visit. You can also email admissions@iona.edu.
Rolling admissions and frequent start dates allow you to start your graduate school trip quickly. Admissions counselors provide support throughout the application process. New student enrollment has increased nearly 40% since 2019, [211]. This reflects growing interest in Iona University programs.