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Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) Credential- School Counseling

The central mission of the PPS Credential Program-School Counseling and the Child Welfare and Attendance (CWA) Specialization is to equip educators with the knowledge and the skills to promote the personal, social, and academic development of multi-cultural and linguistically diverse pupils in the public schools.

Admission Requirements
All applicants will be applying for the Master’s degree (unless they already hold a Master’s degree in Education, Counseling, or Psychology and do not with to pursue another MA).  Application to the PPS School Counseling program also requires the CBEST.  The CWA Specialization option is available to PPS Credential candidates, after meeting all course requirements for their final field experience. Admission to the program does not automatically guarantee completion of the degree program, fieldwork, or a credential, if there are any interpersonal, intrapersonal, or psychological disorders that might inhibit the effectiveness of the Candidate’s role as a School Counselor.

Admission with Classified Status:
Candidates who have satisfied all of the requirements of program admission with
conditionally classified status, who have successfully completed the non-
repeatable course PPS 525, Group Dynamics for Personal Growth, and the
remaining two preliminary courses, qualify for Classified Standing in the
program. Candidates who did not successfully complete the preliminary courses
will be disqualified from the program. The PPS faculty will require the
fulfillment of a Remediation Plan before the candidate can reapply. After one
year, from the time of receiving a failing grade in any of the preliminary courses,
the candidate may reapply to the program if they have satisfactorily completed the
Remediation Plan.

Requirements for the PPS Credential in School Counseling

A. Continuous Enrollment

Candidates are required to enroll in either a regular course or GED 600, Graduation
Continuation course every semester.

B. A minimum grade of “B” in all coursework

Candidates must maintain a “B” in all coursework.

C. Maintaining Ethical and Professional Standards

Candidates must adhere to all ethical and professional standards required of the university, professional organizations, and/or accrediting affiliations associate with the degree. Candidates must adhere to the PPS Program’s “Professional Dispositions.” Candidates must, at all times, demonstrate high quality interpersonal skills with faculty, staff, fellow students, and others in their field experiences. If candidates fail to meet this requirement, they are subject to disqualification from the program.

D. Adherence to the Maximum Course Load Policy
Candidates must adhere to the maximum course load policy of the MA in Education and PPS School Counseling program, which states that Counseling graduate students are not permitted to take in excess of 12 graduate units per semester. Exceeding the recommended course load negatively affects student learning by reducing students’ ability to adequately learn and retain course content, apply information, and reflectively process material.  The course load maximums were established to better ensure that Counseling students would be best equipped to help the human populations whom they serve. If candidates fail to abide by this requirement, they are subject to disqualification from the program.

E. Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR)

Candidates must complete the Graduation Writing Requirement and score at least eight or take one of the undergraduate certifying courses at CSU Dominguez Hills and make at least a grade of “B”. Candidates are required to pass either the exam or the course by the end of their first semester in the program or be subject to disqualification. The GWAR and Graduation Writing Examination (GWE) Handbook is available online and can be downloaded. The website is http://www.csudh.edu/oir/testing/index.htm.

F. Time Limit on Coursework

Candidates must complete all of the requirements for the degree or credential within seven years.

G. Transfer Credit
Several restrictions apply to transfer credit: 1) the coursework must be from an accredited college of university; 2) the maximum number of units which may be transferred, for either a degree or credential, from another accredited institution, is nine (9); 3) the coursework can be no older than seven (7) years from the expected date of completion; and 4) credit is never given for PPS 525, 530, 540, 545, 575.

Rev. 6/04/2008