Counseling

The School and College Counseling program at CSUDH offers a blended educational counseling program with the opportunity to specialize in both school and college student populations. Students are able to simultaneously earn one or more of the objectives below:

Degree and Credential Objectives offered in the Counseling Program:

Master of Science in Counseling, School Counseling option
Master of Science in Counseling, College Counseling option
Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) Credential, School Counseling
Child Welfare and Attendance (CWA) Authorization
Certificate in College Counseling

Please click the following program links for specific information about the M.S. in Counseling, PPS, CWA, and Certificate in College Counseling programs:

The School/College Counseling program admits new students once a year, every Fall Semester.

The application window opens on October 1st and closes on February 1st.

Applications must be submitted in full by the Feb. 1st deadline for consideration.

Counseling Information Session

Counseling Info Session 11.2022 (Passcode 1446)

We invite you to watch a recording of our last Information Session, which includes faculty and current students providing an overview of our program. Our next session will be held in the Fall with a webinar registration posted closer to that time. If you have questions about our program that aren't answered in the recording, please review the program documents available on this page and also feel welcome to contact the Graduate Education Office at (310) 243-3524.

To Apply to the Counseling Program:

Download the MS Counseling Program Information to learn about the specific items you will need to complete the application. The Frequently Asked Questions sheet is also very helpful to prospective students when applying.
Apply through Cal State Apply Cal State Apply .The Cal State Apply application is the only application needed to apply to the Counseling program. The application fee is $70 and is non-refundable.
Applications must be completed in full by the Feb. 1 deadline in order to be considered for admission, so be sure to upload all requested documents and respond to each question carefully.

Please contact the Division of Graduate Education office for more information: (310) 243-3524.

CA Basic Skills Requirement Update for Applicants

Due to recent changes by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) in how the California Basic Skills Requirement (BSR) may be met, our program does not require applicants to submit proof of having met the BSR in their application. However, we do encourage applicants to upload BSR verification in their application (such as passing California Basic Educational Skills Test CBEST scores) if they have it.

Admitted students wishing to pursue the School Counseling option or PPS credential will need to furnish BSR verification within their first semester of the program. If you have no intention of earning the PPS and just wish to earn the M.S. College Counseling option, then you do not need to meet the basic skills requirement.

For more information on the various ways the BSR may be met, click here. Methods include approved undergraduate coursework, a combination of coursework and CBEST sections, as well as target scores on SAT, ACT, or AP tests.

If you are admitted and wish to use undergraduate coursework to meet the BSR, your coursework will be evaluated after admission by our College of Education staff. You do not need to have coursework evaluated for the application.

Please contact the Division of Graduate Education office for more information: (310) 243-3524.

M.S. in Counseling with options in School Counseling and College Counseling

The Master of Science in Counseling program prepares students for careers in educational counseling settings and is designed to provide a broad conceptual knowledge base and the development of specialized counseling skills applicable to a diversity of student populations and counseling needs. Students choose to concentrate in School or College specializations and are able to concurrently pursue dual-specialization in a secondary area through the additional attainment of the PPS credential and College Counseling Certificate.

Through a framework of cultural humility and a commitment to justice in education, the program stresses the importance of self-awareness, reflective examination, and interpersonal and professional growth in order to provide a comprehensive preparation in K-16 educational counseling.

Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) School Counseling Credential
Child Welfare and Attendance (CWA) Authorization

Counseling students completing the MS degree (in either option) are able to simultaneously earn the PPS Credential in School Counseling if they have met the California Basic Skills requirement. The PPS credential in School Counseling is required to work as a School Counselor in the pK-12 public school system. Our program is accredited by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing to offer both the PPS credential and the Child Welfare and Attendance (CWA) authorization. The CWA authorization prepares candidates with the specialized counseling training to assist K-12 students and families in need of attendance support.

Evolving Curriculum

By continually assessing and evaluating the needs of local urban schools, the Counseling coursework and training remain relevant and connected to the current demands of school districts as well as the communities they serve. Candidates finish the program well prepared to anticipate and address emerging as well as existing challenges learners face in today's urban high-needs schools.

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