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It typically takes full-time students 2 years to earn their MS degree, with the PPS credential sometimes taking an additional 1-2 semesters to complete depending on a student’s availability for fieldwork. Most students take 12 units for 4 consecutive Fall and Spring semesters, but it is also acceptable to finish the program at a slower pace by taking between 6-9 units each semester.
Students who choose to dual-specialize by pursuing both School and College counseling specializations would typically complete a combined degree / credential / certificate program in approximately 3 years, attending full time.
With the exception of fieldwork courses, we do not permit students to take more than 12 units a semester. Students who enter the program with prior graduate coursework may have transferrable courses, which may allow for earlier program completion. If you are in this situation it is recommended that you consult with a faculty advisor after admittance to determine the best program plan for you.
Due to the University graduate degree requirements, you have to choose one option: School Counseling or College Counseling. Applicants should choose according to which option interests them most and which educational setting they eventually hope to work in. After admittance, it is possible to change your option to the other focus should you later decide to switch.
While one degree option must be selected, the program is designed to allow students in either option to gain specialization in the other area. The PPS credential in School Counseling is open to all MS Counseling students who have declared the PPS on their objective of study. Additionally, the Certificate in College Counseling allows School Counseling students the ability to concurrently specialize in College Counseling work. Note that the College Counseling Certificate is only available to School Counseling students because the College certificate specialization is already embedded in the College Counseling degree option.
If you have already earned a master’s degree in Education, Counseling, Psychology, or Social Work, you can opt to only earn the PPS credential without pursuing a second master’s degree. However, depending on your professional goals, it may be in your best interest to earn another master’s degree. Because there is only one course separating the PPS from the MS degree, it is typically recommended that students with a prior master’s earn our program’s master’s degree while earning the PPS credential.
The PPS credential alone requires 48 units of coursework. Please see below regarding transferability of prior coursework to determine if some of your work could be applied to the PPS credential. Note that due to residency, credentialing, and supervision requirements, there is a 9 unit limit on transferring prior coursework to our program. Clinical and supervision courses are not eligible for transfer.
Please note that all applicants must apply for the MS degree in the Cal State Apply application, there is not a PPS only application. If you have a prior master’s degree in one of the fields listed above and decide to only pursue the PPS, then you will want to meet with a faculty advisor to discuss this course plan.
The College Counseling Certificate program is only open to CSUDH Counseling program alumni and current School Counseling option students. The Certificate program is designed as an added specialization to our existing program as opposed to a stand-alone certificate and thus, it would not adequately prepare one for college counseling employment separate from our degree program.
The transferability of previous graduate coursework is dependent upon the following guidelines:
- Coursework that resulted in the completion of a prior master’s degree cannot be used towards a second master’s, however, it can be applied to transfer to the PPS credential.
- Prior coursework must have been at the graduate level (at the 500 or 600 level).
- Courses must have been taken at a regionally accredited university.
- Courses must have been earned with a grade of B or better.
- Courses must not be older than 7 years from the time you would earn the PPS.
- Coursework must be equivalent in content and unit load to those in our program.
Additionally due to residency, credentialing, and supervision requirements, there is a 9 unit limit on transferring prior coursework to our program. Clinical and supervision courses are not eligible for transfer.
First, determine that your prior coursework indeed meets the eligibility for transferring coursework. Then, if you believe you meet these guidelines, compare the course descriptions of your prior coursework to the courses required in our program using the course listings provided on our website and the course descriptions in the CSUDH University Catalog (under “Counseling”). This will give you a general idea of what you can request for transferability from a faculty advisor if you are admitted. Once you are admitted to the program, a faculty advisor would be able to meet with you to finalize transfer work. Unfortunately, we are not able to review potential transfer work for prospective students.
We offer two application deadlines: a Priority deadline of December 1 and a Regular deadline of February 1.
The Priority deadline (Dec. 1) offers applicants first consideration for application review over those received by the Regular deadline and also provides an earlier decision notification (mid-March). It does not offer a less competitive review, the review criteria and process are the same for both deadlines. In order to receive priority review, applications must be submitted in full in Cal State Apply by Dec. 1 and official transcripts must be received by the Admissions Office before Feb. 1. Current undergraduates should send official transcripts after Fall term grades are posted, but before Feb. 1.
The Regular deadline (Feb. 1) provides a review for applications that are submitted in full in Cal State Apply and have official transcripts received by Admissions by the Feb. 1 deadline. Applications submitted by the Regular deadline will be considered for remaining spaces in the cohort. All complete applications will be reviewed, regardless of the number of priority applications accepted. Decision notifications are expected to be sent by late-April.
Applications are submitted online though Cal State Apply. The Cal State Apply application opens on October 1 and closes on February 1. Applications must be submitted in full by either the Priority or Regular deadline in order to be reviewed. Counseling program admission is for the Fall term only.
Some helpful tips when completing your application:
1. Familiarize yourself with the required components of the application in advance of completing it. These items include: CSU Apply application fee, official and unofficial transcripts, statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, certificate of clearance, and TB clearance. For a complete list of requirements, please download the “MS in Counseling Program Information” sheet from our website.
2. Give yourself at least a month to prepare your application. Because many of the required items are dependent on other individuals and processes, you may not meet the deadline if you only give yourself two weeks to complete your application.
3. To ensure your transcripts are properly matched to your Cal State Apply application, it is highly recommended that you complete your Cal State Apply application before you send your official transcripts. Submit your transcripts at least one week (ideally earlier) in advance of the Feb. 1 deadline.
You will need to submit one official electronic set of transcripts for all undergraduate and any post-graduate work to admissions@csudh.edu Current CSUDH students and alumni do not need to submit CSUDH transcripts, but still must submit them from all other institutions attended.
4. Be sure to submit a complete application, which includes all of the “Supplemental Program” components within the Cal State Apply application (also known as the 4th quadrant).
While it is beneficial to have work experience in education or counseling, these backgrounds are not required for admission to the program. We have many students who have come from outside these fields and are just as successful as those who have a teaching background.
No, there are no required prerequisite courses or particular majors required for admission to the program. A bachelor’s degree must be obtained from a regionally accredited university and the undergraduate degree can be earned from any field of study
The department requires bachelor degrees to be posted no later than the Spring term (i.e., the spring semester or quarter, which are typically May or June) of your undergraduate program to be admitted for Fall. Therefore, if your bachelor’s degree posts in a “Summer” term (typically Aug. or Sept.), you would need to apply to our program for the following year.
As of July 1, 2024, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) regards all candidates who have earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university as automatically having met the Basic Skills Requirement (BSR), which is a requirement for the PPS credential.
The Certificate of Clearance verifies that you have completed CTC's fingerprint and identification process, which is required for students working with minors. Because all of our program students will be working with minor students (even at the college level), all applicants must be cleared. If you have a valid teaching credential or current substitute emergency teaching permit you do not need to get the Certificate of Clearance. Students cannot be admitted into the program without a Certificate of Clearance (or a teaching or substitute teaching credential). The Certificate of Clearance must be valid and not expired by the time of application to the program. A Certificate of Clearance is valid for five years after issuance.
If you have applied for the Certificate of Clearance by the application deadline, but CTC has not completed your processing in time, then in your application select that your Clearance is “in progress” and upload verification that you have applied for it (e.g., your Live Scan receipt). If you are offered acceptance, you will need to furnish verification that you have been issued the Certificate of Clearance before you can be admitted to the program. Applications that do not show evidence of either a completed Certificate of Clearance or one that is in process will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.
Instructions to Apply for a Certificate of Clearance
For information on how to obtain the Clearance, including a video tutorial, please go to
http://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/submit-online.html.
Step 1: Create an Educator Account with the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC)
If you have not already done so, you will need to create an Educator Account before you can complete the application for the Certificate of Clearance. Creating this profile will allow you to check if you already have fingerprints on file with CTC.
The following link will direct you to the CTC’s written instructions on how to create an Educator Account:
https://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/ctc-online---login-help
Once you are on the CTC webpage click on “Register using the Create Educator Account” link. As soon as your profile is created, log out of the CTC page and immediately log back in. Look for the words “Fingerprint Status”. If your “Fingerprint Status” reads, “Incomplete Action Required” you will have to complete Step 2 below. If your “Fingerprint Status” reads, “Complete No Action Required” you can skip to Step 3: Apply for your Certificate of Clearance
Step 2: Live Scan Process
In order to get a Certificate of Clearance through the state of California, you must complete the Live Scan process. Please note that once fees have been applied, there are no refunds.
1. Download the Live Scan form and fill out your student information portion.
2. Take this form to a fingerprinting location with a valid photo ID. There are several places to have fingerprints scanned. Please visit: https://oag.ca.gov/fingerprints/locations for a location.
3. Pay the $72 fee that allows the Department of Justice and the FBI to review and register your information.
4. Once you have been fingerprinted, request a copy of your Live Scan form from the Service Specialist and keep this form for your records.
Step 3: Apply for your Certificate of Clearance
Apply for the clearance at www.ctc.ca.gov for detailed instructions on how to apply for your clearance please visit CTC Application Help page.
Once you are on the CTC webpage click on “Apply for Fingerprint Clearance (COC and ASCC)”
Note: The application processing fee is $50, but a $2.50 service charge fee will be added to all online transactions. The Clearance process can take anywhere from 10 working days to two months.
Step 4: Print your Certificate of Clearance
Once you have been notified by e-mail from CTC that you have been cleared, please save/print the Certificate of Clearance by following the step-by-step instructions provided in. “How to View and Print Your Document” Look under the heading “Documents: View, Print, and Email”
While these people may know you well, we need to have professional references from those who have served as your employer, supervisor, or professor so that they may speak to your potential as a future counselor based on their supervisory role with you.
Your referrers will be contacted directly by the University via the email addresses you provide for them. We do not provide forms for your referrers to complete, rather we ask that they write on the official letterhead of their place of employment and write specifically for the Counseling program. Letters must be recent (i.e. written within the year prior to the year of application due date).
Our program does not offer writing assistance for applications. If you are a current student at CSUDH or another university, writing help is typically offered through various campus tutoring programs. If you are not currently enrolled in a university and feel you need assistance, it can be useful to ask a trusted individual who writes well for their input. For the best consideration of your statement of purpose, be sure to answer the prompts thoroughly and honestly.
Do not use AI support for your statement of purpose. AI generated responses are considered plagiarism and will not be regarded favorably in your application review. The admissions committee appreciates responses that are honest and reflective as opposed to any response generated by AI. Avoid the AI temptation and provide your own original ideas and thoughts.
The GRE is not required for program application, but rather, is an option for applicants whose GPA is less than 3.0, to strengthen their application.
If you have less than a 3.0 GPA, then an option to strengthen your application is to take the GRE (revised) and try to earn a minimum combined score of 300 on the Verbal and Quantitative Tests to compensate for a lower than requested GPA. Ultimately, it is an applicant’s decision whether to apply to the program with less than a 3.0 GPA. While every complete and on-time application will be reviewed regardless of GPA, applications that have higher GPAs (or equivalent GRE scores) are scored more favorably and are more competitive in the review process.
Taking as many graduate courses necessary to bring your GPA up to a 3.0 prior to applying is not recommended due to time and cost, and due to the lack of certainty that doing so would cause your application to eventually be accepted. Additionally, because application to the program is competitive, meeting the GPA requirement alone does not guarantee admission to the program. For application review, GPAs are comprised of coursework towards a degree, thus taking community college coursework post-BA will not count towards increasing an undergraduate GPA.
Because we do not require applicants to have had a particular work background, it is not a criteria we formally consider for admission and thus it cannot waive the GPA requirement. However, it is indeed valuable for applicants to have had experience in counseling or education as it allows them to better understand the reasons why they want to become a counselor and can lend to a more thoughtful statement of purpose on the application.
No, to ensure that current counseling program students receive the courses they need to graduate, our courses are only open to currently admitted students of the program.
The GWAR stands for the Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement. In almost all cases, incoming graduate students have already fulfilled the GWAR from their undergraduate work. Our University policy states that, effective spring 2018, if an incoming graduate student earned their baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution in the United States, then the GWAR has been satisfied.
If you earned your baccalaureate degree outside the U.S. or from a non-English speaking university in the U.S., then you may not have automatically met the GWAR and would need to inquire with the CSUDH Testing Office to further determine equivalency. If you have not met the GWAR, then you will need to satisfy the requirement in your first semester of studies. It is not necessary to satisfy this requirement during the application process.
If your application is complete and submitted by the deadline (Priority or Regular), then your application will be given careful and thorough consideration by the admissions committee. Application review begins immediately following the deadline and then approximately 4-6 weeks later, selected applicants will be invited for small group personal interviews for the final part of the admissions process.
The committee will then make final admissions decisions and letters of notification will be e-mailed to all applicants. All communication will occur via email, so please be sure to check your spam/junk folder should you not receive expected correspondence.
The admissions committee does not begin application review until the respective Priority/Regular deadline occurs in order to allow a comprehensive and holistic review of all applications submitted. If you applied far in advance of the deadline, we appreciate your eagerness, but please be patient in awaiting a response. In general, interview invitations are emailed in early Feb. for the Priority deadline and mid-March for the Regular deadline. Final decision notifications are emailed to applicants by mid-March for Priority deadline applicants and by late-April for Regular deadline applicants. Note that these dates are only guidelines and are sometimes earlier or later depending on a multitude of external factors.
The chances of acceptance vary each year depending upon how many applications we receive and how many courses we are able to offer for the newly admitted cohort of students. We typically admit approximately 30 students each fall with an average acceptance rate of 10-15%.
The number of applications we receive greatly exceeds the spaces we have available for admission, which means that there are many applicants who meet our minimum criteria and still do not get selected for admission. Because our admission is so competitive, we encourage all applicants to apply to multiple programs to increase their chances and timeline of admittance into a counseling program.
While you are welcome to reapply if you do not get accepted from your initial application, it is usually within one’s best interest to reapply to a new program that may be a better fit altogether. Typically, when applicants widen their opportunities by applying to multiple programs, it increases their chances of acceptance to a counseling program in general and allows for the time, effort, and costs involved in the application process to prove more worthwhile.
This is definitely a frustrating experience for applicants and one that we do appreciate and empathize with. As mentioned above, the main point to consider in this situation is that our admissions are so highly competitive, which means that many qualified applicants do not get admitted. This is due to the fact that we receive hundreds more applications than we have spaces for. Beyond meeting the minimum criteria for consideration, it is also important to note that every counseling program values different qualities in their applicants – this is often referred to as “fit”. Sometimes an applicant might think they are indeed the right fit for a particular program, but they are likely not aware of some of the more subtle yet critical qualities the program is in need of or values in a prospective cohort.
If you have applied and been declined two or more times to our program, in no way is this a reflection on your potential as a future counselor. Rather, it likely indicates that among the hundreds of applications we receive, there are others who have presented stronger application criteria and/or demonstrated their “fit” in ways that are clearer to the committee. After multiple declines to our program we strongly encourage you to apply to other programs as opposed to continue to expend all of your efforts just on our program year after year. Doing so would likely allow you to find the program that more strongly values your unique qualities and can more quickly get you on your path to becoming a counselor.
Unfortunately, the Cal State Apply graduate student application fee cannot be waived.
Exact tuition information for the most current term can be found on the CSUDH tuition webpage.
Tuition fees are based on whether you attend graduate school on a half-time or full-time basis. Half-time graduate student status refers to taking between 1-6 units (the equivalent to 1 or 2 classes in our program). Full-time graduate student status refers to taking 7 or more units (the equivalent to taking 3 or 4 classes in our program). The fees for PPS Credential-only candidates (students who have completed the MS degree and are only pursuing the PPS) are slightly lower.
Most of our students do receive some form of Financial Aid, and some competitive scholarships are available for current students through the University and the College of Education. Please go to the University’s Financial Aid website for more information:
Note that Federally subsidized financial aid for counseling students is limited to master’s degree enrollment only. Therefore, students pursuing only the PPS credential or only the College Certificate are not eligible for government supported aid. Private sources of loans and aid would still qualify.
Graduate students in Counseling are eligible to apply to several different sources of funding once they are admitted to the department. The university does not offer scholarships in an acceptance offer, however, once a student accepts an offer of admission, they may apply to any of the following sources of funding they are eligible for. Below are the most frequently available sources of support that we encourage our students to apply for:
Counseling Department:
• School Counseling Residency Grant (with Hawthorne School District)
- Eligibility: 2nd year School Counseling/PPS students.
- Funding: $33,000/year stipend while completing school counseling fieldwork.
- Application period: March
• Golden State Teacher (School Counselor) Grant
- Eligibility: Students pursing the PPS credential
- Funding: $20,000
- Application period: ongoing
• Toro Counselor Scholarship
- Eligibility: School & College Counseling students who will be enrolling the next year.
- Funding: $1000 (approximately).
- Application period: Jan. - Feb.
College of Education:
• College of Education Scholarships
- Eligibility: School & College Counseling students who will be enrolling the next year.
- Funding: varies.
- Application period: Jan. - Feb.
University Resources:
• Graduate Equity Fellowship (GEF)
- Eligibility: School & College Counseling students who will be enrolling the next year.
- Funding: $500 - $4500
- Application period: April and August
• Other University Scholarships
- Eligibility: School & College Counseling students who will be enrolling the next year.
- Funding and applications vary.
Field-based clinical practice is a requirement in every program objective whether it is for the MS degree, PPS Credential, or College Counseling Certificate. Field-based hour requirements are as follows:
College Counseling:
- MS Counseling, College Counseling = 300 hours (100 Practicum and 200 Fieldwork)
- Certificate in College Counseling = 300 hours (100 Practicum and 200 Fieldwork)
School Counseling:
- MS Counseling, School Counseling + PPS credential = 900 hrs (100 Practicum and 800 Fieldwork)
Of the 800 hours, requirements are as follows:
- 200 hours in high school,
- 200 hours in elementary or middle,
- 200 hours in any level pK-12
- 200 hours from CWA or College Counseling setting
- Child Welfare and Attendance Authorization = 150 Fieldwork hours
Students choose their own placement based on their preferences for population, location, and time. However, we do assist students who may need help in contacting a potential supervisor or site. Our program has partnerships with schools and colleges throughout the region so there are numerous placements available.
Most of our students are working professionals so while completing the required practicum and fieldwork hours does take planning, it is definitely feasible. The Practicum courses for either option require 100 hours each, which is typically very achievable within a 16 week semester. The Fieldwork courses required for the College option (200 hours) and the PPS Credential in School Counseling (800 hours) require more planning and flexibility in order to complete the hours in your desired time frame. School Counseling Fieldwork is completed over the course of an academic year, concurrently with other coursework.
If you work at a school or college, then you may be able to complete some of your hours at your work site, provided it meets eligibility requirements, however, students are encouraged to broaden their experiences to other sites. Finding opportunities such as late afternoon, evening, or weekend placements can also assist in the completion of Fieldwork hours while keeping current employment. Planning in advance for knowing when you will need extra time to complete Fieldwork around a current job schedule is a necessity. Oftentimes, speaking to one’s employer well in advance will allow them to modify your schedule to accommodate your school or Fieldwork needs.
Conversely, some students choose to take a leave of absence or leave their current employment entirely to complete their hours in a timely manner and be able to transition into their preferred position as a counselor. Because Fieldwork occurs near the end of the program, such a change in employment is an expected and desired change for many students. Completing the School Counseling Fieldwork requirements is a significant commitment, however, students choose to complete the hours at their own pace and faculty support students in completing Fieldwork at a pace that meets their professional obligations. If desired, students may complete the MS degree and then continue to finish the Fieldwork requirements for the PPS credential for additional semesters as needed.
Quite possibly! Funding for paid internships is entirely up to the school, district, or college where you choose to earn your fieldwork hours. Students complete their Fieldwork towards the end of the program, so there is plenty of time to plan, budget, and apply for both paid or unpaid positions. Funding availability in both the public schools and colleges for paid counseling internships tends to fluctuate with the economy as well as with any additional resources available to that particular school. Our program is fully supportive of our students applying for any available internships once they are eligible to do so and we announce internship and employment opportunities as they become available.
For School Counseling students, most paid internships and/or funding are available through our Residency Grant and the Golden State Teacher Grant. Additionally, our program offers the CTC accredited PPS Intern Credential, which allows PPS students to work as a school counselor under supervision while completing Fieldwork hours, upon the request of a school district.
For College Counseling students, most community colleges in our region offer paid graduate assistant / intern positions throughout the year. We regularly announce these opportunities to our students as we receive them from our college partners.
On-campus student employment opportunities are offered through Handshake through the CSUDH Career Center, however, these positions are typically not counseling related. Off-campus graduate student counseling-related positions are frequently available and are emailed to students throughout the year. Most of these types of positions are part-time graduate counseling assistantships at local community colleges and school counseling assistantships, both of which require students to be enrolled in a counseling program.