Counselors serve valuable functions in fields of education, health and human services, and business. Their domains of practice include public and private educational institutions, medical facilities and allied health agencies, social service agencies and organizations, state and federal human service agencies and programs, correctional facilities, business and industry, and private practice. The program’s philosophy is to introduce students to a variety of approaches to counseling, and to encourage the development of competencies within these approaches.
The program combines theory and practice utilizing on and off campus course work and field work assignments. Required courses are offered predominantly in the evening, but most field assignments require daytime participation during normal business hours defined by the off-campus sites.
Students coming from diverse experiential backgrounds are trained at the graduate level to be able to perform entry level duties expected by the counseling profession and its specialty areas. Students are prepared to assume future leadership positions in their area(s) of expertise after additional work experiences have been acquired in the field following graduation.
The Master of Science in Counseling (School Counseling Option) and the Pupil Personnel Services School Counseling Credential Programs are designed to prepare counselors to work in elementary, middle, and high schools. Both programs support a comprehensive, developmental, and collaborative school counseling model. Based upon the American School Counselor Association’s National Standards for K-12 School Counseling Programs and their 2003 National Model, our programs further support a balanced, holistic approach that considers the academic, career development, and personal/social needs of K-12 students. Graduates are expected to become proactive leaders who will advocate for their students and themselves, as counseling professionals working toward equity, achievement, and opportunity for all students.
Students entering the Master of Science in Counseling (School Option) program concurrently fulfill requirements for the Pupil Personnel Services School Counseling Credential and must apply to both programs. The Pupil Personnel Services School Counseling Credential (PPS/SC) is required by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) for persons employed by the public schools as school counselors (See Credential Programs).
Each year the School Counseling Program Information and Application Packet is revised. Applicants must use the application developed specifically for the year for which they are applying.
