Education Department - University of La Verne

About the Program Links

Pupil Personnel Services Credential and
Masters Degree in Educational Counseling

An advanced degree and professional education program preparing beginning school counselors.

Educational Counseling Advanced Degree and Credential Program

Through the Master of Science in Educational Counseling and the Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) Credential program, students gain the knowledge and skills needed to become confident and effective beginning school counselors serving youth from kindergarten through twelfth grade.

The University of La Verne's Educational Counselor Preparation Program has been approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing to grant the PPS Credential with Advanced Specialization in School Counseling, including the Internship Credential. Students may pursue the Master's degree only or the M.S. and PPS Credential.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the Educational Counseling program requires the following:

A preferred 2.75 or above undergraduate GPA and a 3.0 cumulative GPA for graduate work. Provisional admission may be considered upon application.
A completed Educational Counselor Preparation Program application
Possession of one of the following:

A bachelor's degree in a behavioral science
A valid teaching credential with a minimum of one year of full-time classroom teaching experience
Successful coursework or experience demonstrating basic knowledge of general psychology, human learning and development, and human behavior

A completed Statement of Purpose that includes an autobiography and explains the applicant's motivation in seeking admission to the program
Applicants without prior teaching experience are strongly encouraged to have at least one year of volunteer or paid experience working with children or adolescents. The experience should be detailed in the Statement of Purpose.
Three letters of reference addressing the candidate's potential as a school counselor. One of these references must be from the candidate's immediate supervisor.
A personal interview with the program chair or designated faculty member
Internet access capability
Technology literacy prerequisite
CBEST

Additional Requirements

By the completion of EDUC 572 coursework and prior to entering EDUC 583a, students must have demonstrated personal suitability for the school counseling program.
Evidence of a Certificate of Clearance or a valid credential issued by the California Commission on Teaching Credentialing must be on file with the University of La Verne before candidate registers for EDUC 583a.
Candidates working toward a Pupil Personnel Services Credential must provide evidence of having passed the CBEST prior to registering for EDUC 583b.

Master's Degree in Educational counseling

This Master's degree requires 47 units, including 300 hours of fieldwork. The Master of Science in Educational Counseling degree qualifies candidates to serve as community college counselors.

Pupil Personnel Services Credential

The Pupil Personnel Services Credential requires 48 units of course work, including 600 hours of fieldwork. Therefore, for students pursuing the P.P.S. Credential, the University automatically awards the M.S. degree at the conclusion of the Credential program. A Pupil Personnel Services Credential qualifies individuals as professional school counselors for grades K - 12 in California.

Academic Requirements

M.S. Degree Only 47 Semester Hours

Combined M.S. and Pupil Personnel Services Credential
48 Semester Hours

Courses

Requirements (Semester Hours)

EDUC 501	Educational Assessment (3)
EDUC 503	Educational Psychology (3)
EDUC 504	Methods of Research (3)
EDUC 543	School Guidance Seminar (3)
EDUC 546	Introduction to Counseling and Guidance (3)
EDUC 549	School Counseling Theories (3)
EDUC 550	Human Development (3)
EDUC 564	Instruction and Achievement (2)
EDUC 565	Career Development (3)
EDUC 567	School Safety and Crisis Prevention (2)
EDUC 571	Individual Counseling Skills (3)
EDUC 572	Group Counseling Skills (3)
EDUC 573	Counseling Diverse Populations (3)
EDUC 574	Facilitation, Consultation, and Collaboration Skills (3)
EDUC 583a	Supervised Field Work – Level 1 (1) (300 Clock Hours)
EDUC 583b	Supervised Field Work – Level II (1) (300 Clock Hours)
EDUC 597	Graduate Seminar in School Counseling (3)
EdMGT 576	Organizational Leadership and School–Community Collaboration (3)

Degree Program Requirements

No more than 12 semester units of coursework may be taken at the University of La Verne and applied to the Educational Counseling Preparation Program before the student is formally admitted to graduate standing.

Students in the master's degree program must maintain an academic achievement of at least a 3.0 grade point average. All degree coursework must be completed within five years of registration as a graduate student. To accommodate students' professional schedules and personal needs, courses are offered in late afternoons and evenings.

Pupil Personnel Services Internship Credential

If a student has passed the CBEST, has a Certificate of Clearance, has successfully completed EDUC 501, 546, 549, 565, 571, and 572 with a minimum 3.0 GPA in the Program coursework, has the appropriate letters of recommendation, as well as a detailed, personal statement describing his/her qualifications and background to be a school counseling intern; he/she will qualify for admission to the PPS Internship Program.

Transfer Credit

Up to 12 semester hours of graduate credit may be transferred from an accredited university or college into the University of La Verne's Educational Counselor Preparation Program if:

The units were acceptable as graduate degree coursework in the transferring school and /or met that institution's PPS credential requirements.
The courses are comparable to courses offered in the Educational Counselor Preparation Program.
A grade point average of 3.0 or better was earned in the coursework, and
The coursework was taken from an accredited institution within five years prior to transfer to the University of La Verne.

Credit by Challenge

Since the University of La Verne's Educational Counselor Preparation Program is competency-based, credit for courses may be gained by challenge. A challenge exam and other specific activities are required to demonstrate student knowledge and/or skill in a particular course of content area. An application letter outlining the applicant's challenge to an approved course must be filed with the program Chair.

Pupil Personnel Services Credential and Masters Degree in Educational Counseling