Welcome

Program Features

Scheduling Options

Students accepted into the counseling programs may begin course work in the Fall or Spring semesters, and have five years to complete the degree. Students can attend the program with a full-time course load of nine semester hours, or a part-time course load of three to six semester hours. Prospective students may enroll in no more than six semester hours with program chair approval prior to admission into the program. Classes meet once a week from 4 to 7 p.m. and 7 to 10 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

Small Classes

The program shares and implements the University's tradition of and commitment to personalized academic attention. Our small graduate classes (usually fewer than 15 students) enhance faculty-student interaction, a collegial and cooperative learning atmosphere among students, and the encouragement of critical thinking skills. The average student-faculty ratio is about 8:1.

Program Diversity

Both the University and Department share a strong commitment to diversity and have demonstrated a tradition of attracting students from a variety of cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds; ages; sexual orientation; and physical disabilites.

Supervised Fieldwork Placement

The program has an extensive network of supervised fieldwork placements for MFT and Counseling concentration students in settings such as community mental health agencies, school-based counseling programs, community colleges, and university counseling centers. All MFT placements meet current state experience requirements for the California MFT license.

Graduate Assistantships

The Department offers graduate assistantships to eligible students who receive tuition reimbursements for their assignments to faculty on a variety of research or teaching projects. The assistantships are competitive and awarded on either a semester or annual basis.

Psi Chi

The department sponsors a chapter of Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology. Doctoral students who meet the department's eligibility requirements are invited to join the chapter.

Areas of Professional Emphasis

Students may elect to complete an Area of Professional Emphasis as part of their degrees. An area of emphasis allows students to gain in-depth experience with a particular population or problem through coursework, fieldwork, research, self-reflection, and faculty mentorship. Current areas of emphasis offered include Counseling and Aging, Career Counseling, and Diversity and Multicultural Counseling.

Personal Psychotherapy

The Department believes that students entering the counseling profession benefit professionally, personally, and academically from experiencing personal psychotherapy. Therefore, after admission, all MFT students must complete at least 30 hours of personal psychotherapy. Likewise, after admission, all college counseling and student services students must complete at least 20 hours of personal psychotherapy.

Depending on individual issues and preferences, students may select individual, couple, family, or group psychotherapy. Students will design a psychotherapy treatment plan in consultation with the Program Chair before they enroll in PSY 580 or PSY 582, Supervised Field Work I. Psychotherapy hours may be applied toward the optional hours of experience category for California MFT licensure for MFT students.

Alumni Network

The program maintains an active link with its hundreds of alumni from the counseling programs, and this network serves as a valuable resource and professional network in the local community and out-of-state for current students. In addition, selected alumni who are licensed MFTs participate in the alumni referral network for affordable psychotherapy for current counseling students.

Doctoral Study

The program provides strong graduate preparation for interested students who plan to pursue doctoral study in psychology or counseling. Numerous M.S. Counseling program alumni have pursued and completed doctoral degrees at well-established institutions.