Counseling, M.S.

Program Scope

Within the Masters of Science in Counseling, there are three different counseling specializations — Career, College, and School. School counseling students are eligible for the State of California Pupil Personnel Services Credential with a specialization in School Counseling (P-12).

Career Counseling
The Career Counseling specialization prepares graduates to work in high school and college career centers and advising offices. Some graduates use this training to establish private career counseling and consultation practices while others enter career development centers in private industry and public agencies.

College Counseling
The mission of the specialization/emphasis in College Counseling and Student Personnel Work is to prepare master's level professionals to work in both counseling and student services roles at the community college and four-year college levels.

School Counseling
The School Counseling program prepares master’s level professionals to utilize comprehensive, data-driven, multi-tiered school counseling services that meet the academic, social, emotional, and career needs of students in PK–12 schools.

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Students will integrate ethical standards into practice and demonstrate self-awareness and self-care for sustainable professional functioning.
2. Students will develop advocacy plans addressing systemic, institutional, and societal barriers, both for individual clients and for advancing the profession. 
3. Students will demonstrate knowledge of role of heritage, attitudes, beliefs, understandings, and acculturative experiences. 
4. Students will demonstrate understanding of the effects of various sociocultural influences, including public policies, social movements, and cultural values, on mental and physical health and wellness
5. Students will demonstrate knowledge of developmental theories (individual, family, cultural identity, and personality) to assess and understand client and family behaviors across the lifespan, integrating factors such as neurobiological influences, environmental context, and the impact of mental health conditions, trauma, and stress.
6. Students will apply models of resilience, optimal development, and wellness to inform treatment plans, focusing on promoting positive coping strategies and adaptability in response to illness, disability, or crises.
7. Students will assess and conceptualize the interconnections between work, socioeconomic standing, wellness, trauma, and relationships, demonstrating how these factors shape an individual’s career development and decision-making processes.
8. Students will evaluate the school and work (e.g., paid work, unpaid care work, unemployment) environment’s impact on clients' life experiences and career development, considering factors such as organizational culture, accessibility, and discrimination.
9. Students will gain and utilize knowledge of essential interviewing, counseling, and case conceptualization skills to promote a strong therapeutic alliance and to create comprehensive and culturally relevant treatment plans. 
10. Students will understand and implement therapeutic factors and strategies that are culturally sustaining and inclusive, ethical and legal, and enhance the effectiveness of group counseling from the perspective of a group member and leader.
11. Students will select and administer assessments that are culturally sustaining and developmentally appropriate, integrating individual accommodations and environmental modifications as needed
12. Students will critically evaluate the evidence base for counseling theories, interventions, and practices, ensuring that they are supported by sound research and are appropriate for diverse client populations. 
13. Students will describe different research designs, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods, and understand appropriate methodology for addressing specific counseling-related questions.