MA in Counseling, Marriage & Family Therapy/Professional Clinical Counseling (MFT/PCC)
Degree Overview:
Today’s families face many stresses and challenges inside and outside the home. An MA in Counseling with a focus in Marriage & Family Therapy / Professional Clinical Counseling trains students to work with individuals, couples, and families dealing with emotional, relational, or mental health challenges.
Students have the opportunity to expand their impact by combining MFT/PCC with School Counseling as a dual degree! Students who are pursuing the MFT/PCC degree can add coursework and fieldwork to earn a Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) credential in School Counseling. If you are interested in working with children and adolescents and/or are considering a field placement or job in a wellness center in a K-12 school, there are several benefits to making the decision to declare the dual degree before entering the fieldwork year.
What the Program Prepares You For:
This degree is designed to meet the educational requirements set by the
California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS).
After graduating, students can pursue licensure as:
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
- Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC)
MFT/PCC Program Duration
- Sequence of 68 units; designed to build skills that are applicable beyond the workplace and to help you grow and succeed
- Options for 3-5 year plans of study
Dual Specialization School Counseling and MFT/PCC Program Duration
- Sequence of 81 units; designed to build skills that extend beyond the workplace, empowering you to support students, families, and communities across school and clinical settings
- Options for 3-5 year plans of study
Student Experience:
"This program changed my life. I met amazing people who held each other up and professors who really pulled me through. It was the best decision I could have made."
Nicole Burns (MA in Counseling ' 24 - MFT/PCC & School Counseling)
The 40 units of core courses, plus 28 units (below), for a minimum of 68 units:
- COUN 701: Psychopathology (3 units)
- COUN 711: Theory and Practice of Counseling Couples (2 units)
- COUN 721: Family Systems, Theories and Applications (3 units)
- COUN 731: Treatment of Children (3 units)
- COUN 741: Advanced Clinical Practice (3 units)
- COUN 751: Community Mental Health and Trauma Interventions (3 units)
- COUN 761: Addictions, Co-Occurring Disorders, and Recovery-Oriented Treatment (1 unit)
- COUN 781: Counseling Older Adults and Their Families (1 unit)
- COUN 771: Psychopharmacology for MFT/PCC (3 units)
- COUN 791: Counseling Field Experience (1-3 units each term; 6 units total): Students are engaged in fieldwork in clinical, school or college settings appropriate to department specialization(s) and career objectives. Weekly seminars held for specific specializations. Supervision provided by Counseling Department campus supervisors and department-approved field supervisors.
You can find tuition and fee details here.
School and Department Information
We believe that education can transform lives and make a positive impact on our future and in our communities, particularly those that are underserved. Our curriculum prepares leaders who understand the causes of inequities within society and how these affect our communities, including students, parents and teachers.