MA School Counseling University of San Francisco - School of Education

The 49 credit School Counseling program meets requirements recently issued by the California State Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) for those seeking a career in school counseling in K-12 schools.

OPTION: After their first semester at USF, students enrolled in the 49-credit School Counseling/Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) Credential Program have the option to enroll in a 60-credit Dual Concentration Program in School Counseling and Professional Clinical Counseling.

Graduates of the program obtain a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree and are eligible for the Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) Credential. They may be employed:

• in public or private educational settings,
• in community-based agencies,
• as consultants to schools, education programs, and other institutions serving the educational needs of youth.

They also may choose to pursue a doctoral degree.

Program Description

The School Counseling program is a unique, innovative educational program for preparing counselors to address the social, emotional, and academic needs of children, adolescents, and young adults in educational settings.

The program emphasizes:

• multicultural youth development and counseling
• problem-solving, goal-oriented, counseling
• social justice orientation
• ecological systems in urban contexts

Students learn theories and effective, pragmatic interventions with youth in schools. The program has a social justice orientation which seeks to foster equity, respect for diversity, creativity, compassion and community empowerment.

“When asked if I feel ‘ready’ to enter the field of school counseling, I always reflect on how the USF School Counseling Program has prepared me to work with the universal issues faced by adolescents as well as those specifically related to underserved youth in urban schools.” - Andrea Davis, School Counseling Psychology Alumna

The curriculum is designed sequentially

• The first year focuses on counseling theory and practice, legal and ethical issues, child and adolescent development, multicultural counseling, research, group counseling, and prevention and intervention in schools.
• The second year focuses on problem-solving counseling strategies, learning and instruction, counseling students with exceptional needs, academic and career counseling, assessment and program evaluation, and consultation with parents, teachers, and schools.

A partnership of fieldwork and classroom learning forms the core of the program. Students begin their fieldwork in the schools during a first-semester practicum class and complete the fieldwork requirements during three semesters of fieldwork classes. Each semester, the fieldwork class is conducted under the supervision of an experienced PPS credentialed instructor.

Visit our website directly here to learn more about the School Counseling program