Counseling Degrees & Licenses in California

Traditional Counseling Degree Programs in California

University of Southern California – Rossier School of Education (Online)

Rossier offers an online master of education in school counseling, designed to prepare graduates for a career as a counselor in a K–12 school setting, along with an online master science in marriage and family therapy (MFT).  Although the school is located in Los Angeles, anyone from around the country can enroll in the online counseling program. 

In addition to online courses, students will complete fieldwork in a K–12 school in or near their own community. This online degree program is structured around three key focus areas: trauma-informed practice, restorative justice, and college and career readiness. Requirements for this master’s degree are a 100-hour practicum and a 700-hour internship. A full- or part-time option is available, leading to a degree in two to three years. A full-time student could achieve a master’s degree in as few as five terms. This online program offers start dates three times a year (January, May, and August).

This 49-credit program includes courses such as interrogating systems of inequity in professional practice; introduction to school counseling; legal & ethical issues in counseling; theories in counseling; counseling and collaborative consultation in the school setting; cross-cultural counseling; substance abuse; and family counseling.

While the program is completely online, it requires fieldwork or experiential learning in the student’s state of residence. The MFT program meets requirements established by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences for MFT licensure, and white it provides the pathway to licensure, it does not satisfy all requirements for licensure upon completion of the program.

For MFT licensure, graduates must complete 3,000 hours of supervised clinical work (with up to 1,000 completed prior to graduation) and pass both the California Law and Ethics exam and the clinical exam administered by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.

The 60-credit MFT program meets most of the requirements for similar licenses in other states, but USC recommends that students identify the specific requirements of another state before beginning the program. The MFT program is full time with an estimated two years to complete.

• Location: Los Angeles, California
• Accreditation: The school counseling program is accredited by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC); the MFT program meets California Board of Behavioral Sciences requirements for licensure
• Expected Time to Completion: 49 units, two to three years, full- or part-time option (school counseling); 60 units, two years, full time

National University (Online)

National University (formerly Northcentral as the two colleges have now merged) offers weekly start dates for their online master of arts in marriage and family therapy program, though practicums, internships, and clinical supervision must be completed in-person wherever a student resides. 

For the MFT program, no GRE, GMAT, or other graduate school entrance examination is required, but a previous bachelor’s degree from an approved institution is. NU’s program is the first MFT program to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). It’s also accredited by the International Accreditation Commission for Systemic Therapy Education (IACSTE), ensuring that students receive the high-quality training necessary to be effective marriage and family therapists.

For students eager to begin working directly with clients, NU students can begin practicing as soon as they’ve completed the first six fundamental courses. Most students will start seeing clients as part of their practicum experience between the sixth and ninth courses. It is also possible to complete all the content courses first and then start the practicum experience. The program has several specialization options in child and adolescent family therapy; couple therapy; general family therapy; medical family therapy; military family therapy; systemic sex therapy; systemic treatment of addictions; trauma-informed systemic therapy; and LGBTQ couple and family therapy.

The program comprises 15 to 22 courses, or 45 credits, which can be completed in 33 months. Master’s students can find a practicum experience in their local area, while also conducting online sessions via video conferencing. Courses include foundations for graduate study in marriage and family therapy; treatment planning and traditional family therapy; recovery-oriented care and postmodern family therapy; systemic evaluation and case management; family therapy with children; systemic interventions in addictions; and assessing and treating family violence.

National University also offers a fully online master of science program in clinical mental health counseling that consists of 60 credits. As of June 2026, the program is working to comply with the 2024 CACREP standards to pursue accreditation. Each course runs eight weeks, except for the 12-week practicum and internship courses.

• Location: San Diego, California
• Accreditation: The MFT program is accredited by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), International Accreditation Commission for Systemic Therapy Education (IACSTE), and Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE); the clinical mental health program is accredited by the Western Association of School and Colleges (WASC)
• Expected Time to Completion: MA-MFT (45 credits, 33 Months); MS-CMHC (60 credits, 32 months)

University of San Diego – School of Leadership and Education Science

The University of San Diego offers a traditional master of arts in two programs—clinical mental health counseling (CMHC) and school counseling (SC). Both programs are accredited by CACREP. The school also offers a COAMFTE-accredited master of arts program in marital and family therapy (MFT)—plus a certificate in international school counseling. All MA programs are for two years. To complete the program within two years, students are expected to take four classes year-round.

The school counseling option offers two specializations:

• Pupil Personnel Services (PPS), 60 units – Authorizes specializations in school counseling, school social work, school psychology, and school child welfare and attendance services.
• School-Based Clinical Counseling, 60 units – Where students have met the requirements to receive a PPS credential and are eligible for licensure as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC).

There are some differences between the CMHC and the MFT program. The CMHC does not require a graduate school entrance exam, while the MFT program does. Both graduates are eligible for licensure following 3,000 supervised hours; the MFT graduate requires 1,000 supervised hours to be completed within the 3,000 hours of the program, while the CMHC program requires 700 hours of supervised clinical experience.

• Location: San Diego, California
• Accreditation: WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC); CMHC is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP); MFT is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE); SC is accredited by Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
• Expected Time to Completion: 60 credits, two years

Sonoma State University

Sonoma State University is one of the smallest California public university systems, but it has two options for its master of arts in counseling students. Two 60-credit professional training options are available.

The first option prepares students for clinical mental health counseling (CMHC) and eventual licensure as a marriage and family therapist (MFT) and/or as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC). Fulfilling the MA requirements for CMHC requires passing the CMHC Exit Exam, along with 600 hours of supervised field experience. Courses include clinical diagnosis & treatment planning; theory and practice of group counseling; counseling diverse couples & families; counseling orientation, law & ethics & case management practices; and relationship & sexuality counseling.

The second option prepares students for the School Counseling and the Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) credential. This track requires careful planning to complete within two years, along with the PPS credential, because PPS courses may not be offered more than once per year. Candidates must complete at least 800 clock hours in elementary, junior high, and high school settings, with a minimum of 200 clock hours at each level. The remaining 200 may be completed in other areas related to school counseling. Courses include introduction to school counseling; pupil personnel services: concepts and organization; working with families in a school setting; counseling children and adolescents; and group counseling in the schools.

Traditional, in-person classes are available to students with either a BA or BS degree. For both programs, a bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related social/behavioral science is preferred. 

• Location: Rohnert Park, California
• Accreditation: WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC); Clinical mental health counseling (Master’s in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC)); school counseling (California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC))
• Expected Time to Completion: CMHC (24-month, 30-month, or 36-month programs are available); SC (24 months)

San Francisco State University – College of Science and Engineering

The SFSU Department of Counseling offers three master’s degrees in counseling. The master of science in counseling has four specializations: career, college, gerontological, and school counseling. School counseling students are eligible for the PPS credential. The master of science in counseling offers a concentration in marriage, family, and child counseling. SFSU also offers a master of science with a concentration in clinical mental health counseling.

These credentials would provide a solid foundation for working in any field related to mental health. The gerontology specialization, in particular, holds promise, as the United Nations reports that the number of people worldwide aged 80 or older is projected to triple, from 143 million in 2019 to 426 million in 2050.

The clinical mental health counseling program in particular includes courses such as theories of counseling & psychotherapy; biopsychosocial aspects of health, behavioral health, aging & disability; assessment in counseling; psychopharmacology; addictions; crisis counseling; group counseling; and professional issues, clinical case management & systems of care.

• Location: San Francisco, California
• Accreditation: All programs are accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA); the PPS credential program in school counseling is also accredited by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC)
• Expected Time to Completion: 60 credits, two or three years

California State University – Fullerton

CSU Fullerton offers a master of science (MS) in clinical mental health counseling and marriage and family therapy. This part-time program offers evening classes in areas such as career and lifestyle development, counseling and culture, human development and functioning, modes of individual counseling, child and adolescent counseling, crisis intervention and trauma treatment, addictions counseling, and psychopharmacology for counselors, among others.

Notably, an ánimo emphasis is available for aspiring counselors who want to focus on Latinx populations.

• Location: Fullerton, California
• Accreditation: WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC); CACREP
• Expected Time to Completion: Three years

California State University – Los Angeles

Many California State University campuses offer counseling programs, but not all campuses offer the same ones. The Los Angeles campus offers a master of science in counseling, with an option to specialize in rehabilitation counseling. CACREP accredits this option. The program prepares graduates for careers that involve assisting people with disabilities to live fulfilling lives. Addressing the psychological, social, and medical aspects of disability, the program’s curriculum uses a holistic approach.

Admitting just 36 students each fall for full-time graduate study, this program currently has two full-time faculty members and six adjunct faculty members. Comprising 70 to 74 credits, the program includes courses such as multicultural counseling; diagnosis and treatment in counseling; case management in counseling; advanced theories and techniques in counseling; introduction to rehabilitation counseling; medical and psychosocial aspects of disability; trauma and crisis counseling; and substance use and co-occurring disorders counseling.

Other options in the master of science in counseling program include applied behavior analysis, school-based family counseling (MFT with PPS credential in school counseling), and school psychology (with PPS credential in school psychology).

• Location: Los Angeles, California
• Accreditation: WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC); National Association of School Psychologists (NASP); Commission on Teacher Credentialing Committee on Accreditation (CCTC); Association for Behavior Analysis: International (ABAI); Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
• Expected Time to Completion: 70 to 74 credits, three years, full-time

California State University – San Bernardino

The CACREP-accredited master of arts program in rehabilitation counseling prepares graduates to work with individuals with disabilities in public and private rehabilitation agencies, hospitals, industry, and related fields. This three-year program trains graduates in vocational evaluation, rehabilitation counseling, and job placement of persons with disabilities. The program’s coursework prepares them to take the National Certified Rehabilitation Counselor examination.

Made up of 60 credits, the program includes courses such as introduction to rehabilitation counseling; medical aspects of disability across the life span; counseling theories and psychosocial aspects in rehabilitation; addictions & co-existing disabilities; multicultural rehabilitation counseling; psychiatric rehabilitation diagnosis & psychopharmacology; theory and practice of group counseling in rehabilitation; and assessment, research & program evaluation.

Additionally, CSUSB offers a master of science in counseling, including two concentrations: one in professional counseling and one in school counseling; each is a stand-alone degree of 60 units. Students with a concentration can apply to become Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (LPCCs) or earn a PPS credential, allowing them to work as school counselors in grades K-12. Students may also choose to combine concentrations for a total of 72 credits.

• Location: San Bernardino, California
• Accreditation: WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC); Rehabilitation counseling(Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)); Commission on Teacher Credentialing Committee on Accreditation (CCTC)
• Expected Time to Completion: 60 credits, three years

Alliant International University

Alliant International University’s California School of Professional Psychology offers a CACREP-accredited master of arts program in clinical mental health counseling. Students in this program will develop expertise and skills in diagnosing, professional counseling, guiding, and treating groups and individuals as they work to grow, overcome disability, and embrace change. Graduates will gain hands-on experience by counseling individuals who are struggling with depression, anxiety, loss, grief, infidelity, anger management, and other similar issues. Notably, this program can be completed online or on campus.

Made up of 60 credits, the program includes courses such as counseling theories; professional counseling orientation, law, and ethics; counseling research methods and program evaluation; assessment in clinical counseling; psychopathology, diagnosis, and treatment planning; multicultural counseling and techniques; chemical dependence and addiction issues; and sexuality and sex therapy. Upon completion, graduates will have a total of 700 hours of clinical experience in family, group, and individual counseling. Of these, a minimum of 280 hours will be direct clinical supervision.

Notably, Alliant International University also offers a 60-credit COAMFTE-accredited marriage and family therapy master’s degree program which can be completed online or on-campus as well as an online 49-credit CCTC-accredited master of arts in education with a PPS credential in school counseling degree program.

• Location: Fresno, CA
• Accreditation: WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC); Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP); Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE); California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC)
• Expected Time to Completion: Clinical mental health counseling and marriage and family therapy (60 credits); school counseling (49 credits); two years

Concordia University Irvine

Concordia University Irvine’s Townsend Institute offers a CACREP-accredited master of arts program in counseling focusing on clinical mental health. Designed to be completed online or on-campus, this program helps students acquire the knowledge and skills required for engaging with people who are struggling with issues such as anxiety, depression, addictions, or relational problems on a deeply attuned level.

The program’s 60-credit curriculum includes courses such as clinical psychopathology and diagnosis; foundations of crisis and trauma counseling; foundations of addiction counseling; foundations and contextual dimensions of mental health counseling; foundations of marriage and family therapy; foundations of play therapy; theories of counseling; and methods and practice of research and evaluation.

The university also offers a master of arts in education program in school counseling that consists of 48 credits and 800 hours of field experience. This program is offered online and in a blended format. The program meets PPS requirements to authorize service as a school counselor in California. A master of arts in counseling: marriage, couple, and family counseling is also available. It is online, with one residency required, and it meets the requirement for MFT licensure.

• Location: Irvine, CA
• Accreditation: WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC); Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
• Expected Time to Completion: Clinical mental health (60 credits, 24 to 36 months); school counseling (48 credits, 26 months)

Saybrook University

Saybrook University’s hybrid online master’s degree in counseling, with a clinical mental health counseling specialization, prepares graduates to work competently in the field of clinical mental health counseling. This low-residency program includes 700 hours of field experience and all students will be required to participate in two five-day-long required residential conferences per year.

Comprising 60 credits, the program includes courses such as basic counseling skills; counseling theories; structure & dynamics of the family; psychopathology and diagnosis; human sexuality; crisis and trauma intervention; group counseling and psychotherapy; advanced child and adolescent therapy; and substance abuse and behavioral addictions.

• Location: Pasadena, CA
• Accreditation: WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC); Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
• Expected Time to Completion: 60 credits, three years

Pepperdine University

Pepperdine offers the MA in clinical psychology program both online and on campus. The curriculum, which consists of 62 credit hours, is the same for both. Students may choose from two tracks. The licensed professional clinical counselor track qualifies students for the LPCC exam. The licensed marriage and family counselor track provides the skills and knowledge to sit for the LMFT licensure exam. The online option does not require campus visits; however, students must complete supervised clinical rotations near their community.

Applicants who have not taken specified foundational courses at an accredited institution will need to take those at Pepperdine. They must submit transcripts, letters of recommendation, and a statement of purpose. International students will need to submit TOEFL or IELTS exam results. GRE scores are not required. 

The core coursework includes subjects such as assessment of intelligence; interpersonal skills and group therapy; multicultural counseling; industrial/organization psychology; and trauma in diverse populations, among others relevant to the student’s chosen track. Both tracks include supervised field experience and mentorship from faculty who are active practitioners.  

• Location: Los Angeles, California
• Duration: 2.5 to three years
• Accreditation: WASC Senior College and University Commission; American Psychological Association (APA) 

Counseling Professional Associations & Resources in California

• California Counseling Association (CCA)
• Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES)
• California Association of School Counselors (CASC)
• California Association for Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (CALPCC)
• California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT)

Mental Health Counseling Licenses in California

Licensing Authority	Eligibility & Details	Renewal Requirements
Board of Behavioral Science	Counselors in California must first earn the Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC) certification. Once the supervised work experience is complete, they may apply to be a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC). Requirements to be an APCC include: Completing an approved master’s degree in counseling of at least 60 semester- or 90 quarter-credits. The program must include a practicum of at least 280 supervised hours of direct client contact. Registering with the BBS as an APCC Completing a Live Scan Department of Justice background check Passing an additional state background check Taking and passing the California Law and Ethics Exam annually Pay required fee Once registered as an APCC, professionals can begin accruing the necessary 3,000 hours of supervised work experience. Of those hours, 1,750 must be in direct counseling, and the remaining 1,250 in non-clinical experiences such as supervision, writing reports, or administering tests. These hours must be accrued in a minimum of two years. Upon completion of the hours, counselors may apply for LPCC licensure. The BBS will then provide the approval to take the NCMHCE exam through the NBCC. Once candidates have passed the exam, they may request LPCC licensure from the BBS and pay the fee	California requires APCCs and LPCCs to renew their license every two years. Renewals are due during the counselor’s birth month. In order to renew, counselors must: Submit an online renewal Complete 36 continuing education hours. Only 18 hours are required for the initial license. Six of those hours must be in law and ethics Pay the renewal fee

Counseling Schools & Licensure in Nearby States

• Alaska
• Arizona
• Colorado
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Montana
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• Oregon
• Utah
• Washington
• Wyoming