California Lutheran University Online Master’s in Counseling
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California Lutheran University offers a fully online master of science in counseling and college student personnel program. Starting in spring, this 45-credit cohort-based program can be completed in as few as 18 months. The program blends counseling and student affairs training to prepare graduates as compassionate leaders and advocates for college students in higher education settings.
The program uses a mix of self-paced online work and weekly live virtual sessions one evening per week, with back-to-back courses and extended 2.5-hour sessions later on. Students complete two 150-hour field placements—a practicum and field studies—at a college or university of their choice, with university support to find ideal sites. Small classes and cohort structure foster connections with faculty and peers, while the cultural proficiency model emphasizes self-examination to build empathy for diverse student needs.
Key courses include introduction to student affairs practice; college student development; counseling theories and approaches; microskills of counseling; group counseling in higher education; career counseling in higher education; and educational counseling in higher education. Fieldwork covers practicum I and II, plus field studies in college student personnel I and II.
Admission requires an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Applicants submit an online application, schedule an advising appointment with an enrollment specialist, complete an interview with Graduate School of Education faculty, provide two recommendation forms, official transcripts, a personal statement, and an application fee.
California Lutheran University is a private university located in Thousand Oaks, California, United States. It is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). The Graduate School of Education is accredited by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC).
California Lutheran University
When you click on a sponsoring school or program advertised on our site, or fill out a form to request information from a sponsoring school, we may earn a commission. View our advertising disclosure for more details.
MS – School Counseling: College Student Personnel
60 W Olsen RdThousand Oaks, California
Program Essentials
Master's Degree
Counseling: School Counseling, Counseling: Spiritual Counseling
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
45
Spring
Can be completed in two and a half years
Program Admissions
No GRE required
Not specified
AL, AK, AZ, AR, CO, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, PR, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Program Tuition
45
$875.00
$39,375.00
$875.00
$39,375.00
Tuition is calculated based on credits, at the published tuition rate. Rates may change, so please check here for the latest tuition information. For programs with variable tuition rates, we use the rates for part-time students. “Resident” and “non-resident” refer to the student’s school-recognized state residency status. Tuition number represents the cost of tuition for the entire program, not per semester or year. Estimated total tuition does not include additional fees.
Farheen Gani
WriterFarheen Gani has researched degree programs and salaries in counseling since 2020. She has written about topics such as genetic counselor salaries and family and human development bachelor’s degrees. She writes about healthcare, technology, education, and marketing. Her work has appeared on websites such as Tech in Asia and Foundr, as well as top SaaS blogs such as Zapier and InVision. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.