Palo Alto University Online Master’s & PhD in Counseling
Palo Alto University offers online and hybrid graduate counseling programs. These include the master of arts in clinical mental health counseling, the marriage, family, and child counseling emphasis, and the PhD in counselor education and supervision. Its counseling department is focused on preparing counselors, leaders, counselor educators, supervisors, and researchers.
The counseling programs share a strong emphasis on diversity, inclusion, social justice, research, and clinical skill development. Students can study in online, hybrid, or residential formats, and the programs include supervised fieldwork, residency experiences, and close faculty guidance. The department also highlights culturally affirming practice, ethical counseling, and service to local, national, and international communities.
Made up of 94.5 quarter credits, the master of arts in clinical mental health counseling prepares students for professional counseling work and clinical licensure. The program includes courses such as professional orientation; counseling theory; counseling skills; multicultural counseling theories and techniques; group counseling; diagnosis; crisis and trauma counseling; and practicum and internship. Students may also choose the marriage, family, and child counseling emphasis, which adds courses in family systems and couples counseling. As part of the program, two in-person residencies are required.
The marriage, family, and child counseling emphasis is designed for students who want to prepare for marriage and family therapy licensure in California or related counseling pathways. It includes approved family systems and couples counseling courses and focuses on work with couples, families, and children. The emphasis supports students who want to build skills for licensure and for counseling in family-centered settings.
The 91.5-unit PhD in counselor education and supervision prepares doctoral students to become counselor educators, supervisors, researchers, and leaders in the counseling profession. Its curriculum includes supervision and gatekeeping; counseling skills and group leadership; transcultural approaches to counselor education; program leadership, research methods; CES internship; and dissertation work. The program is fully online, includes three in-person residencies, and is designed to be completed in three years.
Admission to the master’s program requires a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or the international equivalent, and applicants for the online format must be located in a state where the university is authorized to provide online education. GRE scores are not required, and related volunteer or work experience in mental health is strongly recommended. Admission to the PhD program requires a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree in counseling, CACREP-aligned core curriculum and specialty area content, and licensure or license eligibility. The PhD program also asks for three professional references, while GRE scores are not required.
Palo Alto University is located in Palo Alto, California. It is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), and both emphases in the MA in counseling program are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
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MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling – Marriages, Family, Child Counseling
PhD in Counselor Education & Supervision
1791 Arastradero RdPalo Alto, California
Program Essentials
Master's Degree
Counseling: Clinical Mental Health Counseling
No
2 – Two in-person residencies required
63
Fall, Spring
Complete in as few as 2 years
Program Admissions
No GRE required
3.0
AL, AK, AR, DE, DC, GA, IA, IN, KS, MD, MN, MS, MT, NM, NJ, NY, ND, NC, OK, OR, PR, RI, WI, WY
Program Tuition
63
$652.00
$41,076.00
$652.00
$41,076.00
Program Essentials
Master's Degree
Counseling: Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy
No
2 – Two in-person residencies required
63
Fall, Spring
Complete in as few as 2 years
Program Admissions
No GRE required
3.0
AL, AK, AR, DE, DC, GA, IA, IN, KS, MD, MN, MS, MT, NM, NJ, NY, ND, NC, OK, OR, PR, RI, WI, WY
Program Tuition
63
$652.00
$41,076.00
$652.00
$41,076.00
Program Essentials
Doctoral Degree
Counseling: Education & Supervision
No
3 – Three in-person residencies required
61
Fall
Complete in as few as 3 years
Program Admissions
No GRE required
3.0
AL, AK, AR, DE, DC, GA, IN, IA, KS, MD, MN, MS, MT, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OK, OR, PR, RI, WI, WY
Program Tuition
61
$1,265.61
$77,202.21
$1,265.61
$77,202.21
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.