Clinical Mental Health Counseling, M.S.

Students integrate ethical standards into practice and demonstrate self-awareness and self-care for sustainable professional functioning.

Students can develop advocacy plans addressing systemic, institutional, and societal barriers, both for individual clients and for advancing the profession.

Students will demonstrate knowledge of role of heritage, attitudes, beliefs, understandings, and acculturative experiences.

Students will demonstrate understanding of the effects of various sociocultural influences, including public policies, social movements, and cultural values, on mental and physical health and wellness.

Students will demonstrate knowledge of developmental theories (individual, family, cultural identity, and personality) to assess and understand client and family behaviors across the lifespan, integrating factors such as neurobiological influences, environmental context, and the impact of mental health conditions, trauma, and stress.

Students will apply models of resilience, optimal development, and wellness to inform treatment plans, focusing on promoting positive coping strategies and adaptability in response to illness, disability, or crises.

Students will assess and conceptualize the interconnections between work, socioeconomic standing, wellness, trauma, and relationships, demonstrating how these factors shape an individual’s career development and decision-making processes.

Students will evaluate the school and work (e.g., paid work, unpaid care work, unemployment) environment’s impact on clients' life experiences and career development, considering factors such as organizational culture, accessibility, and discrimination.

Students will gain and utilize knowledge of essential interviewing, counseling, and case conceptualization skills to promote a strong therapeutic alliance and to create comprehensive and culturally relevant treatment plans.

Students will understand and implement therapeutic factors and strategies that are culturally sustaining and inclusive, ethical and legal, and enhance the effectiveness of group counseling from the perspective of a group member and leader.

Students will select and administer assessments that are culturally sustaining and developmentally appropriate, integrating individual accommodations and environmental modifications as needed.

Students will critically evaluate the evidence base for counseling theories, interventions, and practices, ensuring that they are supported by sound research and are appropriate for diverse client populations.

Students will describe different research designs, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods, and understand appropriate methodology for addressing specific counseling-related questions.

Students will demonstrate their knowledge and application of the biopsychosocial and mental health recovery model in prevention, intervention, and treatment of mental health conditions.

• Division of Graduate Studies Application (Cal State Apply)
  • Resume
  • Unofficial Transcript(s)
  • Personal Statement and Affidavit of Authorship
  • Summary of Experience Form 
  • Letters of recommendation
• Writing assessment
  After admissions decisions are made, Coordinators will determine the incoming student's readiness for graduate level writing. This assessment will use the Personal Statement. It is essential that the applicant is the sole author of their personal statement (a verification of authorship is required in the application). Once admitted, students who have demonstrated a need to strengthen their writing skills will be required to take a writing course (HSS 700) in their first semester of the program. Students can also self-select to take the writing course for greater success in graduate level writing.
• In-person interview (depending on Specialization)

Fall 2026 admission has ended. Fall 2027 Admission will start on October 1st, 2026.

Ready to apply? Visit the Graduate Students page to get started.