Admission requirements

Admission into the M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling & Marriage and Family Therapy program is competitive and based on a number of factors, including your undergraduate GPA, personal statement and an interview with the department. To answer some questions you may have about the program, check out our FAQs . If you have further questions, please contact us and a staff member will get back to you soon.

 

Please Note: The Ánimo Emphasis is not currently offered in the M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling & Marriage and Family Therapy program.

Requirements checklist

For admittance into the program, you must have completed the following minimum requirements and prerequisites:

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) with a minimum 3.0 GPA
• Three letters of recommendation with at least one letter from an academic reference (exceptions for the academic reference requirement can be made)
• A detailed personal statement (approximately 2,000 words) should include the following (please double-space your personal statement and use headings to organize your writing): 
  • Personal biography, including childhood and later-life significant life experiences, that contribute to your aspirations in becoming a counselor. Please include the most important aspects of your life experience that you want the admissions committee to know about and why they are important to who you are as a person.
  • The counseling profession and our Department place a high value on social justice. Discuss what motivates you to be an advocate for social justice. You can draw from your own life experiences, other people’s experiences you’ve witnessed, a book or books you have read, and/or news events you have followed.
  • Discuss your motivation and suitability for entering the counseling profession. Do not discuss your educational experiences. They can be listed in your resume.
  • Discuss your long-term professional goals and how you believe this program will prepare you for them.
• An interview with department faculty
• Completion of prerequisite courses with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Read below for more information about prerequisites.
• Resume of Curriculum Vitae (CV). Please attach a 1-2 page resume or CV, that includes your educational history and your volunteer or paid mental health or related experiences. Be sure to include a description of your particular responsibilities in your paid or voluntary mental health-related work experiences. Please feel free to include courses completed with grades, course number, year taken, and institution where earned if applicable.

The GRE is not required for admissions.

Prerequisites

Four prerequisites are required with at least two completed at the time of entrance. Any remaining prerequisites must be completed during the first semester of enrollment. Several different course titles and even a combination of several courses may be deemed equivalent to a single prerequisite course.

1. Counseling Theory/Psychology of Personality/History of Psychology: COUNS 380; PSYC 331, 431 or 408; or equivalent
2. Research Methods or Statistics: CAS 301; HUSR 315; PSYC 201 or 202; SOCI 302 or 303; or equivalent
3. Abnormal Psychology or Psychopathology: PSYC 341; or equivalent
4. Human Development or Developmental Psychology: CAS 312, 315 or CAS 325A and 325B; PSYC 361; or equivalent

Prerequisites may be taken at California State University, Fullerton, or at any accredited graduate, undergraduate or community/junior college.

How to apply

Applications for Spring admission open in August. You can view application instructions and dates, or start your application, on our Apply page. If you would like to receive application updates, join our email list below.