Frequently Asked Questions
M.A. in Education with Counseling Concentration
These programs (the M.A. and certificate programs) are designed for local and international students who are: entering the social services field as recent graduates with a bachelor’s degree; those interested in changing careers and wanting to explore the field of counseling; and for professionals who are already working in the field and want to expand their knowledge and credentials.
The program structure allows students to continue working since courses are offered online. We engage with a diverse student body that will contribute to each other's learning process.
This program is not a licensure-track program and does not prepare students for Pupil Personnel Service (PPS.)
The M.A. program requires a Bachelor's degree. TOEFL results are needed for international students from non-English-speaking countries.
It is difficult to name a singular way of being "successful" in being accepted to the program. Applicants are considered within a constellation of skills and knowledge they bring forward in their application, including but not limited to past academic performance, demonstration of relational skills and ethics, multicultural understandings, reflexivity in understanding self, relational skills, and an interest in academic and theoretical understandings of mental health, counseling, and education. Becoming familiar with our program philosophy and mission is also helpful, as it shows us your intention in joining our program.
The program begins in the Fall of the SDSU academic year and ends the following summer. Courses are structured to be flexible and guide students at a pace that is both quick and manageable. Each course is approximately 60-80 hours of commitment. The courses consist of viewing online lectures, participating in discussion groups, reading texts and articles, completing journals, writing reflection papers, uploading videos demonstrating active listening skills, and completing quizzes.
Students can choose to attend the face-to-face workshop on any of the available dates and times.
While courses are situated within the traditional semester system, our program is designed to scaffold your learning and offer "intensive" periods where you focus on one course, providing more flexibility and focus. Therefore, while a class does run the entire semester, you may find yourself working on one class for a period of 2-3 weeks at a time. The expected study time is 15 to 18 hours per week. Classwork can be completed at the time that best suits the student.
We find that employment for students post-graduation is available. Students are encouraged to make connections throughout their graduate experience and connect with faculty and site resources for possible employment opportunities. Graduate students increase their employment prospects after graduation by immersing themselves in short-term fieldwork experiences. Faculty are well-connected in the community, and there are multiple partnerships with the program and large community providers. While an internship is not required for your graduation, you will be offered various internships and volunteer opportunities that we highly recommend.
Graduates with the MA (Counseling) 30 unit program have historically been highly successful in gaining professional roles in the community, including advising in community colleges, taking positions as behavior specialists, case managers, working in specialized mental health services, drug & alcohol services and elementary, middle and high school settings.
You can easily transfer from the Graduate Mental Health Recovery & Trauma-informed Care Certificate Program to the M.A. Education (Counseling). If you are an MA student, the certificate will be provided to you as part of your study, as this program is embedded within the larger MA Education (Counseling) 30-unit track. Therefore, all units for the certificate transfer
The M.A. 30-unit program offers classes that focus on both qualitative and quantitative research methods to help prepare students in research methods. Students will also be required to take a 3-unit seminar course that includes a research component. This can help students build on these research experiences that can begin the preparation for doctoral work. Students are able to explore different options, and have questions answered, including identifying differences between the Ph.D., Ed. D. and Psy.D.
Additionally, a high level of reading and writing is required throughout the program, and faculty work with students to encourage, maintain, and support the high level of writing expected of Master's students.
- Transferring in: Students cannot transfer courses from a previously awarded Master's to a new Master's degree.
- Transferring out: It is up to the discretion of the other program you are attempting to transfer your program units to. The program or department you are interested in transferring into may choose not to have students repeat content. In some cases, they can waive the course to help prevent the student from repeating the same course , but each student would still need to make up the units required for the degree.