Master of Science in Counseling (PPS)
The MS in Counseling and Pupil Personnel Services is a 48-credit program built around counseling theory, child and adolescent development and hands-on work in K-12 schools.
Students in the standard program take two courses per term as a cohort and the curriculum includes a supervised practicum and two field studies in K-12 schools at different school levels.
You also have the option to add a specialization in Child Welfare and Attendance (+3 credits) or College Counseling (+12 credits).
In fall and spring, classes meet one evening per week, typically with two back-to-back courses on the same night. In the six-week summer block, classes switch to two evenings on campus per week — one class per evening — plus weekly online coursework you complete on your own time.
On-Campus Classes With a Supportive Cohort
The Master of Science in Counseling and Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) is an on-campus degree at the Thousand Oaks campus. This is a cohort-based program, which means you’ll move through the master’s program alongside the same group of classmates from your first course to your last. By graduation, your classmates will have become professional colleagues you’ll be calling on for the rest of your career.
Add an Optional Specialization
PPS offers two optional specializations that extend your experience and expand your expertise. Both add some credits and completion time to the standard 48-credit program.
Child Welfare and Attendance (CWA) Specialization (+3 credits)
California and other states often have dedicated CWA departments or offices that promote the well-being, safety and regular attendance of students in schools. With chronic absences now being tracked on the California School Dashboard, districts are looking for experts who understand how to reduce chronic absence rates.
What the Specialization Adds
- One course: Child Welfare and Attendance Seminar (3 credits)
- 150 hours of fieldwork: These supervised hours will take place at a school site we help you secure
You can add the CWA specialization to the standard PPS degree or combine it with the College Counseling Specialization.
College Counseling Specialization
K-20 is shorthand for the full educational arc, from kindergarten through graduate school, and it describes counselors and advisors who follow students across the K-12 to higher education transition rather than working only on one side of it. The College Counseling Specialization is built for PPS students who want that breadth.
What the Specialization Adds
- Four courses: You’ll complete an additional 12 credits of coursework [See the full sequence]
- 150 hours of fieldwork: These supervised hours will take place in a college or university setting
- One additional term: Because you’ll complete 60 credits, you’ll take an additional summer term at the end of your PPS program.
You can also add the CWA specialization for a total of 63 degree credits.
MS in Counseling (PPS) Courses: Standard
48 credits in standard program | 51 credits with Child Welfare and Attendance
All courses are 3 credits unless otherwise noted
Year One: Fall Semester
Organization and Administration of Pupil Personnel Services
Diverse Perspectives in Education & Culturally Proficient Leadership
Year One: Spring Semester
Microskills in Counseling
Counseling Theory & Practice
Year One: Summer Semester
Lifespan Human Development
Educational Counseling & Academic Development
Year Two: Fall Semester
Group Process & Leadership
Career & College Planning
Year Two: Spring Semester
Systemic Approaches to Collaboration, Consultation & Supervision
Law & Ethics in School Counseling
Practicum
Year Two: Summer Semester
Introduction to Educational Research
Educational Measurement
Year Three: Fall Semester
Field Studies in Pupil Personnel Services I
Resiliency and Retention in K-12 Education
Year Three: Spring Semester
Field Studies in Pupil Personnel Services II
Child Welfare and Attendance Seminar (optional, CWA Specialization)
MS in Counseling (PPS) Courses: College Counseling Specialization
60 credits with College Counseling specialization | 63 with with Child Welfare and Attendance
All courses are 3 credits unless otherwise noted
Year One: Fall Semester
Organization and Administration of Pupil Personnel Services
Diverse Perspectives in Education & Culturally Proficient Leadership
Year One: Spring Semester
Microskills in Counseling
Counseling Theory & Practice
Year One: Summer Semester
Lifespan Human Development
Introduction to Student Affairs Practice
Year Two: Fall Semester
Group Process & Leadership
Career & College Planning
College Student Development
Year Two: Spring Semester
Systemic Approaches to Collaboration, Consultation & Supervision
Law & Ethics in School Counseling
CSP Practicum (at a college/university)
Year Two: Summer Semester
Introduction to Educational Research
Educational Counseling & Academic Development
Year Three: Fall Semester
Field Studies in Pupil Personnel Services I
Resiliency and Retention in K-12 Education
Year Three: Spring Semester
Field Studies in Pupil Personnel Services II
College Student Retention & Success
Child Welfare and Attendance Seminar (optional, CWA Specialization)
Year Three: Summer Semester
Assessment, Evaluation, & Grantwriting
Educational Measurement
This foundational course explores the history of diversity and multicultural education and introduces the conceptual framework of cultural proficiency as a lens for counselors in promoting equitable practices for all students in educational settings. An exploration of candidates’ self-identity, beliefs and values and the impact on their roles as counselors, advocates and leaders in diverse and inclusive educational settings will be conducted.
Implications and trends of federal, state and local court decisions as they affect the role of the counselor, teacher and administrator; their impact on district policy and finance; and on district and local programs and activities.
Through an examination of the nature of research, ethical and philosophical principles, types of research and characteristics of data, students will explore quantitative and qualitative methods of designing and conducting research in the context of educational settings.
A comprehensive review and advanced study of the maturation of both typical and exceptional persons, from birth to senescence in physical, social/emotional, cognitive and language areas. The learning process and its application in a variety of settings with students of diverse cultural, ethnic, racial, linguistic and socioeconomic backgrounds will be examined.
Fundamentals of counseling: theoretical approaches, the counseling process and cross-cultural perspectives. This course should be taken during the first semester offered.
Group counseling: foundation process, techniques and application; lecture and laboratory.
Prerequisite: Counseling Theory and Practice.
Models and methods for effective prevention and intervention programs for at-risk students.
An emphasis on counseling knowledge and skills. Includes in-class monitored practice.
Prerequisite: Counseling Theory and Practice. (Graded P/NC only).
Theoretical approaches, resources and techniques utilized in assisting individuals to make their educational and career choices.
Supervised field placement in a school, postsecondary setting or community agency with 100 (PPS) field hours required. Candidates must be supervised by an experienced professional with an appropriate credential. Each student will be involved in on-site experiences which include the application of theory to practice. Approved fieldwork application required.
Prerequisites: PPS Students - Proof of passing the CBEST and Certificate of Clearance. Law and Ethics in School Counseling, Counseling Theory and Practice, Group Process and Leadership, Microskills in Counseling, Career and College Development and Planning, Organization and Administration of Pupil Personnel Services and Systemic Approaches to Collaboration, Consultation and Supervision and completion of 24 credits.
Organization and administration of guidance and counseling services in the schools. Includes program planning, coordination, supervision, budgeting and evaluation.
Supervised field experience in a K-12 public school setting under the supervision of an experienced Pupil Personnel Services credential holder at either an elementary, middle school or high school. 300-500 field hours required. Approved fieldwork application required. (Graded P/NC only).
This course will be taken at or near the end of the program.
Supervised field experience in a K-12 public school setting under the supervision of an experienced Pupil Personnel Services credential holder at either an elementary, middle school or high school. 300-500 field hours required. The school level must differ from that in Field Studies in School Counseling I. The combined number of field hours required for the two courses (Field Studies in School Counseling I and Field Studies in School Counseling II) is 800. The two courses may not be taken concurrently. Approved fieldwork application required.
Prerequisite: Field Studies in School Counseling I. (Graded P/NC only).
This course will be taken at or near the end of the program.
An emphasis on academic counseling knowledge and skills. An introduction to topics of academic development such as K-16 educational pipeline, high school graduation requirements, A-G requirements, the college admission process, working with historically marginalized populations and academic prevention and intervention. The course will emphasize resilience development, grit and growth mindset as theoretical models.
This course provides candidates with knowledge regarding systemic approaches to effective consultation, collaboration and supervision in K-12 educational settings. In particular, this course is designed to equip candidates with theoretical foundations of systemic leadership approaches, advocacy tools to support family-school-community relationships and data-driven decision making processes for systemic and equitable change.
Assessment of typical and atypical pupils, including the preparation, selection, administration, scoring and interpretation of culturally appropriate normed and criterion-referenced individual and group tests.
Child Welfare and Attendance Specialization Course
Learners will complete the following course in addition to fieldwork:
An emphasis on school, home and community factors contributing to school attendance, related laws and intervention programs designed to enhance attendance and school safety. 150 hours of fieldwork at a school site is required under the supervision of an experienced PPS credential holder.
Prerequisite: Field Studies in School Counseling I.
PPS with College Counseling Specialization Courses
*Prerequisites: Counseling Theory and Practice, Group Process and Leadership, Microskills in Counseling, Introduction to Student Affairs Practice and Educational and Career Counseling in Higher Education.
This course will introduce candidates to theories of college student development and the processes by which they occur. Factors that impact student development will be discussed and application of theory to practice to maximize student learning in college settings will be fostered.
This course provides candidates with an overview of college student services with a specific focus on the various functional areas in the field. Additionally, this course outlines key information about organization and administration of student affairs and services, including assessment, strategic planning, program development and implementation and resource acquisition and allocation.
This course addresses program assessment and evaluation as well as grant writing. Students will learn about the characteristic peculiarities of program assessment and evaluation and become familiar with the grant writing process.
This course addresses: the history of college student retention and success in the United States; retention and success theories; and the retention trends and issues of four-year and two-year institutions. Specifically, this course emphasizes the retention and success of diverse student groups. Moreover, this course examines how retention and success is tracked and measured and practices and programs that contribute to the retention and success of all students.
Supervised field placement in a postsecondary setting with 150 (CSP) field hours required. Candidates must be supervised by an experienced professional with an appropriate credential. Each student will be involved in on-site experiences which include the application of theory to practice. Approved fieldwork application required.
Request Information
To learn more about the graduate degree programs offered by the Cal Lutheran Graduate School of Education and download a brochure, please fill out the form. You can also get in touch with an enrollment specialist directly by calling us at 805-493-3325 or for the online Master of Science in Counseling and College Student Personnel call 805-521-9856.
