St. Mary’s College of California

M.A. in Counseling, Specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy/Professional Clinical Counselor

On-Campus

St. Mary’s College of California
1928 St. Mary's Rd.
Moraga, CA 94556

M.A. in Counseling Program Page

 

Program details below are quoted from program websites, supplied here for informational purposes only, and subject to change at any time. Refer to the program website for current information, deadlines, complete admission requirements, etc. It is the responsibility of the prospective student to verify with program administrators program details and that the program still meets BBS requirements for licensure in the state of California.

Program Snapshot

Accreditation

WASC

Concentrations/Specializations Offered

You can do more than one specialization, but you must get permission from your academic advisor and successfully complete all field placement requirements for chosen specializations. Each specialization requires 40 units of core courses.

  • MFT/PCC

  • Career Counseling

  • General Counseling

  • Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA)

  • HESA/PCC

  • School Counseling

  • School Psychology

LMFT Track or Dual LMFT/LPCC Track

Dual-track (when selecting the MFT/PCC specialization, which is the only program approved by the BBS as an MFT-qualifying degree)

Length of Program

68 units, 2.5-4 years

Schedule/Format

Our Counseling Department classes meet once a week in the evenings on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday from 4:15-7:00pm and 7:15-10:00pm. Some Saturday classes are required, including Counseling Skills (COUN 520 and COUN 521), which are held on alternating Saturdays. During the truncated January and Summer Terms, classes may meet 2-3 times per week and evening class times may vary. 

(Please note, it is not possible to go through the program taking only 7:15-10:00pm courses)

Program Start

Fall, Spring

Estimated Total Program Tuition

$75,820

Religious Orientation

St. Mary's is a Catholic school, and our work is guided by our Lasallian principles, but there are no religion classes that are part of the program and we welcome all faith traditions.

Entering Class Size and Classroom Sizes

Fall Cohort: 40-60 students
Spring Cohort: 20-30 students
Average Class Size: 15-20 students

Fieldwork Hours Accrued During Program

600 hours of field placement is required by St. Mary's College. Of the 600 hours, 280 are required to be direct face-to-face counseling per the BBS. During Covid, the BBS has allowed telehealth to count for FTF hours. We have a placement coordinator who works with our MFT students. Students can choose their own sites from our list or find a new one. We have a large variety of placement options, including agencies, community counseling centers, county placements, etc.

Personal Psychotherapy Requirement During Program

We require 20 hours of personal therapy while in the program. Ten of those hours need to be completed while you are in your field placement.

Comprehensive Exam/Culminating Project/Thesis/Etc:

There is a culminating experience required. This can be a Master's Project, a Thesis or the CPCE (Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam).

Application Process

Application Deadline

We strongly encourage you to begin the application process three months before the term in which you want to begin.

Undergraduate GPA Required

We require a BA or BS degree with a minimum GPA of 2.8. Applicants with an undergraduate GPA below a 2.8 are still welcome to apply, but we ask that they address the circumstances surrounding their GPA in their required 2-3 page Personal Statement. Applicants with a GPA below 2.8 are also required to attend a second, individual admissions interview.

GRE Requirement

None

Prerequisite Courses

None

Application Highlights

  • 2–3 page, double spaced Personal Statement of academic and professional goals (if GPA is lower than 2.8, please address it in your Personal Statement & second interview is required)

  • Current resume

  • Three letters of recommendation from professional and/or academic references who can evaluate your potential to be a counselor. Letters from personal references (such as family or friends) will not be accepted. Please provide three professional and or academic references and their contact information in the Recommenders section of the application. The online system will contact them directly with instructions on uploading letters of recommendation. Please note: Letters of Recommendation must be received for your file to be deemed complete and ready for review; however, the letters DO NOT need to be received by admissions prior to submitting your application.

  • Results of a tuberculin test (within the last year)

Interview Requirement

Once you submit your online application, you will be invited to the next step in the process which is a group interview. For Spring applicants, the interviews will be scheduled in mid-October and mid-November, usually on a Saturday morning. The interview is via zoom.

Program Summary

Today’s families face many stresses and challenges inside and outside the home. A Master of Arts (MA) in Counseling, with a specialization in Marriage & Family Therapy/Professional Clinical Counselor, gives you the skills, knowledge, and training to help make a positive difference in the lives of couples, parents and children.

This degree specialization provides the educational requirements necessary to pursue a MFT and/or PCC internship upon graduation. After completing the required clinical experience, you can apply for California's Board of Behavioral Science MFT and/or PCC license exams.