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Kremen School of Education and Human Development

Department Program Information

The Department of Counseling reviews applications once each year. The deadline for Master's applications is MARCH 1ST to apply to begin coursework in the Summer or Fall. Students cannot begin their program of study in the Spring semester unless applying to the Master of Science in Marriage, Family and Child Counseling (MFCC) program. The deadline for Spring admission for the MFCC program is October 15th. 

Please note that the March 1st and October 15 (MFCC only) deadline is final. Applicants must submit all application materials (application, references, transcripts, and fee) by the deadline to be considered for admission. Applications submitted or completed after the deadlines are not guaranteed review by the admissions committee. Admission to the CER department is competitive, and applicants are highly encouraged to have all application materials submitted by the deadline.

Program Information Sessions: Faculty members host information sessions for prospective students each year. Please be sure to check the schedule for each session you would like to attend. 

*If you cannot attend a program information session, please email ed350@mail.fresnostate.edu after the session and request a recording

Admission into the CER department at Fresno State is competitive. In the 2022 application cycle, 29% of counseling program applicants were accepted into the program. Faculty seek students from various backgrounds who are passionate about becoming counselors. Criteria for admission into the Master's counseling programs include an applicant’s potential success in forming effective interpersonal relationships in individual and small-group contexts, aptitude for graduate level study, relevant career goals, openness to self-examination, commitment to diversity, and potential for personal and professional self-development. To enter the counseling program, students are not required to have an undergraduate major in any particular field  although closely related fields (i.e., psychology, sociology, criminology) and experience are preferred. Applications are reviewed holistically by a committee of faculty in the department. 

All applications must be submitted electronically through the University application processing system, CAL STATE APPLY. 

Please note: All students must apply to the University (Fresno State) AND the program of choice. 

STEP 1: Apply to University CAL STATE APPLY. 

STEP 2: Apply to program

The Fresno State’s CER department is accredited by three accrediting bodies therefore, students complete a combination of core courses, clinical courses, concentration-specific courses, and electives respective to the program of study selected.

The Department of CER faculty members serve as advisors to Master's counseling students and work collaboratively with each student to design a program of study that meets all requirements and aligns with advisees' preferences for time to completion. These planning worksheets may be useful in the process and may be found on the program-specific webpages.

Courses are offered in Fall (FA), Spring (SP), and/or Summer (SU) as designated.

For those interested in specialized areas of study, the CER department offers coursework aligning with several credential options and offers one post-baccalaureate certificate, Pupil Personnel Services (PPS). 

Currently admitted master's degree-seeking students from the Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and the Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling programs are eligible to apply for the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) and the Licensed Marriage Family Therapist (LMFT) credentials, respectively. 

The School Counseling option from Fresno State is eligible to apply for Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) credential.

Please note that graduates apply for credentials (i.e., CRC, LPCC, LMFT, NCC, etc.) upon degree completion, and certificates can only be earned in conjunction with the counseling MS, and prerequisites for these courses are required. Please visit program-specific pages for additional credentialing information. 

The CER department and all associated programs/credentials are moving towards a paperless department. Below is a listing of important documents relevant to current student matriculation.

CRMHC Resources