Apply to the M.S. in Counseling, option in School Counseling Program

The supplemental program application is located in the "Program Materials" section in Cal State Apply.

In the "Program Materials" section, please upload copies of your unofficial transcripts.  This is for the program application only.

Please note:  For the university application, Graduate Admissions requires official transcripts from ALL colleges attended after high school, including transcripts with your most recently completed courses, are required for admission. 

Fresno State graduates are not required to submit Fresno State transcripts to the Admissions Office.

How do I submit official transcripts? 
Electronic- transcripts sent electronically or as a PDF attachment MUST come directly from the issuing institution. Transcripts emailed by the applicant will not be accepted for admission review. 

Have your institution email transcripts to:
Fresno State Admissions OR Fresno State Division of Graduate Studies
imaging@csufresno.edu*

Hardcopy- transcripts must remain in their original, sealed envelope. 

Transcripts should be mailed to:
Graduate Admissions Office
California State University, Fresno
5150 N. Maple Ave M/S JA57
Fresno, CA 93740-8026

*This is a secure email for transcript submission ONLY. Email any questions regarding your application or transcripts to graduateadmissions@csufresno.edu.

Graduate program applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in all undergraduate units attempted and a minimum of 3.0 on any post baccalaureate work at Fresno State.

This is a 2 page (single-space, 12 size font, 1-inch margins) typed statement of your purpose for applying to the program.  Focus on your present situation and your short and long-term professional goals.  Make sure you address the following areas:

• Immediate educational goals that align with the curriculum of the counseling program
• Evidence of motivation to pursue and succeed in the counseling program
• Long-term career goals in relation to the counseling profession
• Evidence of past relevant skills that will allow you to be successful in the counseling program and profession

The General Program Recommendation with Letter Upload is required to be submitted by your recommender.  Request letters of reference from instructors, supervisors, or other individuals who are in a position to evaluate you in terms of your potential for graduate study in the program.  Two recommendations are required. 

In the "Recommenations" section, you will provide your recommender contact information.  Once you have saved an electronic recommendation, an email request will automatically be sent to the recommender on your behalf.  Please advise your recommender to look for this email in their inbox, as well as their spam or junk-mail folder, as emails do occasionally get filtered out.  

It is recommended that these courses be completed or in progress prior to applying to the program.  Please highlight the courses on your unofficial transcripts.  These courses cannot be older than 10 years: 

• COUN 174 OR PSYCH 174 - Introduction to Counseling
• COUN 176 -Counseling and Mental Health OR PSYCH 166 or 66 - Abnormal Psychology
• ERE 153 - Educational Statistics OR the following Fresno State equivalent courses:  PSYCH 144 or 143, SWRK 171 or 176, SOC 125, DS 123, or HS 202.

To have courses that you have taken at another institution reviewed for substitution, please click on the forms below: 

COUN 174 Substitution Request form

COUN 176 Substitution Request form 

Please email the form (COUN 174 and/or COUN 176), along with the required documents to the program coordinator.

ERE 153 Substitution Request form

Please email the form (ERE 153) , along with the required documents to Dr. Christian Wandeler - cwandeler@mail.fresnostate.edu

A Certificate of Clearance is an admission requirement for the School Counseling program.  Applicants will need to include a copy of their Certificate of Clearance in the application packet.  

30 day substitute teaching permits will no longer be accepted in lieu of the Certificate of Clearance.

Instructions on how to apply for the Certificate of Clearance

The California Education Code and Title 5 Regulations specify, in most cases, that applicants for a credential, certificate, or permit to serve in the public schools of California must verify basic skills proficiency before the credential, certificate, or permit will be issued. 

Please refer to the BSR FAQ page for additional information

Refer to Leaflet CL 667 and CTC options to meet the basic skills requirement (BSR). 

The BSR can be met with any one of the following options:

• These requirements will be cleared if you have a bachelor's or a master's degree from a regionally accredited institution.
• In-progress bachelor's degrees will be accepted to fulfill these requirements initially; however, your bachelor's degree needs to be conferred before you begin the program.
• If you completed your bachelor's degree at an international institution, you will need to have your transcript evaluated by a CCTC-approved agency to determine whether your degree is equivalent to one from a domestic, regionally accredited institution. If the agency states that your degree is not equivalent, you will need to attach one option:
  • CBEST scores (all 3 subtests)
  • BSR Evaluation Form (contact kremenschool@csufresno.edu)
  • SAT scores (if taken before March 2016, Reading or Verbal must be 500 and Math must be 550; if taken after March 2016, Reading and Writing must be 560 and Math must be 570) 
  • ACT English (22) and ACT Mathematics (23)
  • CSET: Multiple Subjects and CSET: Writing Skills
  • AP English Language and Composition Exam or AP English Literature and Composition Exam and AP Calculus or AP Statistics Exam (3 or higher)

Please note:  Final approval of qualifying college-level coursework to satisfy the Basic Skills Requirement is determined by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC).

Applicants passing the initial screening may be contacted for faculty interviews.

English Language Requirements
All graduate and postbaccalaureate applicants, regardless of citizenship, whose preparatory education was principally in a language other than English, must demonstrate competence in English. Those who do not possess a bachelor's degree from a postsecondary institution where English is the principal language of instruction must receive a minimum score of 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). (Some campuses require a higher score.) Applicants taking the computer-based TOEFL must present a score of 213 or above. (Some campuses or programs require a higher score.) In the case of graduate admissions, the CSU minimum for the internet (TOEFL iBT) version of the TOEFL is 80.

For questions, please contact Graduate Admissions at 559/278-4073 or graduateadmissions@csufresno.edu

• Have received a minimum of a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
• Evidence of passing Basic Skills Requirement.
• Copy of valid Teaching Credential or Certificate of Clearance - 30 day substitute teaching permits will no longer be accepted in lieu of a valid Teaching Credential or Certificate of Clearance.
  

In addition to the above requirements, applicants must include:

• Statement of Purpose
• Three letters of recommendation
• Professional Resume
  
• Prerequisite COUN 174 and ERE 153

If you are a current postbaccalaureate student, you do not need to apply through Cal State Apply.  Please complete the Request to Add PPS form and submit to the program coordinator by the posted Fall appliation deadline.