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 who do not meet this requirement but meet the University minimum GPA requirement for graduate admissions (2.5) may be considered for admission at the discretion of the program admission committee based on compelling evidence of academic and professional potential (i.e. recent academic performance, extensive experiential background) as described in the Statement of Purpose.

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 experience with competencies related to the program (e.g., reflection, critical thinking, professional ethics, valuing diversity, collaboration, life-long learning)

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.  Three 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.  

You must meet this requirement by ONE of the following:

• Meet the writing requirement through Basic Skills Requirement (BSR).  See Basic Skills Requirement tab below for addtional information.
• Obtaining a minimum passing score on the Upper Division Writing Examination (UDWE).
• Earning a grade of "B" or better in any "W" course taken at Fresno State. (Note: This course cannot be counted toward your graduate degree.)
• Substitution request approved by the Graduate Programs Coordinator (Dr. Susan Tracz) for a course taken at another institution. 

 To have courses that you have taken at another institution reviewed for substitution, please complete the Writing Competency Substitution form.

Please email the form, along with the required documents to the Renee Petch, the Graduate Admissions Analyst at rpetch@csufresno.edu

Forms may also be submitted in person to the Center for Advising and Student Services, Kremen Building room 100, or they may be mailed to:

Kremen School of Education and Human Development
Center for Advising and Student Services
Attn:  Renee Petch
5005 N. Maple Ave, M/S 301
Fresno, CA 93740

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 

ERE 153 Substitution Request form

Please email the form, along with the required documents to the Renee Petch, the Graduate Admissions Analyst at rpetch@csufresno.edu

Forms may also be submitted in person to the Center for Advising and Student Services, Kremen Building room 100, or they may be mailed to:

Kremen School of Education and Human Development
Center for Advising and Student Services
Attn:  Renee Petch
5005 N. Maple Ave, M/S 301
Fresno, CA 93740

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

With the passage of the 2021-22 State Budget agreement, California expanded the choices available to credential candidates by permitting, for the first time, relevant collegiate-level coursework to be used to meet the Basic Skills (BSR) in lieu of the California Basic Education Skills Test (CBEST).

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:

1. Verification of passing all three subtests of the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST). The CBEST can be taken in a test center or online.
2. An official score report that verifies passing the College Board SAT Reading or Verbal (500) and SAT Mathematics (550) if test taken before March 2016.
3. An official score report that verifies passing the College Board SAT Reading and Writing (560) and SAT Mathematics (570) if test taken after March 2016.
4. An official score report that verifies passing the ACT English (22) and ACT Mathematics (23)
5. Verification of passing the California Subject Examination for Teachers (CSET): Writing Skills exam and CSET: Multiple Subject exam
6. Verification of a score of 3 or higher on the AP English Language and Composition or the AP English Literature and Composition Exam and a score of 3 or higher on the AP Calculus or Statistics Exam

Complete the BSR Audit Request Form verifying approved coursework or combination of coursework and exams and email the form along with transcripts and/or exam scores to Renee Petch, Graduate Admissions Analyst at rpetch@csufresno.edu

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

In addition to the above requirements, applicants must include:

• 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:

• 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 not be accepted in lieu of a valid teaching credential or Certificate of Clearance
  
• Prerequisite COUN 174 and ERE 153