California State University-Los Angeles

Counseling and Psychology Degrees at CSULA

California State University-Los Angeles appears in our ranking of the Top 25 Most Affordable Master’s Degrees in Counseling in the West.

The College of Natural & Social Sciences offers a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a 25:1 student-faculty ratio for California State University-Los Angeles undergrads to explore the human mind's functioning. Led by Dr. Senqi Hu in King Hall's C-Wing, the 120-unit degree integrates courses from Ethnic Minority Mental Health to Aggression. Majors might also research in the Silver Eagle Memory Lab, attend the Psych Colloquium, pledge Psi Chi, volunteer with Optimist Youth Homes, and add the Gerontology Certificate. Some continue for the Master of Science in Forensic Psychology advised by Dr. Mitchell Eisnen to pursue criminal justice careers. The 34-unit plan blends courses like Courtroom Testimony with nine months of practicum and a thesis. Generalist doctoral prep is available in the 32-unit Master of Arts in Psychology and its state-of-the-art Multicultural Research Lab.

Since 1978, the Charter College of Education has conferred an accredited Master of Science in Counseling for Cal State LA post-grads seeking the advanced clinical methods to facilitate personal growth with PCC licensure after four tracks. The Rehabilitation Counseling option headed by Dr. Martin Brodwin admits Fall cohorts of 25 for 73-77 units devoted to disability services. Organized by Dr. Michael Carter, the 67-unit Marriage & Family Therapy option has courses like Domestic Violence to improve home lives. The School-Based Family Counseling option blends 80 units and 1,500 fieldwork hours under Dr. Emily Hernandez to complete the Pupil Personnel Services credential. The 76-unit School Psychology option spans three years of 5000-level evening courses for PPS credentialing centered on psychosocial child development. There's also a Certificate in Clinical Counseling or Certificate in Higher Education & Career Counseling available.

About California State University-Los Angeles

California State University-Los Angeles was opened in 1947 by P. Victor Peterson on the Rancho Rosa Castilla, which was settled a century earlier by Juan Bautista Batz. By 1972, it had started the first Chicano Studies degree, been welcomed into the 23-site CSU System, and gained WASC approval. In 1988, the renowned Edward R. Roybal Institute for Applied Gerontology was officially chartered. Spending $342.5 million per year, Cal State LA developed its 175-acre San Gabriel Valley campus five miles from Forbes' 91st best city for careers. The CCAA member now teaches 27,827 Golden Eagles, including Psychology and Counseling majors, at an average age of 24 with 1,031 faculty. Linked to 70,715 LinkedIn alumni, CSULA has graduated Billie Jean King, Edward James Olmos, Rosario Marin, Maxine Waters, James A. Bell, and others.

The U.S. News & World Report ranked Cal State LA the 59th best West college, 15th top public school, and 29th best for vets university with the 68th best rehabilitation counseling degree nationally. On Niche, CSULA has America's 108th most liberal education, 617th best diversity, and 848th safest campus. Forbes picked California State University-Los Angeles 521st overall with the 158th top value. The Equality of Opportunity Project recognized CSULA for the "highest mobility." College Factual honored Cal State LA for the country's 92nd most popular psychology program. WalletHub placed California State University-Los Angeles 399th for career outcomes and 390th for campus experience. In Washington Monthly, CSULA had the fourth highest master's graduation rate. PayScale also calculated the 401st best 20-year net ROI of $314,000 at CSU-Los Angeles.

California State University-Los Angeles Accreditation Details

In February 2011, California State University-Los Angeles submitted to its 10-year institutional review by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission to continue Level V accreditation under its seventh president, Dr. William Covino. Based 6.5 hours north in Burlingame, this Pacific accrediting body is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to check quality standards for CSULA's 129 baccalaureate, 112 master's, and three doctoral majors from Lancaster to Pasadena. The Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP) has extended Los Angeles' M.S. approval until October 2019. School psychology courses are approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) too.

California State University-Los Angeles Application Requirements

Enrolling at California State University-Los Angeles is called "moderately difficult" by Peterson's because 64 percent of the 35,429 applications in Fall 2016 were accepted. First-year Eagles swooping into the Psychology B.A. need to complete 15 college preparatory high school classes graded "C" or higher. Golden State residents need a minimum 2.0 GPA, but the cutoff rises to 2.45 outside California. To pass the eligibility index, scoring at least 510 on the SAT or 10 on the ACT is necessary. Psychology transfers with 60 units or an ADT degree need 2.9 GPAs or better. The Office of Graduate Studies mandates a cumulative bachelor's GPA above 2.75. The M.S. in Forensic Psychology considers 31 PSY units prerequisite. The M.S. in Counseling's School Psychology option only requires one Inferential Statistics course graded "B."

California State University-Los Angeles enforces B.A. in Psychology deadlines of August 31st for Spring and November 30th for Fall. The Psychology Department accepts M.A./M.S. candidates until February 15th yearly. Starting the Master of Science in Counseling means meeting the January 15th deadline. Log into the Cal State Apply website to submit the corresponding application online. Hard copies might be mailed to Student Affairs 101 at 5151 State University Drive in Los Angeles, CA 90032. Please contact (323) 343-2901 or [email protected] for further guidance. The application checklist will likely include these:

• $55 non-refundable fee (or waiver request)
• One copy of secondary/college transcripts
• Three letters of faculty recommendation
• Officially reported SAT/ACT scores
• Areas of interest statement (400-500 words)
• Scanned teaching certification if applicable

Tuition and Financial Aid

For 2017-18, California State University-Los Angeles charged full-time CA residents $4,033 for semester tuition. Out-of-state B.A. in Psychology students paid an extra $396 per unit for $8,785 each term. Living at the "Angeltown" campus added $13,356. Budgets should include $1,948 for books, $1,450 for personal supplies, and $1,453 for transport. Annual bachelor's attendance equaled roughly $24,839 in-state and $34,343 out-of-state. Counseling or Psychology M.S. programs are priced at $8,073 per year with a $396 non-resident fee per unit.

According to the NCES College Navigator, 83 percent of full-time CSULA Golden Eagles claw onto $173.16 million annually for average financial aid packages of $8,703 each. There are over 400 institutional awards, including the Brodwin Family Scholarship, Glenda L. Vittimberga Memorial Scholarship, Harry Smallenburg Scholarship, Michael W. Roffe Scholarship, Georgia-Mae Adams Scholarship, and Charles Wang Scholarship. Filing the FAFSA application with code 001140 determines Federal Pell Grant and SEOG Grant eligibility for 12 semesters. Grape State natives drink up Cal Grant, State University Grant, Middle Class Scholarship, and Chaffee Grant funds. The Federal Work-Study program offers up to $4,000 annually with positions listed on CareerLink. The Veterans Resource Center helps claim Yellow Ribbon Program benefits. Money magazine also reports median debt of $11,402 from Direct, Perkins, California Dream, and Graduate Plus loans.

Learn more about California State University-Los Angeles at the Psychology Department website.