City University of Seattle

Psychology and Counseling Programs With a Global Perspective

The City University of Seattle appears in our ranking of the Top 25 Most Affordable Master’s Degrees in Counseling in the West.

The Bachelor of Applied Science in Psychology at The City University of Seattle is a degree program designed for people who need knowledge and skills in psychology in their professions. Professional counseling requires an advanced degree. The 180-credit undergraduate program contains 55 credits in lower-level liberal arts courses; two required preparatory courses (Introduction to Psychology and Understanding Human Development); 60 credits in core courses including Organizational Behavior, Psychology of Difference, Sociology of the Family and others; five credits of upper-level electives and 25 credits in electives.

The Master of Arts in Counseling can be earned in one of four tracks: Clinical Mental Health Counseling which meets the requirements for licensure ( LMHC), Addiction Counseling which meets the requirements for LMHC and Chemical Dependency Specialist (CDP), Marriage and Family Counselor which meets the licensure requirements for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Professional School Counseling which enables graduates to be licensed as K-12 school counselors in Washington State. The last track is not currently accredited by CACREP. The degree program in all tracks focuses on research and practicum; most courses are hands-on clinical mental health skills. It is presented in a cohort model in a face-to-face delivery with some online classes to reinforce classroom presentation. The program can be completed in two years if the student chooses the intensive schedule or in three years for working adults.

The Master of Education in Professional School Counseling program is also delivered in a cohort model with weekend classroom attendance and online courses through the week. The program is 80 percent face-to-face and 20 percent online. Students may elect to take the 54-credit version of the degree that includes Washington State Educational Staff Associate Residency certification. Full-time students can complete the degree in two years.

There also is an M.Ed. in School Counseling and a Master of Counseling program available in British Columbia and Canada. Canadian students may earn a graduate certification in Applied School Counseling.

About City University of Seattle

This university is a private school that is part of the National University System which consists of private, not-for-profit institutions. The student body is 6,755 worldwide in six colleges and online. CityU is intended to educate working adults. It has campuses in Canada, China, the Czech Republic, Mexico, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Vietnam. It partners with nine US colleges and 16 universities and institutions worldwide to offer degree programs and certifications.

The City University of Seattle began in 1973 as City College. It was established by Doctor Michael Pastore to educate working adults. The school had graduated more than 50,000 students as of 2014.

The City University of Seattle is unranked by the US News and World Report, but its online bachelor’s programs rank as # 31. It is ranked as # 12 for online business programs excluding the MBA and #172 for Best Online MBA. City University’s online computer IT programs rank as#40 through #52.

City University of Seattle Accreditation Details

American accreditation for the university is by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities which is an accrediting entity approved by the US Department of Education for colleges and universities in Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington State. The MA in Counseling degree is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs.

City University of Seattle Application Requirements

First-time undergraduate applicants should complete a university application. The school prefers an online application but will accept a paper form. There is a non-refundable application fee of $50. After the application is processed, students must arrange to have their high schools and any schools where they completed college coursework submit the official transcripts to CityU. Students should also arrange for their official SAT or ACT scores to be sent to the university.

Graduate students applying to CityU should complete an online application as well and pay a non-refundable application fee of $55. They should arrange for the schools where they completed their undergraduate degrees to send the official transcripts from the last two years of the degree program and any post-baccalaureate coursework to City University. Students who earned their degrees from non-grading universities must take the GRE, GMAT or MAT tests depending upon degree department requisites and have those scores sent to CityU as well.

Students seeking admission to Doctoral-level programs must arrange for submission of all graduate-level transcripts to the City University of Seattle. This can be done electronically through the school’s online application portal.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Tuition at City University varies by school and department. For instance, undergraduate tuition for undergraduate coursework in the School of Education is $361 per credit. In the College of Arts and Sciences undergraduate tuition is $389- $456 per credit. Tuition for the M.Ed. program is $520 per credit, The MIT program is $589 per credit, and the MA in Counseling courses are $590 per credit. The Professional School Counseling degree is $696 per credit. Post-graduate chemical dependency courses are $1,200 each. Doctoral-level courses are $742 per credit, a dissertation is $1,000 and the Doctoral Comprehensive Exam is $2,000.

Most students will need help to pay for their higher education. To get that help, American students should complete the FAFSA form. This government program awards grants, loans and work-study participation opportunities to students on the basis of financial need. Washington State awards several grants and scholarships as well. Some of these are: Transfer Scholarships, awarded to community college and trade school graduates who reside in Washington State and who are enrolling in four-year institutions, Diversity Scholarships which are awarded to students of color who intend to teach, the Enactus Scholarship which is awarded to student leaders worldwide, the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship, the Washington State College Board Scholarship, the Washington State Need Grant and the American Indian Endowed Scholarship. City University awards several scholarships on a merit basis, and students can find those on the school website. Outside scholarships are funded by private individuals, by service organizations and by corporations. These can be located through an Internet scholarship search. Students should exercise caution; scholarship portals should not charge for this information.

Once all “free” money is applied to student debt, the remainder can be addressed through student loans. These are low or no-interest loans for students and their parents that generally allow deferred repayment. Work-study programs and part-time jobs are great resources for paying student debts as well. They provide valuable experience and can be added to a resume. International students should study opportunities provided by their countries. The City University of Seattle offers students global perspectives in their programs, including studies in psychology and counseling, that add to the value of their degrees.