Please note: The budget crisis in the state has badly impacted the program. We will not be admitting anyone in winter or spring 2010. We do not know if there will be sufficient funding to provide the program next year so we do not know if we will be allowed to admit people for fall 2010. Please continue to check here for changes. Please also consider providing feedback to your elected government representatives:

Assemblymember Jean Fulller http://arc.asm.ca.gov/member/32/
State Senator Roy Ashburn http://cssrc.us/web/18/
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger http://gov.ca.gov/interact

Welcome to the Master of Science program in Counseling Psychology at C.S.U.B.!


We offer a challenging program that includes two quarters of experience in the state-of-the-art CSUB University Counselor Training Clinic and field traineeships, all of which provide counseling services to the Bakersfield community.

Student Listening

The Program provides for:

  • A foundation in the theory of research and relationship-building expertise that contribute to strong therapeutic alliances with clients
  • Experiential learning, through which students learn and practice relevant skills and come to trust their own internal experiencing in work with clients.
  • An understanding and a sensitivity to the effects of diverse individual, familial, and cultural factors
  • The acquisition of proficiencies needed for life-long learning and continued professional development
The program offers a balance between:
  • Theory and practice
  • Science and art
  • Personal and professional development

Additional Features of the program:

  • Meets the board of behavioral sciences academic requirements for California licensure in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT)
  • Includes coursework in individual, family, group, and child/adolescent counseling, each of which has accompanying intervention or techniques classes
  • Involves 90 quarter units of coursework
  • Class times have been tailored for working professionals since they mainly meet between 4:00 and 10:00 pm on weekday evenings during the academic year
  • Full-time students can complete the program in two years
  • Three and four-year coursework sequences are available for part-time students
  • Fieldwork experience (Traineeship) can be obtained during the summer months.
Graduation