Counseling Psychology, MS (Online)

California Baptist University’s online Master of Science in Counseling Psychology degree program is designed to prepare students to enter the field of either marriage and family therapy or professional clinical counseling with a firm understanding of psychological science from a distinctly Christian worldview. Graduates will receive the education and training necessary to assess and treat individuals, couples, and families who are experiencing relational difficulties, and meets the current requirements for licensure in the state of California as a marriage and family therapist or licensed professional clinical counselor.

Additional Admission Requirements

Admission standards for graduate studies at California Baptist University can be found in the admissions section of the University Catalog. In addition, each candidate must meet the following requirements for this program:

A Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from an accredited institution of higher education recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and/or the Council of Higher Education Accreditation or the evaluated equivalency.
- Students whose undergraduate degree is not in Psychology must take either:
  - General Psychology (preferred) or Life Span Development
  - Outstanding prerequisite coursework must be completed within the first semester of graduate enrollment

Program Requirements (60-66 units)

Optional Professional Clinical Counselor Requirements (6 units)

The Professional Clinical Counselor requirements, when added to the core requirements, meets the academic requirements for licensure as a Professional Clinical Counselor (PCC) in California.

Comprehensive Examination

Students graduating from the Master of Science in Counseling Psychology (MSCP) Program within the Online Programs will be required to successfully complete a written comprehensive examination. Students will identify a case they treated during their practicum experience. After identifying the case, students will generate a formal written case report using a provided outline. Student will be evaluated by full-time faculty using a standardized rubric.

Psychotherapy Requirement

Students entering the graduate program in Counseling Psychology will be required to complete twenty-four (24) hours of individual psychotherapy or fifty (50) hours of group psychotherapy with a licensed psychotherapist. This therapy must be done outside the campus community and may not include therapists who have any teaching relationship with California Baptist University.

Students completing the psychotherapy requirement may obtain the psychotherapy form from the Academic offices.