California State University, Fullerton · Department of Counseling

M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy (Traditional Program)

Awarded degree: Master of Science in Counseling

Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Master'sMS CACREP

Overview

A 63-unit, face-to-face master's program in clinical mental health counseling that admits a cohort each fall. Students complete a practicum year at community agencies totaling 700 hours, including 280 direct client contact hours.

Official program name: M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy (Traditional Program)
Awarded degree: Master of Science in Counseling
Source: hhd.fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Degree level: Master's
Counseling specialty: Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Source: hhd.fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Professional purpose: Clinical counselor preparationThe institution states the program prepares students for professional counselor licensure. Licensure itself also requires post-degree supervised experience, an examination and a state application.
Source: hhd.fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026
School: California State University, Fullerton — Department of Counseling
Source: hhd.fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Location: Fullerton, CA
Required credits: 63 units
Source: hhd.fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Duration: can be completed in less than four years and up to five years depending on the pace chosen by the student (depends on the pace chosen by the student)
Source: hhd.fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Start terms: Fall
Source: hhd.fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Teaching language: English (not separately stated)

A separate part-time evening cohort of the same degree is offered through University Extension every three years; it is closed to applications through Spring 2028.

Why this program is listed

Master's degree in counseling preparing clinical mental health counselors (CACREP clinical mental health counseling).

Source: hhd.fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026

We list counseling bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees whose official program is counselor preparation in a named specialty, and — separately labelled — counseling psychology. Generic psychology, education, social work and standalone MFT degrees are excluded. Eligibility rules

Format and campus attendance

How coursework is delivered and whether you must come to campus for it. Practicum and internship are a separate requirement, shown in the next section. “Fully online coursework” appears only when the school says no campus attendance is required.

Academic delivery: On campusClasses meet in person on campus.
Source: hhd.fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Class schedule: Not verified
Study intensity: Full-time or Part-time
Source: hhd.fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Practicum, internship and placements

Supervised fieldwork in a clinical, community or school setting, as the school publishes it. For online programs this happens in person, usually near where you live — whatever the coursework format.

Practicum: Required700 hours. 700 practicum hours during the practicum year, including a minimum of 280 direct client contact hours
Source: hhd.fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Practicum: Required100 hours. Beginning practicum: 100 total hours, 40 of them direct client contact
Source: hhd.fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Placement arrangements and supervision

Placement location: Practicum at a clinical mental health agency in the community
Source: hhd.fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Other fieldwork requirement: Approximately 15-20 hours per week for three consecutive semesters of supervised practicum, including summer
Source: hhd.fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026

How practicum and internship placements work

Curriculum

Capstone

COUN 597 Final Project; advancement to Final Project is required the semester before
Source: hhd.fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Academic calendar

At least one summer session is required toward the end of the program
Source: hhd.fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Admissions

Required, optional, waived and not-required items are shown exactly as the university states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.

Prior degree: RequiredBachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution
Source: hhd.fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Minimum GPA: RequiredMinimum 3 — Minimum 3.0 GPA for the undergraduate degree; no GPA exceptions or conditional admission
Source: hhd.fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Statement / essay: RequiredDetailed personal statement of approximately 1,000 words
Source: hhd.fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Recommendation letters: Required3 letters — Three letters of recommendation, at least one academic
Source: hhd.fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Résumé / CV: Required1-2 page resume or CV
Source: hhd.fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Interview: RequiredInterview with department faculty, by invitation only
Source: hhd.fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Tests

GRE General Test: Not requiredGRE scores are not accepted.
Source: hhd.fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances.

Start dates and deadlines

Dates are shown with the term the university printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

Application deadline
January 15, 2027 · for Fall 2027
Source: hhd.fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Upcoming

Tuition and fees

Each amount keeps its student category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-term and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other, and tuition is not the full cost of attendance.

Category	Amount	Basis and year
Resident (in-state) — Graduates and Post-Baccalaureate Full-Time (7 units or more per semester), California residents, 9-month mandatory tuitionFrom the university-wide rate table covering online students at this level	$8,548	per academic year · 2026-2027Source: fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Other published fees

Campus Fees (2026-2027 standard 9-month budget): $1,678 per academic yearMandatory
Source: fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Funding

Funding policy and awards exactly as the school publishes them. Competitive scholarships and assistantships are not guaranteed funding; loans must be repaid and are not scholarships. Counseling tuition and scholarships

Funding classification: Funding not verified

We have not verified an official funding policy for this program. That does not mean funding is unavailable.

Scholarships, fellowships or assistantships for this program: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Accreditation and enrollment restrictions

Institutional accreditation covers the whole school; programmatic accreditation (CACREP) covers only the specialty and degree it lists. Enrollment restrictions for online students are a separate question.

Institutional accreditation

WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) — accreditedSource: ope.ed.gov · verified October 12, 2026

Programmatic accreditation

Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)Status: Accredited · Specialty: Clinical Mental Health Counseling · Degree: M.S.Accredited since July 9, 2013 · current cycle ends October 31, 2031Source: cacrep.org · verified October 11, 2026

Published enrollment restrictions (state authorization)

None recorded for this program.

International applicants

Not verified for this program.

Licensure and professional disclosures

What the school publishes about professional licensure or certification. Meeting a state's educational requirements is only one part of licensure: examinations, post-degree supervised experience, background checks and a board application follow. This directory does not decide whether you qualify.

LicensureApproved by the California BBS to meet educational requirements for LPCC licensure in California Official disclosureSource: hhd.fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026
LicensureThe CSU has not determined whether its programs meet other states' licensure requirements Official disclosureSource: hhd.fullerton.edu · verified October 12, 2026

CACREP accreditation does not guarantee licensure in every state, and school counselor certification is not the same as clinical counselor licensure. LPC, LMHC and other state titles · School counselor credentials

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below. Last verified October 12, 2026.

hhd.fullerton.edu/counsel/_resources/pdfs/current-student/Student%20Handbook%208_4_2026%20accessible — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
hhd.fullerton.edu/counsel/admission/index.html — Official admissions page, verified October 12, 2026
hhd.fullerton.edu/counsel/degree/index.html — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
hhd.fullerton.edu/counsel/degree/licensure-preparation.html — Official disclosure page, verified October 12, 2026
DAPIP — WSCUC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-12) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 12, 2026
CACREP Directory of accredited programs (CSV export downloaded 2026-10-11) — Accreditor directory, verified October 11, 2026
fullerton.edu/titan-hub/financial-aid/index.html — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026

Something out of date? Request a correction · Represent this school? Claim the profile

Key facts

Degree
MS · Master'sClinical counselor preparation
Specialty
Clinical Mental Health Counseling
CACREP
Accredited (matched in the CACREP directory)
Delivery
On campus
Campus attendance
On-campus classes
Practical training
On-campus classes; practicum required800 practicum hours
Study intensity
Full-time or part-time
Length
can be completed in less than four years and up to five years depending on the pace chosen by the student (depends on the pace chosen by the student) · 63 units
Tuition
$8,548 per academic yearResident (in-state) — Graduates and Post-Baccalaureate Full-Time (7 units or more per semester), California residents, 9-month mandatory tuition, 2026-2027
Next deadline
January 15, 2027 (Fall 2027)
Location
Fullerton, CA

Official program page How to apply

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CounselingSchools.net is independent and not affiliated with California State University, Fullerton. Information is collected from official pages and can change; confirm requirements, costs, deadlines and licensure eligibility with the school and your state board.