Frequently Asked Questions
for School Counseling Applicants
The deadline is March 1st. Give yourself ample time to complete the requirements. See the instructions for admission, the CBEST and livescan on our Admissions page: http://www.soe.usfca.edu/departments/counpsych/sc-admissions.html.
Students who are interested in the School Counseling Program are NOT required to take the GRE.
Applicants are screened by our Admissions officer and the Dean’s office. Applications that are complete and meet our criteria are sent to the Program Coordinator (Professor Christine Yeh) and additional staff (Estella Pabonan) for further screening. Applicants are then selected and invited for an interview with the Program Coordinator. Admissions decisions are made within 1-2 weeks of the interview. Applicants are notified by mail regarding their admissions decision.
Yes, we screen and interview candidates once their applications are complete. We STRONGLY encourage applicants to submit their applications early.
We do not offer this option. We only accept students into our Masters Degree program with the specialization in School Counseling. This program fulfills the requirements which lead to the PPS Credential.
No, students must enroll in either the School Counseling or the MFT program. It is also difficult to transfer courses from the MFT program into the School Counseling Program since our courses are approved by the CCTC for the PPS Credential.
Students are permitted to transfer up to 6 credits but these must be approved by the Program Coordinator, Dean's Office, and Credentials Office. Some of the criteria include:
- Courses must be at the graduate level;
- Courses must be from an accredited institution;
- Credits must meet the requirements of the CTC;
- Students must submit transcripts reporting the grades for the credits;
- Students must submit syllabi for the courses.
In addition, there is paperwork to be completed and signed by various staff.
Fieldwork begins when your school site's academic school year starts.
No, this program is geared primarily for applicants who are interested in working as a School Counselor at an elementary, a middle, or a high school.
Yes. Many School Counseling students work full time. However, keep in mind that you will need to have flexibility in your job so you can still complete the fieldwork component of the Program. You will likely need to commit to 2 days a week at your fieldwork site.
Yes. Because classes are taught during “teaching weekends,” students live in various cities around the Bay Area (and even Southern California) and commute to USF for classes. Students are able to complete the fieldwork component outside of San Francisco. For example, many students live in the East Bay Area and do their fieldwork in Oakland or Hayward. It is important to know that professors will often require group projects. If you live outside the city, it is a good idea to connect with students who live in your area to study and collaborate on group projects together.
A large number of graduates find themselves being offered positions from their fieldwork sites as well as other classmates’ sites. There is a large amount of networking done throughout the Program, which provides constant updates on job opportunities upon graduation.
Fall and spring semester classes are taught on Teaching Weekends (approximately every other weekend) which include Friday nights (5:00-9:45 p.m.) and Saturdays (8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 1:00-5:45 p.m.). During the summers, courses meet for 6 consecutive weekends. First year students have 5 classes on Thursday evenings in the summer.
More questions?
Contact Donna Sellers, Program Assistant, at 415-422-6868 or dlsellers@usfca.edu
