Master of Science in Counseling and College Student Personnel (CSP)

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You came to this work because you want to help students. California Lutheran University helps you build the counseling skills and higher education knowledge to do it well.

The MS in Counseling and College Student Personnel program focuses on the real work of college counseling: helping students make decisions, recover from setbacks, understand their options and keep moving toward graduation. You’ll work through counseling theory in depth, building foundational frameworks and the microskills you’ll use in every conversation with a student.

The program includes 300 hours of supervised practice at a college or university of your choice, so you can connect coursework to the day-to-day work of serving students. Graduates go on to roles in academic advising, career counseling, retention, student conduct, dean’s offices and other areas of higher education.

Advocate

At the center of the MS in Counseling and College Student Personnel is the cultural proficiency model. This approach challenges you to examine your own background and identity first, so that when you sit across from a student whose experience is different from yours, you can recognize what’s at play and respond in a way that actually helps.

Educate

College counseling involves teaching, but the lesson is rarely on a syllabus. Instead, the work is guiding students through major declarations, transfer plans, career decisions and the occasional academic setbacks that happen to the best of us.

Transform

Counselors change the trajectory of a student’s college experience and, often, the rest of their life. We take this responsibility seriously, and we know you do too. That’s why we built the program around the practical skills you need to do this work well, taught by people who do it themselves.

Why Choose Cal Lutheran for your Master’s in Counseling and College Student Personnel (CSP)?

• Convenient options for busy schedules: Our program offers two paths to complete your degree. You can take evening classes at the Thousand Oaks campus or choose an online option that combines on-demand study with regular live sessions.
• Standards-backed skills: You’ll build cultural proficiency, add important microskills, and develop the professional competencies defined by ACPA and NASPA — the associations that set the field’s expectations for student affairs work.
• Real-world experience: Whether you study in person or online, you’ll complete two 150-hour placements on site at a college or university. We also provide support to find your ideal site.
• Student-centered learning: Our small class sizes and cohort model encourage you to have meaningful engagement with faculty and classmates. You’re part of a supportive community no matter whether you study online or in-person. You’ll also have access to personalized support through one-on-one advising.

What Will You Learn in the Master’s in College Counseling Program?

The MS in Counseling (CSP) is a 45-credit program. The in-person option takes 2.5 years and the online option takes 1.5 years, with students typically taking two courses per term.

The program runs as a cohort, so you’ll move through the curriculum alongside the same group of classmates.

Sample courses include:

• Introduction to Student Affairs Practice
• College Student Development
• Counseling Theory and Practice
• Microskills of Counseling
• Law and Ethics in Higher Education
• Group Counseling in Higher Education
• College Student Retention and Resiliency Development
• Field Studies in College Student Personnel (300 total hours of supervised experiences)

See the complete course lists for the in-person and online degrees →

Program Outcomes

When you graduate, you’ll be able to:

• Design, implement and evaluate needs-based counseling and guidance programs in colleges and universities.
• Consult and collaborate with instructors and other professionals in order to support student success.
• Advise students about their educational plans and career plans.
• Counsel students individually and in groups about their personal and social development through a multicultural and pluralistic lens.
• Understand factors contributing to and methods and programs for supporting student retention and success.
• Serve as an advocate for equity, inclusion, and social justice.

Who Is the MS in Counseling and College Student Personnel (CSP) For?

The program is built for professionals of all backgrounds, including those already working full time. Students take two or three courses per term, in the evening or fully online, so you can finish the degree without stepping away from your current work.

Many students come into the MS in Counseling (CSP) already working in higher education. They work in areas like admissions, advising, residence life, financial aid or career services, and they want the counseling foundation to take on more responsibility, move into a dedicated counseling role or do their current job better.

Others are aiming at specific positions like community college counselor, where the master’s degree is the baseline requirement.

Some students come in from outside higher education. They’re often career changers, or people who remember a counselor making a real difference during their own time in college and want to give that to someone else.

If your goal is to work with K-12 students, the Master of Science in Counseling and Pupil Personnel Services is designed around that age group and leads to California’s PPS Credential in School Counseling.

What Can You Do With a Master’s in College Counseling?

You can use this degree to serve students across every part of college life. The titles vary by institution and department, but the through-line is the same. You become someone a student can turn to.

In California, the master’s is the credential that opens most of these roles. Counselor positions at the state’s 116 community colleges, the largest higher education system in the country, require a master’s in counseling or a closely related field. So do many counseling and student affairs positions at California State University, the University of California system and private institutions across the state.

Beyond meeting credential requirements, every college benefits from counselors who can provide students with evidence-based, culturally responsive support.

Read more about what you can do with a master’s in college counseling.

Where Our Alumni Work

• California Lutheran University
• California State University, Channel Islands
• California State University, Northridge
• California State University, San Marcos
• Coastline Community College
• College of the Canyons
• College of the Desert
• Colorado State University
• Glendale Community College
• Johnson & Wales University
• Los Angeles City College
• Los Angeles Mission College
• Los Angeles Pierce College
• Los Angeles Valley College
• Moorpark College
• Mt. San Jacinto College
• Orange Coast College
• Oxnard College
• Pepperdine University
• Santa Barbara City College
• University of California, Los Angeles
• University of California, Santa Barbara
• University of California, Santa Cruz
• University of San Francisco
• University of Southern California
• Ventura College
• Yavapai College

Common Career Paths

• Academic advisor
• Academic counselor
• Admission counselor
• Assistant dean or dean of students
• Assistant director or director of student support services
• Career counselor
• Disability support services counselor
• EOPS counselor
• Financial aid counselor
• Housing and residence life professional
• Orientation and new student programs coordinator
• Retention specialist or counselor
• Sexual violence prevention and response counselor
• Student engagement coordinator
• Student affairs coordinator
• Student athlete counselor
• Student conduct officer
• Student success counselor
• Title IX officer
• Transfer counselor

Frequently Asked Questions