- On Campus
Master of Science in Counseling and Pupil Personnel Services (PPS)
Learn School Counseling From Working Counselors and Earn California’s PPS Credential
Format
On-campus courses at Thousand Oaks
Cohort-based
Classes of fewer than 25 students
Optional specializations
Child Welfare and Attendance, College Counseling
Leads to
California's PPS Credential in School Counseling
Next start date
August 23, 2027
K-12 school counselors shape generations. They advocate for students who can’t yet advocate for themselves and help students understand who they could become. The Master of Science in Counseling and Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) gives you the counseling skills, field experience and the credential to do that work in California schools.
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Date: Thursday, October 22, 2026
Time: 6:00–7:30 p.m. PT
Format: In-person On campus
The coursework builds your expertise in counseling theory, child and adolescent development and the legal and ethical frameworks of K-12 education.
You’ll also spend significant time in K-12 schools completing a supervised practicum and two field studies under credentialed school counselors. When you graduate, you’re eligible for California’s PPS Credential in School Counseling.
The MS in Counseling (PPS) program runs as a cohort at our Thousand Oaks campus. Classes meet in the evening on weeknights, so you can complete the degree while continuing to work.
Request Information
To learn more about the graduate degree programs offered by the Cal Lutheran Graduate School of Education and download a brochure, please fill out the form. You can also get in touch with an enrollment specialist directly by calling us at 805-493-3325 or for the online Master of Science in Counseling and College Student Personnel call 805-521-9856.
“The program has staff and faculty that are thinking at the cutting edge of school counseling and are also leaders in the field. They are dedicated to improving the lives of students and share that with MS PPS candidates.”
Know Yourself
The PPS curriculum is built around the cultural proficiency model, which asks you to examine your own background and identity first. Once you understand how your own experiences shape what you see and how you respond, you can recognize what’s happening for a student whose experiences are different from yours and respond in a way that actually helps.
Know Your Students
K-12 students don’t always have the language for what they’re going through. The program grounds you in child and adolescent development, the ASCA framework for school counseling and the individual and group counseling skills you’ll use every day. You’ll learn to listen for what students aren’t saying as carefully as what they are saying.
Know the System
School counselors don’t work alone. You’ll coordinate with teachers, families, administrators to connect students to the resources they need across the K-12 system and beyond. The program prepares you to do that systems-level work in alignment with the legal and ethical frameworks that govern K-12 education in California.
Why Choose the Cal Lutheran Master’s in Counseling and Pupil Personnel Services (PPS)?
Schedule designed for working professionals: Classes meet on weeknight evenings in fall and spring, with two courses scheduled back-to-back on the same evening. In the summer, two classes meet on separate evenings each week during a six-week block, with one evening of asynchronous coursework. You can complete your degree at the Thousand Oaks campus.
Comprehensive counseling skillset: You’ll build cultural proficiency, develop individual and group counseling skills, and study the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) framework that shapes the field. By graduation, you’ll have the foundation employers look for and the practical skills to do the work well.
Student-centered experience: Small class sizes and a cohort structure mean your professors and classmates will know not just your name, but your goals and experiences as well. You’ll also receive personalized one-on-one advising on your degree plan and your career, plus help securing your field experiences and placements.
Optional specializations to deepen your preparation:
- The Child Welfare and Attendance (CWA) Specialization prepares you to support chronically absent students and improve school attendance — work that’s increasingly in demand as California tracks attendance on its School Dashboard.
- The College Counseling Specialization extends your preparation across the K-20 pipeline, so you can support students that transition to higher education.
What Will You Learn in the Master’s in School Counseling Program?
The MS in Counseling (PPS) is a 48-credit program that can be completed in three years, with students in the standard curriculum taking two courses per term.
The program runs as a cohort, so you’ll move through the curriculum alongside the same group of classmates. Two specializations are available: the Child Welfare and Attendance Specialization adds three credits, and the College Counseling Specialization adds twelve credits.
Sample courses in the PPS degree program include:
- Lifespan Human Development
- Law and Ethics in School Counseling
- Counseling Theory and Practice
- Microskills in Counseling
- Group Process and Leadership
- Career and College Development and Planning
- Diverse Perspectives in Education and Culturally Proficient Leadership
- Field Studies in School Counseling I and II (supervised practicum and field experience across two school levels)
See the complete PPS course list →
Program Outcomes
When you graduate, you’ll be able to:
- Design, implement and evaluate needs-based counseling and guidance programs in K-12 schools
- Consult and collaborate with teachers, parents and other professionals to support student success
- Advise students on their educational and career plans
- Counsel students individually and in groups about their personal and social development through a multicultural and pluralistic lens
- Understand the factors that contribute to student success, along with the methods and programs that support it
- Serve as an advocate for equity, inclusion and social justice
Talk To Someone Who Knows the Program
Our enrollment specialists are some of the best people to talk to when you’re considering Cal Lutheran’s MS in Counseling and College Student Personnel. They know the program deeply and they genuinely want to help you make the right call.
Who Is the Counseling and Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) Degree For?
This program is for people who want to work as K-12 school counselors, particularly in California. It leads to eligibility for California’s pupil personnel services credential in school counseling, which is required for these positions.
The students who come to the MS in Counseling (PPS) arrive with a range of starting points behind them, from teaching and classroom aide work to careers outside education entirely, but they share a reason for being here: they want to be the counselor a student remembers.
They also share a commitment to serving their community. Many want to work in the schools and districts where they grew up. Others want to serve students whose circumstances have been overlooked by the systems around them.
Since this program is offered in-person only, at the Thousand Oaks campus, students will need to be able to commute for one evening a week of on-campus classes.
If your goal is to work with college students, the Master of Science in Counseling and College Student Personnel is designed around that age group.
“The STRIVE Scholars program is geared to helping first-generation students find their voice, feel a sense of belonging and achieve personal and academic success.” — Norma Meza ’22
If you’re a first-generation student, we encourage you to explore our STRIVE Scholars program. It’s a community of first-generation scholars that supports a strong sense of belonging, as well as personal and academic success.
What Can You Do With a Master’s in School Counseling?
School counselors work with students at every stage of K-12. Elementary counselors work with kids at the beginning of their sense of self. Middle school counselors work with students as their world expands and things get more complicated. High school counselors work with students navigating college applications, first jobs and hard decisions about who they want to become.
The master’s in school counseling degree leads to meaningful work, and the need is real. California’s student-to-counselor ratio is among the highest in the country, and the state has been investing in expanding the school counseling workforce. Public schools across California need counselors who can support students academically, socially and emotionally.
The degree also qualifies you for California’s Pupil Personnel Services Credential in School Counseling, which is required for K-12 counseling positions in California public schools. So you’ll have the skills and the needed qualifications to get a job in the region.
Where Our Alumni Work
- Central Valley Unified School District
- Conejo Valley Unified School District
- Fillmore Unified School District
- Hueneme Unified School District
- Lancaster Unified School District
- Los Angeles Unified School District
- Moorpark Unified School District
- Oxnard School District
- Oxnard Union High School District
- Santa Barbara Unified School District
- Santa Paula Unified School District
- Simi Valley Unified School District
- Ventura Unified School District
Common Career Paths
- School Counselor (K-12)
- Guidance Counselor
- Academic Counselor
- Career Counselor
- Behavioral Disorder Counselor
- School District Counseling Coordinator
- Program Director
- Youth Advocate
- College Access and Success Programs
- Program Director
- Director of Student Services
Frequently Asked Questions
The MS in Counseling (PPS) can be completed in three years.
Adding a specialization does extend the timeline. The Child Welfare and Attendance Specialization adds three credits, and the College Counseling Specialization adds twelve credits.
See our curriculum page for more information about these specializations and additional credits.
Yes. The program is built for students who need to keep working while they earn their degree. In fall and spring, classes meet one evening per week for two back-to-back sessions on campus. In the six-week summer term, students attend two in-person evening classes per week, one class per evening, plus asynchronous online coursework completed each week.
Students should be aware that the practicum and field studies portions of the program involve significant supervised hours in K-12 schools, which typically happen during the school day. Many students plan for reduced work schedules or shift into education-adjacent roles during those terms to accommodate the fieldwork.
Visit our admissions page for more information about the course schedules.
For K-12 public schools, no. California’s Pupil Personnel Services Credential in School Counseling is required by the state for anyone working as a school counselor in a public school district, from kindergarten through 12th grade. The credential is issued by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing and is a non-negotiable qualification for public school counseling positions.
Private schools aren’t subject to this requirement under California Education Code, and hiring practices vary from school to school. That said, holding the PPS Credential widens the kinds of positions available to you across both public and private K-12 schools in the state.
For school counseling roles outside K-12 schools, other credentials or degrees may apply. Community college counselors, for example, are governed by different state regulations and typically need a master’s in counseling or a closely related field rather than the PPS Credential specifically.
To earn California’s Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) Credential in School Counseling, you need to complete four things:
- A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university
- A CTC-approved graduate program in school counseling, typically 48 units or more, including a supervised practicum
- The Basic Skills Requirement, often satisfied through the CBEST exam or their undergraduate studies
- A background check and Live Scan fingerprinting
Once these are complete, your graduate program recommends you to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC), which reviews the recommendation and issues the credential.
Cal Lutheran’s MS in Counseling (PPS) is CTC-approved and structured to meet the education and supervised experience requirements. Students who complete the program are eligible to be recommended for the PPS Credential in School Counseling.
We have more information in our step-by-step guide to becoming a school counselor in California.
The biggest difference is the age group you’ll serve.
- K-12 students are the focus of the MS in Counseling and Pupil Personnel Services (PPS). Completing the degree also prepares you for California’s PPS Credential in School Counseling, required to work as a school counselor in California public schools.
- College and university students are the focus of the MS in Counseling and College Student Personnel (CSP). Graduates work in academic advising, admissions, student affairs and career counseling.
We believe that anyone seeking graduate education should have that opportunity, and we’re here to help you make your goals a reality. In addition to support from faculty, advisors and peers, students in our master’s in college counseling have access to financial solutions and valuable academic resources.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
Cal Lutheran provides a diverse range of financial support opportunities, including internal and external funding sources and funding for current and future educators.
Veteran Resources
To honor those who serve and have served our country, we offer an accessible, high-quality education to veterans, military members and their families.
Cal Lutheran proudly participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program. In addition to small class sizes and personalized support, we help veterans achieve their goals through assistance with paperwork, academics and the college transition.
Learn more about veteran resources
DREAMers
We stand with undocumented students by assisting them with the admission and financial aid process. With a team of trained allies and cross-campus resources, we continue to support our DREAMers as they transition into the college lifestyle and become graduates of Cal Lutheran.
Learn about resources available to DREAMers
First-Generation Students
Graduate students who are the first in their families to pursue higher education can access dedicated resources via the STRIVE Scholars program.
Ready for more?
Explore on your own: Download a brochure, check admissions requirements or see the school counseling curriculum.
Talk with someone who knows the program: An enrollment specialist can answer questions and help you figure out if this is the right fit. Call 805-521-9856 to talk one-on-one.
