SFSU title

Welcome to the

Department of Counseling

CHHS >> Counseling >> Prospective Students >> Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 

When do I apply for admission into the graduate program?

 

Department applications are available late summer for the fall semester the following year. There are no spring admissions. All students must apply online to the university, and both applications must be RECEIVED by January 14th – NO EXCEPTIONS. Prospective candidates are notified of their status by the department no later than May 1st. The university makes the final admissions decision after we submit our department recommendations to the Graduate Division. International students should apply to the university as soon as possible. Full and complete instructions for both applications are contained in the Counseling Department application.

Back to top

 

 

Do you have spring admissions?

 

We do not have spring admissions. We are a fall admission program only.

Back to top

 

 

I want to apply to the department of counseling for 2010-2011. How do I accomplish this?

 

To obtain a department application, see the last FAQ question at the bottom of this page. The department will hold one prospective student orientation meeting, click here for more info. This meeting will describe the program, specialized counseling areas, requirements, and the department selection procedure. Due to the large number of department applications, this session will be the only formal opportunity for applicants to secure information and to ask questions. There is a $25 nonrefundable application fee.

Back to top

 

 

Are there prerequisites required before enrollment in the Department of Counseling?

 

All of the undergraduate psychology classes must have been completed within ten years from the date of enrollment or by the end of the first fall semester in which the student is enrolled in the program. In addition, classes taken for credit will not be accepted. You must receive a letter grade of C or better. A grade of C- will not be accepted. COUN 690 may be taken prior to or during the first semester in residence, but must have been taken within five years of the date of enrollment. Counseling 690 is not required for the M.S. Rehab degree program unless you plan on taking an additional specialization in the Department.

 

COUN 690, which can be taken during your first semester in our program and is only required if you are not a Rehabilitation Counseling student only. COUN 690 can only be taken at SFSU.

 

The 3 psychology prerequisites and their online course descriptions are:

  • PSYC 431 – Lifespan Developmental Psychology. Fundamental principles of developmental psychology; origin and development of behavior. Must be a course that spans throughout the lifespan, i.e. from birth to death.
  • PSYC 451 – Theories of Personality. Survey of the major contemporary theories of personality. Theoretical positions are compared and critically examined along various significant dimensions, including their relationships to the total field of psychology. Methods of personality assessment as related in theory construction.
  • PSYC 452 – Abnormal Psychology, Minor Variants of Personality. The nature and development of emotional disturbances which result in a person's failure to adapt adequately in this society; contemporary theories of personality development as well as a clinical description of the neuroses.

 

At this time, we do not have the resources to verify equivalent courses at other institutions. Since these are undergraduate level courses, they are generally offered under similar titles across different Universities. If you are interested in taking the prerequisites at another school and they do not have the same course titles, then you must read the course descriptions and decide if the courses meet our requirements. For example, we require a lifespan developmental psychology course. If the title of the course you are interested in at another institution only says “Developmental Psychology”, then you will need to verify that the class covers psychological development throughout the entire lifespan, i.e. from birth to death. Use that institutions course bulletin, catalog, or online descriptions for verification. Note: Psychopathology, which is the science or study of mental disorders, is also known as Abnormal Psychology.

Back to top

 

 

I would like to apply for the fall 2010 academic year and take classes in your program prior to being admitted into the department. Is this possible?

 

Yes. Prior to being admitted into the department, you may take the following classes (IF you have completed the required prerequisite to each course) in the fall, spring, or summer semesters through Open University on a space available basis: COUN 690 (open to undergraduates), COUN 700, COUN 702, and COUN 703. Please note that the prerequisites (1), (2), and (3) described in the next paragraph must be completed before registering for COUN 700, 702, and 703.

Back to top

 

 

Similar to the prior FAQ, I would like to take classes in your program without being enrolled as a student in your department. Is this possible? OR, I am currently a student of another program/at another school, can I take classes in your department?

 

You may only take the following classes (if you have completed the required prerequisite to each course) through Open University on a space available basis: COUN 690 (open to undergraduates), COUN 700, COUN 702, and COUN 703. Please note that the prerequisites (1), (2), and (3) described in the next paragraph must be completed before registering for COUN 700, 702, and 703. For any other course not designated in this answer, you will not receive permission to enroll for any of our courses prior to the first day of class.

 

Our top priority is our program students. Once our students have settled into their courses after the first two weeks of class, we will consider permitting non-program students into additional courses through the Open University system. Because we will not know final enrollments until the beginning of each semester, there is just no way to know if there is going to be space available. So, you will have to wait until classes start to first see if there is space available. Then, we will consider your needs and qualifications to enroll in our courses. Please note: we have no obligation to permit any non-program student into any of our graduate program courses.

Back to top

 

 

What are your general admissions requirements?

  • Optional Attendance at an orientation.
  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited undergraduate institution.
  • Minimum 3.0 grade point average for the last 60 units completed.
  • GRE Analytical Writing Score.
  • Complete program application. Incomplete and late applications will not be considered.
  • Complete online application to the university, also known as the CSU Mentor application or SFSU university application (in an entirely separate process).
  • In-person interview (if required by program of interest).

 

For international students, please contact the Office of International Programs (phone icon 1.415.338.1293) for additional deadlines, information, and procedures. Further, the University’s requirements can be found at the Division of Graduate Studies webpage.

All of the above requirements will be explained in great detail at an orientation session or within the contents of the program application packet.

Back to top

 

 

Is the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) required?

 

Yes, the GRE is required. All applicants are required to include a copy of their GRE scores along with their program application.

Please Note: Your GRE scores will not determine our recommendation to either admit or deny you admission to our program. We only use this score chiefly as a measure of writing proficiency and not necessarily for admission. We will review the Analytical Writing score so that we may determine your writing needs before you enter the program. We will not automatically disqualify applicants for admission because of their GRE Analytical Writing score. However, our department expects our students to write at the graduate level. Those who do not meet the minimum writing expectation, that is a 4.0 on the Analytical Writing Section of the GRE General Test, upon admission will be required to take a writing course, usually at an additional cost.

Sign up for the GRE General Test, which is administered either via computer or via pencil and paper. Information regarding this exam can be found here or you may call them at 1.800.GRE.CALL. Again, official documentation of scores (copy or original) MUST BE submitted along with the application packet. Further information will be provided in the program application.

Back to top

 

 

I am interested in more than one specialization. Is it possible to earn more than one specialization with the M.S. degree?

 

Yes. It is possible to obtain more than one specialization with the M.S. degree; for example, you may obtain an M.S. in Counseling with a concentration in Marriage, Family, & Child Counseling and a secondary specialization in another area (i.e., Career, College, Gerontology, Rehabilitation, or School); however, additional courses and fieldwork hours are required.

Back to top

 

 

What is the difference between your MFT program in Counseling and the MFT program in Psychology?

 

For a complete understanding of the differences between our two programs, please read over our Mission Statements. For Counseling MFT program, go to counseling.sfsu.edu/main.aspx. For the Clinical Psychology program, go to bss.sfsu.edu/clinicalpsych. We have also prepared a quick table to explain the differences.

Back to top

 

 

Is it possible for me to talk with an individual faculty member at this time regarding the program?

 

Our orientation sessions are designed to answer all your questions. Due to the large number of applicants to the Department of Counseling, individual conferences are not readily available. COUN 690 is designed to answer most questions concerning the field of counseling as well as the department application process.

Back to top

 

 

I want to get my Master’s in Counseling but I work full time. Is it possible to do this? Do you offer online courses?

 

The Department of Counseling program is designed to take two years to complete on a full-time basis. However most students finish in three years. Many courses are offered in the late afternoon and several in the evening. A few courses are offered online. The majority of our curriculum is not offered as online courses.

Back to top

 

 

I am currently enrolled in another Masters in Counseling Program. Is it possible for me to transfer into your program? If so, how many units can I transfer into your program?

 

As we do not transfer students from other programs into our own, you would have to apply to our program as a new student. Note: we are a fall admissions program only. For information on applying to our program, please refer to the first two FAQ.

If you are admitted to our program, you can then transfer up to 12 units from your previous coursework into our program provided that those units were not applied to another degree and if they apply to a particular counseling course. Further, we do not do transfer evaluations until you are admitted into the program.

Back to top

 

 

What is the cost of tuition at San Francisco State?

 

For a breakdown of tuition and fees, please visit the Office of Financial Aid's webpage.

Back to top

 

 

What is the difference between an official and unofficial transcript?

 

An official transcript is one obtained from a registrar that arrives in a sealed, stamped envelope. An unofficial transcript may be a copy and may or may not have a registrar’s seal.

Back to top

 

 

How do I obtain an application to the Department of Counseling program?

 

Click to download pdf iconapplication.

To open the application properly, you must use Adobe Acrobat/Reader.

Back to top

 

 

 

 

SF State Home

Department of Counseling - San Francisco State University

1600 Holloway Ave - Burk Hall 524, San Francisco, CA 94132-4161

Phone: 1.415.338.2005 - Fax: 1.415.338.0594 - Email: counsel@sfsu.edu