Career Counseling is a specialized discipline within the counseling profession. While all professional counselors learn to recognize the impact of work on mental health, career counselors receive advanced preparation to address the complex intersections of career and wellbeing from a systemic perspective. Career counselors offer unique expertise by integrating their clinical counseling skills with specialized tools to navigate an ever-evolving job market and global economy.
The Career Counseling specialization and emphasis programs prepare master’s-level counseling professionals to foster holistic career development across the lifespan. Career counseling training at SF State views work and career as deeply interconnected with personal, relational, and community wellbeing, mental health, and social justice. Students examine how systemic barriers, structural inequalities, trauma, and global labor market shifts influence educational and career decision making, life-work role transitions, and access to decent work – defined by the International Labor Organization as productive work for all people in conditions of freedom, equity, security, and human dignity.
Aligned with the CACREP Entry-Level Specialty Standards and NCDA standards, our curriculum equips students with the following foundational knowledge areas:
- Foundational and emerging career theories
- Culturally sustaining career assessment and evaluation
- Career decision-making processes
- Labor market research and guidance
- Practical job search and application strategies
- Ethical and responsible integration of digital tools and emerging technologies
- Evidence-based counseling models that address co-occurring mental health and career concerns across K–12, higher education, community agency, and private sector settings.
Students also develop applied process skills such as designing career development programs for specific populations; program delivery, facilitation, and teaching skills; comprehensive intake and case conceptualization; and advocacy while completing courses and internship experiences.
Graduates are positioned to become competitive candidates for rewarding counselor roles in higher education career services and student success programs, K–12 school settings, non-profit agencies, government workforce centers (e.g., American Job Centers and veteran transition programs), community mental health settings, private industry employee development (e.g., talent development specialist, outplacement consultant), and independent career consultation. Career counseling expertise presents a unique opportunity for students to prepare themselves for diverse pathways by completing relevant coursework and internship experiences in their desired settings. Graduates can become eligible for the California Professional Clinical Counselor License (LPCC) and Certified Career Counselor (CCC) credential (more information is provided below).
Elif Balin
Associate Professor
Career Counseling Coordinator
- Division of Graduate Studies Application (Cal State Apply)
- Resume
- Unofficial Transcript(s)
- Personal Statement and Affidavit of Authorship
- Summary of Experience Form
- Letters of recommendation
- Writing assessment
After admissions decisions are made, Coordinators will determine the incoming student's readiness for graduate level writing. This assessment will use the Personal Statement. It is essential that the applicant is the sole author of their personal statement (a verification of authorship is required in the application). Once admitted, students who have demonstrated a need to strengthen their writing skills will be required to take a writing course (HSS 700) in their first semester of the program. Students can also self-select to take the writing course for greater success in graduate level writing. - In-person interview (depending on Specialization)
According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS 2025–2035) data, the projected growth of jobs in the broad occupational category for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors is 6% in California and 4% in the U.S. corresponding to over 389,600 jobs nationwide, generating approximately 31,000 annual openings due to growth and workforce replacement. While these numbers may appear modest, federal data highlight expanding demand driven by higher education career center expansion, adult career transitions, veteran career navigation, and upskilling in response to fast technological changes. Graduates also benefit from increasing opportunities in adjacent fields, including Training and Development (+11% growth; 46,000 annual openings) and Mental Health Counseling (+18% growth; 50,500 annual openings).
To pursue the California Professional Clinical Counselor License (LPCC) within their 60-units of coursework, the career counseling student will need to select a 3-unit psychopharmacology course as their special expertise course and work with their academic advisor to identify a clinically oriented internship site. Please review California Board of Behavioral Sciences information here:
Career Counseling program graduates become eligible to apply for CCC with their coursework and completion of internship experience in career counseling.
Please review: https://www.ncda.org/aws/NCDA/pt/sp/credentialing_ccc
Curriculum
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| COUN 700 | Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy | 3 |
| COUN 702 | Developmental Foundations for Counselors | 3 |
| COUN 703 | Psychological Foundations for Counselors | 3 |
| COUN 705 | Counseling Practicum | 3 |
| COUN 706 | Counseling Skills and Process | 3 |
| COUN 715 | Assessment in Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 720 | Career Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 721 | Applied Career Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 727 | Advanced Career Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 736 | Advanced Counseling Process | 3 |
| COUN 738 | Addictions | 3 |
| COUN 741 | Crisis Counseling for Counselors | 3 |
| COUN 794 | Seminar in Research | 3 |
| COUN 811 | Group Counseling Process | 3 |
| COUN 833 | Social and Cultural Foundations in Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 857 | Law and Ethics for Counselors | 3 |
| COUN 704, 716, 737, 721 or 858 | Choose one of these courses for specialized expertise (Pref. Emphasis class) | 3 |
| COUN 890 | Integrative Counseling and Internship | 3 |
| COUN 891 | Case Studies and Internship Seminar | 3 |
| COUN 892 | Culminating Experience for Counselors | 3 |
| Total | 60 |
1st Semester - Fall
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Coun 833 | Social and Cultural Foundations | 3 |
| Coun 705 | Counseling Practicum | 3 |
| Coun 706 | Counseling Skills and Process | 3 |
| Coun 720 | Career Counseling | 3 |
| Coun 721 | Applied Career Counseling | 3 |
2nd Semester - Spring
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Coun 700 | Theories of Counseling | 3 |
| Coun 715 | Assessment in Counseling | 3 |
| Coun 727 | Advanced Career Counseling | 3 |
| Coun 736 | Advanced Counseling Process & Internship | 3 |
| Coun 794 | Seminar in Research | 3 |
3rd Semester - Fall
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Coun 702 | Developmental Foundations for Counselors | 3 |
| Coun 811 | Group Counseling Process | 3 |
| Coun 857 | Law and Ethics | 3 |
| COUN 704,716,737, 792 or 858 | Special expertise course | 3 |
| Coun 890 | Integrative Counseling / Internship | 3 |
4th Semester - Spring
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Coun 703 | Psychological Foundations | 3 |
| Coun 738 | Addictions Counseling | 3 |
| Coun 741 | Crisis Counseling | 3 |
| Coun 891 | Case Studies/Internship | 3 |
| Coun 892 | Culminating Experience | 3 |
1st Semester - Fall
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Coun 833 | Social and Cultural Foundations | 3 |
| Coun 720 | Career Counseling | 3 |
| Coun 721 | Applied Career Counseling | 3 |
2nd Semester - Spring
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Coun 700 | Theories of Counseling | 3 |
| Coun 715 | Assessment in Counseling | 3 |
| Coun 727 | Advanced Career Counseling | 3 |
3rd Semester - Fall
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Coun 702 | Developmental Foundations for Counselors | 3 |
| Coun 705 | Counseling Practicum | 3 |
| Coun 706 | Counseling Skills and Process | 3 |
| Coun 857 | Law and Ethics | 3 |
4th Semester - Spring
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Coun 736 | Advanced Counseling Process & Internship | 3 |
| Coun 738 | Addictions Counseling | 3 |
| Coun 703 | Psychological Foundations for Counselors | 3 |
| Coun 794 | Seminar in Research | 3 |
5th Semester - Fall
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Coun 811 | Group Counseling Process | 3 |
| COUN 704,716,737, 792 or 858 | Special expertise course | 3 |
| Coun 890 | Integrative Counseling / Internship | 3 |
6th Semester - Spring
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Coun 741 | Crisis Counseling | 3 |
| Coun 891 | Case Studies/Internship | 3 |
| Coun 892 | Culminating Experience | 3 |
Additional Information
- National Career Development Association
- American Counseling Association
- National Employment Counseling Association
- San Francisco State University Career Center
For more in-depth information about career counseling, career outlook, work setting options, and comparison to other career development services fields such as career coaching and human resources, please consider exploring the following articles: