As an educator, you want to help students reach their potential — academically, socio-emotionally, spiritually, and vocationally. Perhaps you’ve wondered how you can make more of a difference.
In PLNU's diverse school counseling program, our expert faculty will equip you to transform your school or university one life at a time. Whether your focus is K-12, college, or career counseling, our program will prepare you to serve your students with excellence. You will be grounded in the theories and history of school-based and college counseling practices while also developing your own expertise — all under the guidance of knowledgeable mentors. We will empower you to develop students and young adults to achieve their fullest potential.
When you join PLNU’s Master of Arts in Education program with a concentration in counseling and guidance, you will challenge yourself to become a more effective counselor. Everyone you encounter here will share that goal with you, from your admissions counselor to your professors. Rest assured, PLNU’s School of Education will take a personal interest in you and care about your concerns, experience, beliefs, and goals.
PLNU’s education alumni network, Education Associates, keeps you connected long after graduation. Faculty members have a reputation for staying in touch and continuing to mentor students. Career counseling and additional professional development opportunities are always available to you.
District partnerships ensure PLNU’s curriculum addresses current needs and topics facing counselors. In addition to offering accredited programs grounded in research, PLNU equips you to integrate your beliefs, values, and goals with your school counseling practice.
Choose a specialization in K-12 counseling with a PPS credential, or opt for college counseling and student development if you work with young adults in a university, community college, or nonprofit setting. You can also select from multiple locations, full- or part-time schedules, and face-to-face, online, and hybrid course options.
Dr. Deborah Erickson, dean of the School of Education, has been on faculty at PLNU since 2013, after serving 11 years in faculty and leadership positions at the Graduate School of Education at California Lutheran University. Learn more about Dean Erickson's background and the School of Education's program initiatives.
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Achieve greater impact with your career by earning your Master of Arts in Education. You will gain the skills and degree you need to advance or to simply be more effective where you are. You will do it in an environment where your goals and passion are shared and valued. At PLNU, we are here to partner with you and to give you the kind of holistic care you know every student deserves.
The counseling and guidance concentration of the M.A. in Education will prepare you for service to students in a changing world. You may choose your focus from:
Accreditation – WSCUC, CTC, NCATE
When you and your classmates complete PLNU's M.A. in Education with a concentration in counseling and guidance, you will be prepared to:
Detailed course information is available on the course catalog:
Are you ready to take the next step and apply?
We're here to make the entire process a simple one. We'll walk you through the application process, answer your questions, and get you one step closer to earning your degree.
Spring 2019 Quad I – January 7, 2019
Spring 2019 Quad II – March 11, 2019
Summer 2019 Quad I – May 13, 2019
Summer 2019 Quad II – July 8, 2019
Fall 2019 Quad I – September 13, 2019
Fall 2019 Quad II – October 28, 2019
Spring 2019 Quad I – November 5, 2018
Spring 2019 Quad II – January 28, 2019
Summer 2019 Quad I – March 29, 2019
Summer 2019 Quad II – May 20, 2019
Fall 2019 Quad I – July 22, 2019
Fall 2019 Quad II – September 16, 2019
Note: Not all programs offer entry for new students each quad. Check with your enrollment counselor for programs and start dates.
The educational context at PLNU will challenge you to live a full life that integrates the pursuit of knowledge with beliefs, values, and actions. While honoring diverse perspectives and beliefs, Christian values and principles are woven into the educational experience. We understand your application is not only a reflection of you as a student; it reflects you as a person. At PLNU, we holistically evaluate your academic history, work and life experience, background, and circumstances to determine admission into a graduate program. Your undergraduate GPA is an important piece of your application, but if you do not meet the minimum GPA requirement of a 3.0, you may still be eligible for admission based on your application package as well as the exceptions policy per your particular program.* Therefore, we strongly encourage you to contact your enrollment counselor, who will advise you regarding your qualifications and provide specific information about the admission under exceptions process.
To be admitted into PLNU's Master of Arts in Education program, you must have a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution, as evidenced by an official transcript.
If you have any questions about your qualifications or the program in general, we encourage you to contact your enrollment counselor.
Note: The application is completed entirely online with the exception of transcripts, which can be submitted electronically or directly to PLNU, and test scores, which should be submitted electronically.
Test scores should be emailed to gradprocessing@pointloma.edu
Please note: PLNU does not receive scores sent from testing centers
*Options for meeting the Basic Skills Requirement:
Pass the CSET: Multiple Subjects Plus Writing Skills Examination
Pass the CSU Early Assessment Program or the CSU Placement Examinations
Achieve qualifying score on the SAT or ACT
*Exceptions Policy: If you have below a 3.0 GPA in your baccalaureate degree, you will need to speak with your enrollment counselor for more information on the exceptions materials needed for your particular program.
We take seriously the role of providing you with financial, academic, and career support so you have the tools you need to be successful at PLNU and beyond. That’s why we offer a holistic support system that focuses on your unique experiences, particular needs, and personal and professional goals — resulting from our deep concern for you, our student.
With a focus on authentic relationships and personalized attention, our goal is to help transform you so you can follow your calling in your own career and life.
The Master of Arts in Education with a concentration in counseling and guidance is designed to help you advance your career in counseling.
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To be admitted into PLNU's Master of Arts in Education program, you must have a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution, as evidenced by an official transcript. You must also have an undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. If you don’t meet the minimum GPA requirement, please contact your enrollment counselor regarding the exceptions process. You will also need to take a basic skills test, such as the CBEST, if you are interested in earning a credential as part of your M.A. All applicants will also need to submit a writing sample and complete an interview.
See the application checklist to learn more about what's required to apply and be admitted into the program.
Yes! Our courses are conveniently held in the evenings for you to work during the day. The only challenge is when you start your fieldwork hours at local schools. Fieldwork begins the second semester and students typically fulfill 200 hours in one semester. We are flexible and you can choose to do 400 or even 600 hours in one semester. Check with your employer to see if they offer flexible working hours to support your education especially while fulfilling the fieldwork requirement.
You will have the option to apply for scholarships, grants, loans, and other special types of aid through Student Financial Services. Contact your enrollment counselor for more information.
This option is available.
Completion of the degree and credential depends almost entirely upon the energy, confidence, motivation, and availability of the student to complete fieldwork. While the entire program can be achieved within an 18-month period of time, it is more common for students to take 24 months. A student’s financial aid package can, at times, dictate the academic load that must be maintained.
Courses for the degree program are offered in eight-week quads throughout the calendar year. While many of the courses are offered in a traditional classroom, face-to-face environment, others are offered online. Some classes are offered in both formats and provide students with a choice of instructional delivery.
Face-to-face courses meet once a week from 4:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Most candidates take two classes per quad in order to finish within two years. We have limited courses that are offered fully online.
Classes are intentionally small. Most education classes won’t exceed 30 students, and will generally have between 15 and 20 students.
Yes! As an international student, you can apply as a senior in university or any time after you obtain your bachelor’s degree. If you earned your baccalaureate degree outside of the United States, all documents must be translated into English and evaluated by members of National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). You must also submit official proof of English proficiency (TOEFL). Please contact Graduate Financial Aid and Student Support Services for more information.
We welcome and encourage people of all backgrounds as students in our programs. Issues that relate to faith may be discussed in some classes, and engaging in discussion with individuals with alternative points of view will be encouraged as learning opportunities. Students will work within a learning community that is supportive academically, spiritually, and emotionally.
PLNU has agreements with districts throughout the San Diego and Bakersfield areas. PLNU will place you at a district to complete your fieldwork hours and clinical practice (student teaching hours).
This option is available.
Candidates who complete the Master of Arts degree in Counseling and Guidance with a PPS California credential are certified for the diverse professional responsibilities of a K-12 guidance counselor (school counselor) for an elementary, middle, or high school in California.
Candidates who complete the Master of Arts degree with a specialization in college counseling and student development are prepared for the diverse professional responsibilities of working in the community college, university, or nonprofit sector guiding young adults in a changing world. This master’s degree prepares you to become a leader in your profession.
The M.A. in Education is geared toward seasoned education professionals or business professionals who instruct others as part of their work. For aspiring teachers like you, PLNU offers a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT). The MAT is most likely to meet your needs if you have just completed your undergraduate degree or are transitioning to education from another field, but please contact your enrollment counselor if you would like more personalized information.
This degree program consists of 49 semester units. Fifteen units are core classes in contemporary educational practice; twenty-one units are core classes in counseling theory and techniques; nine units of fieldwork and field-support coursework; and four units of self-selected research. Each candidate must engage in 600 clinical/field hours.
This degree program consists of 36 semester units. Twelve units are core classes in contemporary educational practice; nine units are core classes in counseling theory and techniques; eleven units are specific to emergent adult development, higher education leadership, and fieldwork; and four units of self-selected research. Each candidate must engage in 200 clinical/field hours.
Our Master of Arts in Education degrees share the following courses which apply to candidates seeking deeper knowledge and practice across professional venues:
• Cultural Competence in a Pluralistic Society
• Advanced Educational Psychology
• Educational Measurement and Evaluation
• Personal and Educational Philosophy
In fact, students from the School of Nursing also take these shared courses from our School of Education, adding depth of experience and exposure to how a variety of professionals apply these important concepts.
Yes. To do so, you must first follow the PPS course sequence and complete that degree in its entirety to include fieldwork. Then you would add the following courses, resulting in one master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling, with a PPS credential and a College Counseling and Student Development specialization:
• GED674 – Emergent Adult Development Theory (3)
• GED676 – Higher Education Leadership in Student Development (3)
• GED690 – Contemporary Issues in Higher Education (2)
• GED671S – Seminar in College Counseling and Student Development (1)
• GED671 – Field Studies in College Counseling and Student Development (2)
• GED689P* – Culminating Research Project Support (1)
*note: GED689P research project must be completed in each area for which a candidate seeks a specialization.
Yes. Within every master’s program within PLNU’s School of Education, students are required to complete a four-unit course called culminating research and design. This course is designed to prepare students for the research and the writing of a master research paper focused on a single research question. After successful completion of this course, students will receive a university mentor to guide them in completing their research project. It is important to note that a second master’s research project must be completed in each area for which a candidate seeks a specialization.
Students can transfer up to six graduate units from other schools toward the degree — providing that coursework is less than seven years old and was not counted towards another credential or degree program.
