School Counseling: Credential, Pupil Personnel Services

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The Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) Credential in School Counseling program is designed for those individuals with a master’s degree in psychology, counseling, or education fields and who wish to pursue a career as a credentialed California school counselor. The program is ideal for LMFT and LPCC professionals who seek careers in K-12 schools.

This credential program in school counseling results only in the recommendation to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) for the PPS Credential in School Counseling. It does not result in a master’s degree.

The PPS Credential in School Counseling program allows candidates to receive transfer credit for designated courses within the School Counseling curriculum by submitting evidence of the candidate’s previously and successfully completed graduate course equivalents and/or approved practicum hours. Interested candidates should complete and submit the Transfer Credit Evaluation Form.

SOC Code

21-1012

Program Outcomes

To prepare counselors who value the diversity of humankind, and whose multicultural competencies make them proficient in successfully working with students of diverse cultures and languages, and/or who require special needs.
To prepare competent, confident, and conscientious counselors who are proficient in their subject content and are able to use a repertoire of best practices that will successfully impart their knowledge and foster action research in their assessments, and interventions.
To prepare counselors who are knowledgeable about the psychological factors that enable learning and are able to apply that knowledge in their work.
To prepare counselors who are proficient in the uses of contemporary technologies to facilitate student learning.
To prepare counselors who are knowledgeable of human behavior and are skilled in school climate change with regard to motivation, violence prevention, collaboration, and stress management.
To prepare counselors as change agents, who as caring leaders will meet the challenges of education in the 21st century, by facilitating effective learning communities and empowering their colleagues as advocates of the profession.

Training Model

The PPS Credential Option Only requires that the student has at least a 48 unit graduate degree in a related field, and that they have been approved by their advisor/program director to take this option.

Curriculum and Degree Requirements

It is important for students to discuss with their advisors the option of seeking the MAEd + PPS Credential vs. the PPS Credential only option. Both options require that all required courses and units are met. Once the student’s previous graduate transcript is evaluated, the student and advisor can determine which is the best option for the student.

Curriculum Plan

Course are 3 units, unless otherwise indicated.

Semester 1

Semester 2

Semester 3

Semester 4

Semester 5

PPS 6004A - Practicum (0.5 units)
PPS 6031 - Consultation, Program Development, and Evaluation
PPS 6014 - Curriculum Instruction and Academic Accommodation and Modification Intervention
PPS 6036 - School Counseling: Professional Roles: Comprehensive Exam (1 unit)
PPS 7211 - Internship (5 units)
* The courses indicated are core curriculum, assessment and/or internship courses not eligible for transfer credit.

School Psychology and Counseling Programs Core Faculty

James Adams, PsyD, Assistant Professor, Program Director, School and Educational Psychology, San Francisco and Systemwide Program Director, School Counseling

Steven Fisher, PsyD, Associate Professor and Systemwide Program Director, School and Educational Psychology

Carlton Parks, PhD, Professor and Program Director, School and Educational Psychology, Los Angeles

Thomas Ryerson, PsyD, Lecturer and Program Coordinator, Los Angeles

Donald Wofford, PsyD, Assistant Professor and Program Director, School and Educational Psychology, Irvine

For a detailed description of program faculty background and research interests, please see the alphabetical listing of Faculty for the California School of Education.