We are undeniably linked by our differences. Diversity expands thoughts, feelings, communities and cultures by increasing our ability to be considerate and compassionate. Diversity unifies people through acceptance and understanding.

Everyone yearns to belong, especially our kids at school. As groups are formed and relationships are established outside the family environment, school can be a time of displacement and anxiety. While young students may initially see their differences as antagonistic, they become enriched when discovering that diversity brings people together.

Combining a strong academic foundation with counseling internship experiences at elementary, middle and high school levels, the School Counseling program integrates Phillips’ commitment to systemic thinking and applies it to students in a school setting. Phillips students are encouraged to find solutions for working effectively in busy, diverse educational systems while remaining connected to their personal philosophies and objectives. The program provides an exploration of the differences between the ideal and practical worlds of schools as students work to earn the California Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) Credential.

The School Counseling faculty guide students in becoming caring, effective and highly-skilled school counselors sensitive to the rich diversity in schools and the unique needs of the youths and families they work with, helping them find their own place of belonging within a complex world.


Educational Philosophy

The Master of Arts in School Counseling/Pupil Personnel Services Credential Program integrates Phillips’ commitment to systemic thinking and applies these theories to students in the school setting. The School Counseling Program’s primary goal is to train capable and self-reliant students to become caring, effective and highly-skilled school counselors. The program provides an exploration of the differences between the ideal and the practical worlds of schools.

The Master of Arts degree in School Counseling fulfills the California state requirements for the Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) Credential in School Counseling. The curriculum reflects the mission of the institution: to train experts in human relations who understand how to help others in a variety of contexts. School counselors, like other helping professionals, need fundamental expertise in how systems function and how human relationships can be improved. Therefore, in the first year of their program, Master of Arts in School Counseling students are enrolled in foundational courses with Phillips psychology degree (M.A.) program students.


School Counseling Program Structure

For the first two semesters, students in the School Counseling Program are enrolled in Phillips’ foundational year coursework. Students choose a primary class day, with instruction from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Class day options include a weekday or a Saturday. Additionally, students spend an average of five hours a week in other learning activities. In semesters one and two, these learning activities are Case Conference and Group Dynamics; sections are offered at various times throughout the week. This coursework in psychology provides fundamental knowledge about individual and systemic development and trains students in basic counseling skills. Specific application to pupils and school settings are offered from the start of the program, but it is in the second year that coursework becomes specialized and students move into a separate cohort.

In the second semester, students begin the Practicum/Field Experience process. This process requires 100 hours of experience in a school setting (after the course SC505A, Supervision and Mentoring: Practicum in School Counseling). Upon completion of the Practicum experience, students may begin collecting the required 600 hours of field experience. While the Department of School Counseling assists students in finding field placements, each student is encouraged to take an active role in finding the school that is best suited to their training and geographic needs. Phillips must approve each school site and develop an affiliation with the school in order for students to complete field experience hours at that site. Students also enroll in course SC505B, Supervision and Mentoring: Field Experience in School Counseling, where they are supervised by School Counseling faculty. Students must attend School Counseling orientation for in-depth instruction about field experience requirements.

Curriculum and/or field placement requirements are subject to change to meet state mandates, and requirements may change without prior notice.

The PPS is a 48-unit credential.  The CWA is a 13-unit credential.  You must already have a valid PPS Credential to enroll in the CWA Credential program.

For additional information on requirements for these programs, click here.

California Assembly Bill 1802 (AB 1802), Section 13, creates a block grant to increase access to school counseling for students in grades 7-12.  The $200 million grant budget will be distributed to school districts on a per pupil allocation system that includes provisions for small schools and directs attention to "at-risk" populations.  This bill is unique because it is the first to provide funding exclusively for credentialed school counselors.  California's student-to-counselor ratio is the highest in the nation, and funding from this bill could increase the number of school counselors across the state by as much as 3,000, lowering the ratio and providing improved service to students in need.  In addition, funds allocated through this bill are meant to supplement funding already set aside by school districts for school counseling programs, rather than replace existing dollars.

Phillips offers both a Master of Arts in School Counseling with the Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) credential, and the PPS credential by itself.  Our academic and field training prepare our graduates for immediate entry into the field.