Online Application Submission

Steps in the Application Process

The Statement of Purpose prompt and other required materials may be found under the "Program Application Materials on MyCED" below. 

Completed applications must be submitted by the following deadlines:

Fall 2025

Application period began: October 1, 2024

  • Cal State Apply Application due date: December 2, 2024
  • MyCED Application due date: December 12, 2024

Applications are not accepted after the deadline.

NOTE: Access to MyCED is permitted after submitting the University application in Cal State Apply. 

Use Cal State Apply to apply and be sure to complete all components of the application by the published deadline.

The Cal State Apply dashboard is divided into four sections:

  • Personal Information: contact information, biographic information and financial information, etc.
  • Academic History: colleges attended, GPAs, etc.; do not hand-enter transcript information
  • Supporting Information: enter “I am not adding any experiences”
  • Program Materials: enter "I am not adding any program materials" (these will be submitted on MyCED)

Please refer the tutorial on the GSO Tips and Tutorials for Applying website for tips on filling out these sections of Cal State Apply. Please also refer below for detailed information for what documents to submit for the program materials.

Lastly, there is a non-refundable $70 application fee. Your application will not be processed until this fee has been paid. Please note that the CSU system does not offer a fee waiver for graduate level applications.

Important: you may only apply to one graduate program per CSU.  If you are unsure about which program is best for you, contact the Graduate Studies Office.

For technical assistance with Cal State Apply, please contact the Cal State Apply Help Desk: (857) 304-2087, via email, or visit the Cal State Apply Applicant Help Center. Cal State Apply Application Support is available Monday – Friday, 6:00AM – 5:00PM PT.

Access to MyCED is permitted after submitting the University application in Cal State Apply. 

After you complete and submit the CSULB Cal State Apply application, please upload supplementary program application materials via MyCED by the MyCED program application deadline:

  • Statement of purpose (prompt provided below)
  • Résumé

Please refer the MyCED tutorial on the GSO Tips and Tutorials for Applying website for general tips on filling out the MyCED application.

Please email ced-gradstudies@csulb.edu if you need technical support navigating MyCED.  

Statement of Purpose Prompt

Submit a 3-4 page, focused, narrative about yourself as a prospective counseling psychology professional resulting in a clear and comprehensive profile which indicates: focus and coherency, writing skills, personal and social insight, perspective, and commitment regarding your graduate study leading to an MS degree and eligibility to pursue licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) or Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC). It should describe these areas in relation to the following topics. Use the following topics as subheadings. This is a formal paper so do not write a “chatty,” conversational statement. This formal paper must be written in 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, and have 1-inch margin on all sides. Use the following item headings as subheadings in your personal statement.  

  •  Background: Describe how your experiences with family, friends, education, work, and leisure have contributed to your being a desirable candidate for entrance into the counseling and therapy profession. 
  •  Career Perceptions and Goals: Describe your perceptions and knowledge of the roles and functions of mental health professionals. Include the setting, populations of interest, relationships with other disciplines, and activities you expect to be doing after graduating from this program 
  • Strengths and Areas to Improve: Describe yourself candidly in terms of your strengths and improvement areas regarding emotional, social, intellectual, and productive activities. 
  • Influential Factors: What types of diverse experiences, people, and information have influenced your decision to select the Counseling Psychology profession?  
  • CSULB decision: How did you hear about the CSULB Counseling Psychology program and how does this particular Counseling Psychology program fit in with your career goals? 

Need help with writing your Statement of Purpose? Visit our website for tips and resources: GSO Tips and Tutorials for Applying website

Résumé

Please upload the most recent copy of your résumé.

In your résumé, we’d like to learn more about your previous counseling or related experiences. For each experience, please be sure that the following are clear to the reviewer:  

  • Position title (for example: teacher, classroom aide, intern, volunteer, etc.)  
  • Employer (for example: name of school, school district, community agency, etc.)  
  • Years (or months) of experience in that position  
  • Population served, including age range and presenting concerns, if relevant (for example: youth aged 5-12 with Autism Spectrum Disorders, adults 18+ with substance use disorders, children and families with mood and anxiety concerns, etc.) 
  • 1 to 2 sentences for each experience describing your job responsibilities 

Need help with updating your résumé? Visit our website for tips and resources: GSO Tips and Tutorials for Applying website.

Access to MyCED is permitted after submitting the University application in Cal State Apply. 

Be prepared to enter the names and e-mail addresses for two recommenders. Recommendations due by December 12, 2024. You may complete and submit your MyCED application before your recommenders submit their letters.

Who to ask
Recommendations are required from professional references. The recommender should be individuals in the mental health profession and/or professors or at least a professional who has observed you in a professional capacity interacting with people. Each recommendation is evaluated on the basis of substantive, specific, recommender observations regarding different factors about you in various interactive and/or academic settings. They are also evaluated with regard to the recommender's proximity to the profession from minimally related (non-mental health employment supervisor) to highly related (a mental health professional, professor in a related field, a health/education provider, etc.).

Once you have entered and saved information for a recommender, an email request from MyCED will automatically be sent to the recommender on your behalf. Please advise your recommender to look for this email in their inbox, as well as their spam or junk-mail folder, as emails do occasionally get filtered out.

Need help with recommendations? Visit our website for tips and resources: GSO Tips and Tutorials for Applying website.

Your recommenders will be instructed to respond to the following statement:

Please provide an accurate assessment of the applicant’s skills, strengths, maturity, interpersonal skills, and ​also ​of areas in need of improvement relevant to being successful in graduate school and in a career in Counseling Psychology. Your candid comments will enhance our ability to more effectively evaluate the applicant’s file and are greatly appreciated.

 

How to Order Official Transcripts 

Next Steps and Mandatory Interview by Invitation

This information has been updated and is final for Fall 2025.

If you have any questions or need help with the application process, please contact the College of Education Graduate Studies Office via email.