Jan15
Fall Start Term
Application deadlines
$45 Application Fee
Graduate Application Process
All applicants are considered utilizing a holistic review process, including the following factors:
- Strength of academic history
- Professional and/or extracurricular experiences relevant to the program
- Content of personal statement and its connection to learning outcomes; and
- Letters of recommendation with specific examples of your competencies and aptitudes relevant to the program
Admission decisions are made approximately 30 to 60 days after each deadline.
Application checklist
The Master of Arts in Counseling, School Counseling Specialization program does not require the GRE or specific coursework for admission. Professional experience is recommended, but not required to gain admission.
Online Application
Submit the online portion of your application and pay the application fee.
Official (Degree-Granting) Transcripts
Must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admission:
Office of Graduate Admission
University of San Diego
5998 Alcalá Park
San Diego, CA 92110-2492
grads@sandiego.edu
Official E-Transcripts are acceptable only if emailed to grads@sandiego.edu.
Official transcripts from the university where you earned your bachelor’s degree are required at the time of application. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.0 (on a 4.00 scale) in all undergraduate coursework.
Applicants must complete a bachelor’s degree prior to beginning the program.
Applicants may apply prior to completing their bachelor’s degree. In this case, please submit your most up-to-date transcripts, and if admitted, submit a second set of official transcripts after your degree is conferred.
If you earned a degree from an institution outside the United States, you are required to submit an official international transcript evaluation (also called a foreign credential evaluation) as part of your application. Please note that the evaluation must be a course-by-course evaluation. You must order your official course-by-course evaluation from one of the following evaluation services.
- World Education Services, Inc. (WES)
- Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE)
- International Education Research Foundation, Inc. (IERF)
- Josef Silny & Associates, Inc. (JSA)
- SpanTran: The Evaluation Company (SpanTran)
- Foreign Academic Credential Service (FACS)
Please be sure to carefully read the application checklist for international students found on the University of San Diego's Graduate Admission website.
Current Resume OR Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Your resumé or CV should be a summary of your qualifications and transferable skills related to the program. You are encouraged to highlight your professional accomplishments and relevant experiences, including volunteer experiences. In addition, you can submit a cover letter with your resume to provide context to your relevant experiences and share their connection to the program.
Two Letters of Recommendation
Two letters of recommendation are required at the time of application. If possible, one letter should come from a professor who can speak to your academic strengths, while the other should come from an employer or professional mentor. Letters should not be submitted by a family member or friend. The letters of recommendation should share how they know you, how long they’ve known you, and how they are familiar with your work. We encourage recommenders to share specific anecdotes that help explain how they think you will be successful in a program and in your career.
Statement of Purpose
A 500-word maximum statement of purpose:
- MA in School Counseling with a PPS and Graduate Certificate in Restorative Justice
- Please include a brief narrative describing yourself, your career goals and the importance of graduate study in school counseling at this point in your life.
- Include relevant volunteer or professional experiences that you feel have prepared you for this profession. You may discuss influences on your intellectual development, educational and cultural opportunities (or lack thereof) which have been available to you, and how these experiences have affected you.
- This should not be a recording of facts already listed on the application; it should give the Admissions Committee a better sense of who you are and why you are applying to the school counseling specialization at the University of San Diego.
- MA in School Counseling with PPS and Licensure Eligibility (LPCC)
- Please include a brief narrative describing yourself, your career goals, and the importance of graduate study in school-based clinical counseling at this point in your life.
- Include relevant volunteer or professional experiences that you feel have prepared you for this profession. You may discuss influences on your intellectual development, educational and cultural opportunities (or lack of them) which have been available to you, and how these experiences have affected you.
- This should not be a recording of facts already listed on the application; it should give the Admissions Committee a better sense of who you are and why you are applying to the school counseling specialization at the University of San Diego and are interested in providing school-based mental health services.
Interview Requirement
After an initial review of applications to the Counseling program, the most qualified candidates will be invited to USD for a group interview with the Counseling faculty.
English Proficiency Exam (EPEX) score for International Applicants
An official score report for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is required of all international applicants. Official score reports must be two years old or less from the time you submit your online application in order to be considered.
Official scores can be sent to the Office of Graduate Admission, school code: 4849.
TOEFL minimum scores:- Internet-based test: 83
- Computer-based test: 237
- Paper-based test: 580
OR
IELTS minimum score:
- Band score 7
OR
An official score report from the Duolingo English Test:
- the traditional online test
- minimum total score of 120
Note: The University of San Diego does not accept scores from the TOEFL Essentials or the IELTS Indicator exams for graduate admission.
The English Language Exam requirement may only be waived if you have earned a 4-year bachelor's degree or 2-year master's degree, with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, from an institution where English is the official language of instruction. Waiver requests based on living or working in an English-language context, or based on educational pursuits that resulted in less than the conferral of a 4-year bachelor's or 2-year master's degree, will not be accepted.
Waivers are not automatically applied; all waivers must be requested. Waivers are granted on a one-by-one basis for a specific program and term. Obtaining a waiver is not guaranteed under any circumstances.
To request a waiver of the English Language Exam requirement:
- Submit the Online Application (see Step 1 above); your waiver request will not be considered until we receive your Online Application.
- Submit your official transcript or official course-by-course international transcript evaluation showing proof of your bachelor's and/or master's degree having been earned at an institution where English is the language of instruction. Please be aware that if you attended a foreign institution, that institution must clearly state on their website that English is the language of instruction. If no such statement is posted, you will need to obtain an official verification letter from that institution confirming English as the language of instruction, and submit it as part of your application for admission.
- Once you have submitted both your Online Application and your official transcript(s)/evidence of degree earned at an institution where English is the language of instruction, please email the program you are applying to in order to request the waiver. Your waiver request must be supported by the program you are applying to before it can be reviewed.
Contact the SOLES Admissions and Outreach Office to learn if you are eligible for an EPEX waiver. Each request will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Questions?
Connect with the Office of Admissions and Outreach team to learn more information about SOLES master's and doctoral programs. Additional information for international applicants is also available.