This master's degree requires a minimum of 60 units--the completion of the school counseling credential plus an additional 10 to 12 units of core research courses. Up to 12 units from an accredited graduate program may be transferred at the discretion of the program director. A sequence of courses is determined by the program director.

ED 771: Research Methods in Education (3 units)

This course studies the nature of systematic inquiry, a survey of methods employed in research and an explanation of evaluation methodology, as well as the use of research and evaluation methods in actual school situations. Topics include identification of educational research problems, use of library resources, data gathering processing and evaluation of research articles.

ED 775: Seminar in Learning Theory (3 units)

This course addresses the question "What is learning?" through a survey of contemporary writing that ranges from Piaget to discovery learning and from information processing to the roots of whole language. In each case, students are encouraged to focus on practical classroom applications.

ED 777A: Issues in Education (3 units)

This course covers the basic trends and issues in education generally and in the student's particular discipline. The student will be involved in research, journal writing and/or presentations. The presentation will cover educational and social trends and their pedagogical implications in an interdisciplinary forum.

ED 777B: Field-Based Research (3 units)

This course brings the master of arts in education experience to a conclusion. Building on previous coursework, students will be expected to conduct a short research study at their work site or in their community. The student's work will include designing the study, collecting and analyzing data and writing up the findings.

ED 779: Values in School and Society (3 units)

This course focuses on a cultural, historical, philosophical and/or social analysis of schools and schooling as a basis for developing an understanding of the educator's role as a change agent and as a basis for personal and professional decision making. The university's philosophy and values as expressed in the Fresno Pacific Idea and their implications for schools and society will provide one perspective for such analysis.

PACS 736: Institute in School Peer Mediation Program Development (2-3 units)

This course provides basic conflict management and mediation instruction, skill development strategies and practice, student training program plan and materials, and implementation and/or ongoing program strategies. Designed for teachers and administrators.

PPC 700: Comprehensive School Counseling and Guidance (3 units)

This course is an introductory study of the role of the professional school counselor and the principles and components of the school counseling program as an integral part of the entire school program. The course also provides an awareness and practice of such counseling interventions as facilitation skills and the development and delivery of guidance curriculum. Students will also be introduced to a professional portfolio model that may be used in the development of a personal professional portfolio.

PPC 702: Academic and Career Planning (3 units)

This course introduces students to principles and practices that contribute to pupils' academic success and to theories and applications of career development. Equal emphasis is given to both areas with hands-on activities to integrate theory and practice.

PPC 703: Prevention and Intervention for Achievement (3 units)

This course is a study of counseling and guidance activities, prevention and early intervention strategies designed for a successful learning experience. Concepts covered include environmental and multicultural intervention issues related to prevention and early intervention. Communication and collaboration techniques for families, teachers and staff will also be introduced to assist with programs such as peer counseling and classroom counseling interventions.

PPC 707: Organizational Systems and Program Development (3 units)

This course examines the development of comprehensive counseling and guidance programs. Students will experience the process of planning, organizing, implementing and evaluating school guidance programs. The course provides a practical and hands-on approach to creating programs for various educational settings. Effective leadership styles and approaches related to implementing guidance programs with educational teams will be explored. Students will also investigate the use of technology as a tool in the research aspect of guidance program development.

PPC 791: Practicum in School Counseling (1 unit)

This course consists of 100 hours of supervised experiences that occur in classroom and/or field-based settings (i.e., California public schools under the supervision of a credentialed school counselor or school psychologist, a licensed marriage family child counselor, a licensed clinical social worker or licensed educational psychologist). Practicum experiences provide for the application of knowledge and the development of skills and training applicable to the domains, themes and functions of the school counselor.

PPC 792: Field Experience (1-4 units)

This course consists of fieldwork experience in California public schools under the supervision of a credentialed school counselor or school psychologist, a licensed marriage family child counselor, a licensed clinical social worker or licensed educational psychologist. Fieldwork experiences will integrate theoretical training with practical experience by providing an opportunity for candidates to perform, under supervision, the function of school counselors in school counseling domains. Field experience shall consist of 600 hours of field experience.

PPS 704: Counseling Applications in School Settings (3 units)

This course is designed to improve upon basic facilitation skills learned in prior coursework. Through this course students will develop an awareness of various theoretical components of counseling and understand and develop counseling techniques as they relate to counseling applications in schools. Contemporary psychological theories are presented. The course will provide opportunities to practice individual and group counseling skills and to explore the application of research-based counseling theory for identified populations.

PPS 705: Family-School Collaboration and Consultation (3 units)

This course provides candidates with opportunities and experiences to display knowledge and apply consultation skills to enhance family-school-community agency collaboration to promote student success.

PPS 708: Counseling for Diversity (3 units)

This course will involve the study of ethnicity from a global perspective utilizing a psychocultural approach. The following dimensions will be addressed in counseling multicultural children and parents: (1) social structure levels, (2) patterns of social interaction, (3) subjective experiences of identity and (4) patterns of behavior and expressive styles.

PPS 710: Assessment and Measurement (3 units)

This course is designed to allow students to gain knowledge and skills regarding the use of tests by both school counselors and school psychologists, including the who, what, when, where, why and how of assessment; the test selection process; administration procedures and communication of test results both orally and in writing to a variety of audiences.

PPS 712: Laws and Ethics (3 units)

This course covers current and proposed legislation in parent-child relationships. The course encompasses attendance and discipline procedures, pupil records, special programs, employment of minors, liability, the juvenile court system, due process, and miscellaneous laws and ethics.

PPS 713: Safe School Environments (3 units)

This course provides candidates with opportunities and experiences to understand ways school environments can both detract from and enhance the safety and well-being of pupils, staff and the entire school community. The course provides candidates with a review of the etiological roots of violence that occur within and outside the school community. Candidates will have opportunities and experiences to research and develop school safety strategies that include comprehensive school climate and crisis response plans addressing elements of prevention, intervention and treatment, culminating in the development of a comprehensive program to reduce the incidence of school site violence. The program provides candidates with knowledge and skills that address the needs of witnesses, victims and perpetrators of violence as they relate to improved behavior and enhance teaching and learning.

PPS 714: Practicum in Group Process (3 units)

This course exposes students to frameworks of group process and content, providing students with group experience from the perspective of both facilitator and group member. The course increases students' self-awareness and knowledge of both clinical and facilitated support group activities that embrace pupil diversity, developmental level and unique resiliency capacity, along with understanding the impact of support groups in promoting positive school climate and the reduction of at-risk behavior.

PPS 715: Leadership and Change (3 units)

This course will provide opportunities and experiences to display an understanding of the development, improvement and evaluation of programs that support effective pupil learning while serving as a systems change agent. Additionally, various models of supervision used to mentor pre-professionals in practicum and field experience placements will be discussed. The course will be presented from a practical and theoretical perspective.

PPS 717: Seminar in Behavior Pathology in Schools (3 units)

This is an overview course addressing emotional and behavior pathology most likely to be encountered by school psychologists in school settings with children and adolescents. Such disorders can adversely impact a student's development and learning potential and/or present management problems in the classroom setting. This course will examine the development and biological, psychosocial and cultural variables in the etiology of these disorders. Students will become familiar with characteristics, classification and diagnosis of such disorders.

PPS 798: Project/Thesis Proposal (1 unit)

Involves completion of a proposal for the project or thesis. Instruction is tutorial and reviews procedures along with development of a conceptual overview of the process of formulating and completing a thesis or project.

PPS 799: Project/Thesis-School Counseling (3 units)

Supervised project or thesis in the field of school counseling. Instruction is tutorial and will result in a completed project or thesis.
* Master of Arts Thesis/Project Handbook