Mission Statement

The mission of Santa Clara University’s Division of Counseling Psychology and Education (CP&E) is to educate Bay Area practitioners in education, counseling psychology, and other human and health services professions who will bring high levels of competence, conscience, and compassion to their professional lives in service to the community. Toward that end, the division currently offers programs in three areas: Counseling Psychology, Education, and the Center for Professional Development.

Counseling Psychology, which began at Santa Clara in 1964, offers two master’s-level degree programs: Counseling Psychology (which can lead to the California Marriage and Family Therapy license) and Counseling. There are three emphasis areas available in the degree programs: health psychology, career counseling, and correctional psychology. All of these programs are practitioner-oriented. The state of California license in marriage and family therapy allows the holder to engage in private practice. (For details, see Department of Counseling Psychology.)

Teacher preparation has been part of the curriculum of Santa Clara University from its earliest days. Teacher credentialing regulations developed by the state of California have influenced the shape and identity of CP&E’s education programs. Today teacher education includes subject-matter preparation—undergraduate education, and preparation for actual classroom teaching—a fifth-year basic credential program. Education offers a state-approved basic credential program for multiple-subject teaching and for single-subject teaching. There are pre-service and in-service options, as well as a newly developed internship option. All the basic credential programs are approved as Cross-Cultural, Language, and Academic Development (CLAD) emphasis programs. The new undergraduate minor in urban education is designed for undergraduates who seek to become K-12 teachers. (For details, see Department of Education f.)

Several certificates and state-approved credential programs are offered in specialist, advanced, and professional areas including special education, mild-moderate disabilities, early childhood special education, alternative and correctional education, administrative services, and school management. Master of Arts degrees are offered in Education, Special Education, and Educational Administration. Emphasis areas within the various master’s degrees include alternative and correctional education, culture and language, higher education, instructional technology, interdisciplinary education, and reading. (For details, see Department of Education.)

Santa Clara University offers continuing education and lifelong learning programs in response to the professional re-certification requirements in counseling psychology, education, and other human services and health care fields. The Center for Professional Development coordinates programs for credit, CEU, and personal development for the Division of CP&E and for other areas of the University, such as the College of Arts and Sciences. Descriptions of its programs are not in this bulletin but can be found in publications from the Center for Professional Development (www.scu.edu/cpd).