We use cookies to personalize content, to provide social media features and to analyze our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. You consent to our use of cookies if you continue to use our website.
Accept
Study the human condition
Gain the skills to help others
Are you driven by a desire to help others? This graduate degree program is rooted in a commitment to social justice, multiculturalism, and delivering evidence-based compassionate care. You will study the complexity of human experience, and learn to use evidence-based practices with empathy and cultural humility.
This degree will prepare you for licensure by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) as a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) and as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC). HNU's Counseling Psychology master's program offers students free licensing exam preparation, which leads to above-average MFT Licensing Exam pass rates for our graduates.
Learn more!
Contact an enrollment counselor with any questions you have about the program.
Graduates of this program may go on to work in community-based counseling centers, hospitals, city and county programs, university counseling centers, and private practice settings.
Mental Health Therapist
University Counseling Center
Program Manager
Social Service Community-Based Organization
Mental Health Counselor
County Juvenile Justice Center
Janine Jackson, MA '17
Coach/Case Manager at Alameda County Independent Living Program
My experience at HNU was phenomenal. The faculty all had different perspectives and they really pushed me to be an example for others. I knew I wanted to help people before I started the program and in the program I figured out how.
• Real-word experience: students complete a field placement/traineeship with a partner agency.
• Flexible course schedule: courses are offered in late afternoons, evenings, and weekends.
• Learn from working professionals: our faculty members are experienced clinicians and researchers.
• Regular campus workshops and lectures with local partners and professionals.
• Free licensing exam preparation, which leads to above-average MFT Licensing Exam pass rates for HNU graduates.
The Holy Names University Difference
Attending our graduate programs in Psychology means so much more than receiving your degree. We’ve curated a psychology curriculum that prepares you for your future career with expertise, flexibility and unique learning methods. Our program is perfect for students who seek the best education possible, even when they have to juggle a job at the same time.
When you attend Holy Names University, you have a rare opportunity to be part of a small, inclusive community. We’re dedicated to social justice and other intrinsic values that have a positive impact on our students. We believe that the best approach to higher education is a student-centered strategy, and we prioritize our students each day.
HNU’s small size makes a difference. Unlike larger institutions, HNU has an average class size of only 15 students. With such small classes, our faculty members have more resources to provide individual attention to each of our students. These relationships help us support our students during class time and after the lessons are over.
Students in various programs at Holy Names University have the chance to interact with the Oakland community. Community impact and care for the underserved are core to the Holy Names experience.
At Holy Names University, we understand that your career may look entirely different from other students in clinical psychology master’s programs in California. We designed our counseling psychology degree to be as versatile as possible. Our program gives you the opportunity to receive a diverse education in the classroom and real-world experience in a field unit. As an alumnus, you’ll have the education and experience to enter a variety of professional environments.
Counseling Psychology
Our alumni are making an impact
HNU Counseling Psychology alumni have gone on to careers in counseling, social work, and care coordination, and many choose to pursue doctoral training.
Sr. Mary’s mission—helping individuals recover from addiction—has led to a decades-long career working in recovery programs in Oakland and San Francisco.
Janine Jackson's, MA '17 personal and academic journey that made her all the more resilient and certain of her life’s purpose: to give back and help the Oakland community.
Sr. Mary’s mission—helping individuals recover from addiction—has led to a decades-long career working in recovery programs in Oakland and San Francisco.
Janine Jackson's, MA '17 personal and academic journey that made her all the more resilient and certain of her life’s purpose: to give back and help the Oakland community.
There are countless reasons to choose Holy Names University from other psychology master's programs in the Bay Area. Our community and small class sizes are only two of the benefits our graduate students experience here at HNU. Here are three numbers that prove how well we stack up to our competition:
75
Over 75 affiliated organizations and partners in the greater Bay Area.
#6
US News and World Report Best Colleges Guide 2021 ranks HNU 6th Most Diverse University in their Regional Universities West category
8:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
Psychology Program
Mission Statement
The mission of our program is to train counselors and forensic practitioners to engage with the changing complexity of human experience, to deliver services informed by evidence-based practices and ongoing self-reflection, and to practice with empathy and cultural humility.
Request More Information From HNU
Let Holy Names University simplify the process of choosing a clinical psychology master’s program in California. Our beautiful, 60-acre campus located in Northern California will win you over, just like the people who call HNU home will. The Hawks are close-knit, and we embody values that strengthen our community. Student-centered education and close personal relationships are cornerstones of our institution.
HNU prioritizes our students, and we strive to meet your needs as you progress through your program. We’ve been catering to individual students since our foundation in 1868. Since then, we’ve created a community where inclusion, diversity and warmth empower our students while they prepare for their future careers.
We prove our dedication to our students by treating prospective students with the same care and support that current students receive. Our enrollment counselors provide answers to your most pressing questions. They’ll also walk you through the application and enrollment process. Start today by requesting more information about HNU’s accredited counseling psychology master’s program in California.
A program sneak preview
Sample courses
Here are just a few of the courses you may take.
Psychopathology
Examine the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of major mental disorders.
Psychological Development and Spiritual Growth
Explore counseling from a psychological and spiritual development perspective.
Human Diversity in Counseling
Learn about counseling within diverse populations and effective approaches for working within family systems.
