California State University offers psychology master’s degrees at 13 campuses, with tracks in clinical counseling, school psychology, marriage and family therapy, and applied behavior analysis. Most programs take two to three years and require 30 to 90 units. Many meet California’s licensing coursework requirements, though applicants should confirm current standards with the state board.
California’s higher education system includes 13 California State University campuses with graduate psychology programs, covering everything from general MA tracks to specialized degrees in school psychology, marriage and family therapy, and applied behavior analysis. Tuition runs well below private and out-of-state alternatives, which is part of why the CSU system trains a sizable share of the state’s working therapists and counselors. Readers weighing more master’s options across California outside the CSU system can compare those alongside the campuses below. Before comparing campuses, it helps to know whether an MA or MS track fits the intended career path.
MA vs. MS in Psychology: Which CSU Track Fits?
Most CSU psychology master’s programs award either an MA or an MS, and the difference often comes down to research weight versus applied training rather than prestige. MA programs, like the general psychology tracks at Cal State LA and San Marcos, tend to lean toward research methodology and serve as a bridge to doctoral study. MS programs, such as the Clinical/Counseling track at San Bernardino or the Industrial/Organizational option at Long Beach, are typically built around a specific applied specialization and a defined licensure or certification path.
Neither degree type is inherently better. The right fit depends on whether the goal is a terminal master’s-level career, like licensed marriage and family therapy, or a stepping stone toward a doctorate. For a deeper breakdown of the distinction, see MA vs. MS in Psychology: What’s the Difference?
California State University Psychology Master’s Programs at a Glance
All 13 CSU campuses below are regionally accredited through the WASC Senior College and University Commission. Click any school name to jump to its program details.
| School | Degree | Focus | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSU Bakersfield | MS | Counseling Psychology | Bakersfield, CA |
| CSU Chico | MA, MS | Psychological Science, School Psychology, MFT | Chico, CA |
| CSU Dominguez Hills | MA | Clinical Counseling, Health Psychology | Carson, CA |
| CSU East Bay | MS | MFT, School Counseling/School Psychology | Hayward, CA |
| CSU Fresno | MA | General/Experimental, Applied Behavior Analysis | Fresno, CA |
| CSU Fullerton | MA, MS | General Psychology, Clinical Psychology | Fullerton, CA |
| CSU Long Beach | MA, MS | Psychological Research, I/O, Human Factors | Long Beach, CA |
| CSU Los Angeles | MA, MS | General, Forensic, and Behavior Analysis (College of Education) | Los Angeles, CA |
| CSU Northridge | MA, MS | Clinical, Psychological Science, Behavior Analysis (Tseng College) | Northridge, CA |
| CSU Sacramento | MA | Applied Behavior Analysis, Industrial-Organizational | Sacramento, CA |
| CSU San Bernardino | MA, MS | Psychological Science, Clinical/Counseling, I/O | San Bernardino, CA |
| CSU San Marcos | MA, MS | Psychological Science, Clinical Counseling | San Marcos, CA |
| CSU Stanislaus | MA, MS | General, Behavior Analysis, Counseling | Turlock, CA |
California State University, Bakersfield
CSU Bakersfield’s psychology program is built for working students, with evening and night classes that let students keep a day job while completing the degree.
M.S. in Counseling Psychology
This 66-semester-unit, three-year program covers domestic violence, clinical ethics, and group counseling theory and is designed to satisfy California Business and Professions Code sections 4980.36 and 4999.33, the coursework standards for LMFT and LPCC licensure. Students complete clinical practica and traineeships in the university’s Counselor Training Clinic before a final comprehensive exam.
CSU Bakersfield is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.
The campus is located in Bakersfield, CA. Program website.
California State University, Chico
Chico State’s Psychology Department, part of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, offers three graduate tracks: an MA in Psychological Science, an MA in Applied/School Psychology, and an MS in Marriage and Family Therapy.
MA in Psychological Science
This 30-credit-hour track combines coursework in human development, learning, and research methods with a faculty-supervised thesis and prepares graduates for community college teaching or doctoral study.
MA in Applied/School Psychology
Originally developed by Dr. Hugh M. Bell, this track requires 30 core credit hours plus 36 to 41 additional hours for the school counseling concentration, leading to a Pupil Personnel Services credential in school psychology.
MS in Marriage and Family Therapy
Designed to meet California’s MFT licensing coursework requirements, this 60-unit program is split across 18 required courses plus electives, with continuous enrollment required to finish within five years.
Chico State is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission, and the school psychology track carries National Association of School Psychologists recognition.
The campus is located in Chico, CA. Program website.
California State University, Dominguez Hills
CSU Dominguez Hills’ Department of Psychology, within the College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences, awards a Master of Arts in Psychology with a choice of concentration tied to three outcomes: clinical practice, doctoral preparation, or marriage and family therapy licensure.
MA in Psychology, Clinical Counseling Option
This 33-credit-hour track is built for working paraprofessionals and includes 550 supervised clinical practicum hours at a community mental health facility, with a final written exam or thesis option.
MA in Psychology, Health Psychology Option
This 36-hour track targets students aiming for rehabilitative or similar clinical settings.
CSU Dominguez Hills is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.
The campus is located in Carson, CA. Program website.
California State University, East Bay
CSU East Bay’s Department of Educational Psychology now runs separate MS in Counseling concentrations rather than the single combined track once offered under the College of Science: a Marriage and Family Therapy concentration and a School Counseling concentration with a school psychology emphasis.
MS in Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy Concentration
This full-time track runs about five semesters and is designed to meet the Business and Professions Code coursework requirements for California’s MFT license. Graduates can apply for an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist registration before completing the additional supervised hours and exams the BBS requires for full licensure.
MS in Counseling, School Counseling Concentration
This full-time, three-year cohort program leads to a Pupil Personnel Services Credential in School Counseling or School Psychology, and its coursework can be paired with MFT licensure preparation.
CSU East Bay is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission, and the school psychology track carries National Association of School Psychologists recognition.
The campus is located in Hayward, CA. Program website.
California State University, Fresno
Fresno State’s Department of Psychology, under the College of Science and Mathematics, runs two selective master’s tracks: a General/Experimental option and an Applied Behavior Analysis option.
MA in Psychology, General/Experimental Option
This 30-semester-unit, two-year track pairs every student with a faculty mentor and requires quantitative methods, experimental design, and psychological theory coursework, capped by an individual thesis.
MA in Psychology, Applied Behavior Analysis Option
This 44-unit, two-year track meets the behavior-analytic coursework requirements for the BCBA exam’s Pathway 2 eligibility route and includes paid, campus-based practicum placements supervised by a BCBA.
Fresno State is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.
The campus is located in Fresno, CA. Program website.
California State University, Fullerton
Cal State Fullerton’s Psychology Department, within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, offers a Master of Arts in General Psychology and a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology.
MA in General Psychology
This 30-credit-hour daytime program covers developmental psychology, clinical and community counseling, and gerontology, with three to six units of research and early-stage faculty mentorship.
MS in Clinical Psychology
This 60-credit-hour track, including a six-credit thesis and 12 credits of electives, builds toward Marriage and Family Therapy and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor eligibility under Business and Professions Code Section 4980.37. Paid teaching assistantships are available.
Cal State Fullerton is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.
The campus is located in Fullerton, CA. Program website.
California State University, Long Beach
Long Beach State’s Psychology Department offers one Master of Arts track and two Master of Science tracks, with graduate psychology class sizes capped at around 15 students.
MA in Psychological Research
This 30-credit-hour, two-year track centers on research methodology and prepares graduates for doctoral work or master’s-level research roles.
MS in Psychology, Industrial/Organizational Option
This 36-unit track focuses on workplace psychology, preparing graduates for roles like service consulting and strategic research analysis, with a portfolio or thesis option.
MS in Psychology, Human Factors Option
This 36-credit track applies psychology to engineering and human-system design.
Long Beach State is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.
The campus is located in Long Beach, CA. Program website.
California State University, Los Angeles
Cal State LA’s Department of Psychology, within the College of Natural and Social Sciences, runs two graduate tracks built around faculty mentorship, while a third behavior-analysis track has moved to the College of Education.
MA in Psychology
This research-focused track doesn’t require an undergraduate psychology background, though applicants without one are typically admitted conditionally and complete additional foundational coursework. Students identify a faculty mentor as part of the application and work closely with that mentor throughout the program. This MA does not by itself confer eligibility for licensure as a psychologist, which requires a doctoral degree in California.
MS in Forensic Psychology
This 33-to-34-unit track includes a nine-month practicum in a criminal-justice-adjacent setting, such as a victim services center, the dependency courts, or a probation department, and serves both terminal master’s students and those planning further doctoral study.
MS in Applied Behavior Analysis
Now housed in the College of Education’s Department of Special Education and Counseling rather than the Psychology Department, this program is accredited by the Association for Behavior Analysis International and verifies coursework toward BCBA exam eligibility.
Cal State LA is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.
The campus is located in Los Angeles, CA. Program website.
California State University, Northridge
Cal State Northridge’s Department of Psychology, under the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, now organizes its graduate tracks into Clinical Psychology and Psychological Science (formerly called General Experimental), with a separate Applied Behavior Analysis master’s offered through the university’s Tseng College rather than the Psychology Department directly.
MA in Clinical Psychology
This two-year track follows a scientist-practitioner model with two paths: a Clinical Research option built around an independent research project and a faculty-mentored thesis, and a Clinical Fieldwork option centered on supervised clinical placements and comprehensive exams. Completing this MA does not by itself confer eligibility for licensure. California requires a doctoral degree for independent clinical practice, so this track functions as preparation for PhD or PsyD study or for master’s-level clinical and research roles.
MA in Psychological Science
Formerly called the General Experimental option, this track provides advanced training in statistics, research methods, and psychological theory for students planning to pursue a PhD.
MS in Applied Behavior Analysis
Administered through CSUN’s Tseng College, this track trains students as behavior analysts and includes coursework that can count toward BCBA exam eligibility.
Cal State Northridge is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.
The campus is located in Northridge, CA. Program website.
California State University, Sacramento
Sacramento State’s Department of Psychology, within the College of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies, offers graduate tracks in Applied Behavior Analysis, general psychology with a doctoral-prep emphasis, and a separately designated Industrial-Organizational Psychology degree.
MA in Applied Behavior Analysis
This track meets the coursework requirements to sit for the national BCBA certification exam and also serves as preparation for doctoral programs in applied behavior analysis or experimental analysis of behavior.
MA in Industrial-Organizational Psychology
This 34-to-36-unit track, built around SIOP’s master’s-level competency guidelines, runs about two and a half years for most students and accommodates working adults with primarily evening classes.
Sacramento State is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.
The campus is located in Sacramento, CA. Program website.
California State University, San Bernardino
Cal State San Bernardino’s Department of Psychology, under the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, now houses three graduate degrees: Psychological Science, Clinical/Counseling, and Industrial/Organizational. A separate Child, Adolescent, and Family Studies MA exists at CSUSB but sits outside the Psychology Department.
MA in Psychological Science
This track, formerly called the General/Experimental option, exposes students to a broad range of psychology topics ahead of doctoral study.
MS in Clinical/Counseling Psychology
This full-time, daytime track is designed to meet California’s coursework requirements for Marriage and Family Therapist licensure and culminates in either a thesis or a comprehensive exam, typically completed in two years.
MS in Industrial and Organizational Psychology
This applied track gives students the skills to apply psychological research methods to organizational settings, with optional externship placements that can count toward the degree.
Cal State San Bernardino is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.
The campus is located in San Bernardino, CA. Program website.
California State University, San Marcos
CSU San Marcos’ Psychology Department now offers two distinct graduate tracks: a research-focused MA in Psychological Science and a newer MS in Clinical Counseling Psychology built for students who want to become licensed therapists.
MA in Psychology
This 33-credit-hour program is built around research methodology and faculty mentorship rather than a specific clinical license path, and is explicitly not designed to prepare students for MFT, MSW, or BCBA-track work. It serves students aiming for doctoral study, academic careers, or research-oriented roles in business and the public sector.
MS in Clinical Counseling Psychology
This newer track is designed to prepare graduates to pursue licensure as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and emphasizes applied, research-based clinical approaches over mentored research.
CSU San Marcos is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.
The campus is located in San Marcos, CA. Program website.
California State University, Stanislaus
CSU Stanislaus’ Psychology Department, under the College of Science, now offers three separate graduate degrees: a research-focused MA in Psychology, a standalone MA in Applied Behavior Analysis, and an MS in Psychology with a Marriage and Family Therapy concentration split into Counseling and Behavior Analysis tracks.
MA in Psychology, General Concentration
This 30-semester-unit track is research-oriented and does not lead to licensure or certification on its own, preparing students for further graduate work through individualized study in areas like learning, human development, or social psychology.
MA in Applied Behavior Analysis
This standalone track is designed to meet the BACB’s behavior-analyst coursework standards, preparing graduates to pursue BCBA certification.
MS in Psychology, Marriage and Family Therapy Concentration
The Counseling track runs 60 semester units, and the Behavior Analysis track runs 61, and both meet the California Board of Behavioral Sciences’ educational requirements for MFT licensure eligibility. A full-time student can typically finish in five semesters, about two and a half years.
CSU Stanislaus is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.
The campus is located in Turlock, CA. Program website.
California’s Employment Development Department projects 22.3 percent growth in substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselor roles between 2022 and 2032, a path several of these CSU master’s tracks are built to support through LPCC or LMFT licensure preparation. Students planning to continue toward a doctorate after a CSU master’s can compare California PsyD programs for the next step. Applicants weighing a CSU psychology master’s should confirm current licensure coursework requirements directly with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences or Board of Psychology, since requirements can change independent of any single program’s curriculum.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CSU campuses offer a psychology master’s degree?
Thirteen California State University campuses offer at least one psychology-related master’s track, ranging from general MA programs to specialized degrees in school psychology, marriage and family therapy, industrial/organizational psychology, and applied behavior analysis.
What is Cal State LA’s psychology master’s program known for?
Cal State LA’s Department of Psychology runs three tracks: a generalized MA in Psychology, an MS in Psychology with a Forensic option, and an MS with an Applied Behavior Analysis option. Each pairs students is matched with a faculty mentor from the start of the program.
Do CSU psychology master’s programs require the GRE?
Requirements vary by campus and program, and several CSU psychology departments have moved away from a GRE requirement in recent admissions cycles. Applicants should confirm current admission requirements directly with the specific program, since these change between cycles.
Can a CSU psychology master’s lead to licensure as a therapist in California?
Several CSU master’s tracks, including counseling and marriage and family therapy options at campuses like Bakersfield, Chico, Fullerton, and Stanislaus, are designed to meet California’s coursework requirements for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist or Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor status. Licensure itself requires supervised hours and state exams beyond the degree, so applicants should confirm current standards with the California licensing board.
Are CSU psychology master’s programs regionally accredited?
Yes. All 23 California State University campuses, including the 13 covered here, are regionally accredited through the WASC Senior College and University Commission. The American Psychological Association generally limits its accreditation to doctoral-level clinical, counseling, and school psychology programs, so master’s-only tracks are evaluated through regional accreditation instead.
Select your state below to find accredited psychology programs, application links, and licensing requirements for your jurisdiction.
2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary data and Projections Central 2022-2032 job growth forecasts for Psychologists (including Clinical & Counseling, Industrial-Organizational, and School Psychologists) and Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, reflect state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed June 2026.