CSU San Bernardino MFT Program: Comprehensive Profile and Student Fit Analysis

CSU San Bernardino is one of 71 BBS-approved MFT programs in California. Compare all 71 in our directory. Program data collected April 2026 from publicly available sources including the CSUSB Department of Psychology graduate programs page, the CSUSB graduate admissions page, the CSUSB Bulletin catalog entry for the MS in Psychology (Clinical/Counseling), the CSUSB program finder page, and BBS records. Prospective students should verify all details directly with the program before applying.

Student Outcomes

Cost and Regional Pay

Approximate placement of this program’s total cost (about $20,000 to $20,500, California resident estimate (includes fees)) against the directory’s lowest and highest published totals.

Estimated total tuition: approximately $20,000 to $20,500 for California residents over four full-time semesters (about $4,032 per semester in resident graduate tuition plus roughly $1,027 to $1,094 per semester in campus-based fees; non-resident tuition is higher).

Regional pay context: In the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario (Inland Empire) area, marriage and family therapists earn a median of about $68,570 per year (mean about $75,210), with the middle half earning roughly $48,090 to $95,020 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). These figures cover all marriage and family therapists in the area at all experience levels, not this program's graduates. For more, see our Inland Empire LMFT salary guide.

Schedule and Format Details

Format: Full-time, in-person, day-time attendance on the San Bernardino campus per the CSUSB Bulletin catalog entry. Evening, hybrid, and fully online pathways are not publicly listed for this program.

Cohort Model: The program admits a small cohort once per year for a Fall start. Spring admission is not offered for the MS Clinical/Counseling Psychology option per the CSUSB Department of Psychology graduate admissions page.

Clinical Training and Fieldwork

Clinical Hours: Specific direct client contact, relational, and supervision hour requirements are not detailed on CSUSB's public program pages. The program states that clinical training meets California BBS educational requirements for LMFT licensure. Students should request current fieldwork requirements directly from the program.

Training Clinic: The Department of Psychology operates an on-campus psychology clinic that provides hands-on clinical training for students in the program per the CSUSB program finder page.

Practicum Arrangement: The curriculum includes Marriage and Family Therapy Practicum I and II and Advanced Practicum in Counseling Psychology I and II per the CSUSB Bulletin catalog entry. Placement procedures beyond the on-campus clinic are not detailed on the program's public pages.

Personal Psychotherapy Requirement: Not publicly listed on the program's web materials.

Curriculum Structure

The MS Clinical/Counseling Psychology option is structured around California BBS educational requirements for LMFT licensure per the CSUSB Bulletin catalog entry:

Core Coursework: Marriage and Family Therapy Skills, counseling psychology foundations, assessment, psychopathology, multicultural counseling, human development, research methods, and ethics.

Fieldwork Sequence: Marriage and Family Therapy Practicum I and II followed by Advanced Practicum in Counseling Psychology I and II.

Culminating Requirements

Per the CSUSB Bulletin catalog entry, students select one of two culminating options: a thesis track (approximately 68 total program units, including thesis and research methods coursework) or a comprehensive examination track (approximately 60 total program units, including a culminating seminar and the comprehensive examination). The thesis track is often recommended for students who plan to pursue doctoral study later, while the comprehensive examination track is the shorter path for students focused on LMFT licensure and clinical practice.

Application Process

Application Deadlines: Per the CSUSB Department of Psychology graduate admissions page, the Fall application deadline is February 1 of the prior cycle. Prospective students should confirm current deadlines directly with the program.

Start Term: Fall only. Spring admission is not offered for the MS Clinical/Counseling Psychology option.

GPA Requirement: Minimum 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA and 3.0 GPA in the major per the CSUSB Bulletin catalog entry. Students must also maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA in graduate coursework for advancement to candidacy.

Prerequisites: Per the CSUSB Bulletin catalog entry, applicants must complete Introduction to Psychology, Psychological Statistics, Research Methods in Psychology, Personality Psychology (or Introduction to Psychotherapy), and Abnormal Psychology prior to admission.

Application Components: Unofficial transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, three letters of recommendation, a two-page personal statement addressing preparation for graduate study, training goals, and post-degree aspirations, and the university application fee per the CSUSB Department of Psychology graduate admissions page.

Interview: Not publicly listed as a required component on the program's web materials. Applicants should confirm the current interview process directly with the department.

Concentrations and Specializations

Clinical/Counseling Psychology Option: The MFT-relevant option within the Department of Psychology's MS in Psychology degree. Coursework includes Marriage and Family Therapy Skills I and II and Marriage and Family Therapy Practicum I and II per the CSUSB Bulletin catalog entry.

LPCC Pathway: Because this is a Psychology degree rather than a Counseling degree, the curriculum is officially designed for the LMFT track and is not structured to meet California LPCC educational requirements. A formal LPCC or dual LMFT/LPCC pathway is not offered as part of the Clinical/Counseling Psychology option.

Doctoral Preparation: Per the CSUSB program finder page, the program also prepares graduates for doctoral study in clinical or counseling psychology.

What This Program Says About Itself

• Per the CSUSB Clinical/Counseling Psychology program finder page, the curriculum meets California Board of Behavioral Sciences educational requirements for LMFT licensure.
• Admission is limited to approximately 10 to 15 students per year to support close faculty mentoring, per the CSUSB program finder page.
• The Department of Psychology operates an on-campus psychology clinic that supports hands-on clinical training within the program, per the CSUSB program finder page.
• Per the CSUSB Bulletin catalog entry, students choose between a thesis track and a comprehensive examination track as the culminating requirement.
• Per the CSUSB Department of Psychology graduate admissions page, the program does not require GRE scores.

This Program May Be a Good Fit For

Students based in the Inland Empire: The program is delivered in person on the San Bernardino campus and draws students from across the Inland Empire region.

Students seeking a small cohort: Admission is limited to approximately 10 to 15 students per year, supporting close faculty mentoring.

Students who want a public-university tuition option: As a California State University campus, CSUSB follows the CSU system tuition structure, which is typically lower than private institutions.

Students who may pursue doctoral study: The program describes itself as preparation for doctoral programs in clinical or counseling psychology as well as LMFT licensure.

Students who prefer an on-campus training clinic: The Department of Psychology operates an on-campus psychology clinic that provides hands-on clinical training.

Students with a strong psychology background: Specific undergraduate prerequisites in psychology, statistics, research methods, personality, and abnormal psychology are required before admission.

Students who can attend full-time during the day: Coursework is delivered in a daytime, in-person schedule rather than an evening or hybrid format.

Students open to either a thesis or comprehensive exam pathway: The program offers both culminating options.

Related California MFT Programs

If you are weighing CSU San Bernardino, you may also want to compare these nearby and similar programs in our directory:

• La Sierra University: Same Inland Empire, Riverside
• California Baptist University: Same Inland Empire, Riverside
• Loma Linda University: Same Inland Empire, COAMFTE-accredited
• San Diego State University: Southern California public university, COAMFTE-accredited
• Cal Poly Pomona: Neighboring eastern Los Angeles County public university

Or compare all 71 California MFT programs side by side.

How This California MFT Directory Is Built

This is the only California MFT program directory that accepts no paid placements of any kind. No program can pay to be listed, pay to rank higher, pay to be featured, or pay to remove information, and there are no affiliate links or sponsored entries. Every program on the California BBS approved-program list is included. At Sentio University, we believe in program transparency. Every prospective student should have as much objective information about MFT programs as possible to make the best decision for themselves.

How to Choose an MFT Program in California

Meeting the BBS requirements tells you that a curriculum clears a legal bar but says almost nothing about how skilled a clinician you can become. The students who get the most out of these years treat licensure as the floor, and then ask a far more ambitious question: which program will help me reach the very top of what I am capable of as a therapist? The program you choose changes everything. By the time they reach practicum, 2 in 3 students at COAMFTE-accredited MFT programs do not feel prepared to see clients. Training built around real, performable clinical skills, rather than theory alone, is what lets you walk into your first session with genuine confidence and keep growing from there. You get to decide how high to aim, and the right program will rise to meet you.

Look closely at four things. First, Deliberate Practice: the strongest programs let you rehearse specific skills with immediate feedback, the same way world-class musicians and athletes build mastery over time. Second, clinical hours: seek out programs that give you a high volume of direct client contact, because nothing accelerates your development faster than real, supervised repetition. Third, video recording in supervision rather than student self-report, so your supervisors can coach what actually happened in the room. Fourth, routine outcome monitoring, which teaches you to track, honestly and objectively, whether your clients are getting better. A program that does all four is training you to pursue excellence, not just clear a requirement.

Also consider programs that teach you safe and ethical AI-integrated clinical training. And do not let cost quietly lower your sights. There are more scholarships and financial aid options for California MFT students than most applicants ever realize.

The purpose of these years is not simply to pass a board and collect a license. It is to become the best therapist you can be, so struggling therapy clients will trust you with the hardest moments of their lives. Hold your education to that standard. Reach for the ceiling rather than settling for the floor, and choose the program that will help you get there.

Note from the Field:
"Aim higher than the license. A degree gets you in the door, but skill is what earns a client's trust. Pick the program that takes your training as seriously as you do."
Alexandre Vaz, PhD

Making Your Decision: What to Do Before You Apply

Salary data and job market projections are useful inputs to your program search, but they cannot tell you what a school is actually like to attend. Marketing materials, program websites, and admissions presentations are designed to present a program favorably. The most reliable way to cut through that and understand what a program actually delivers in the classroom is to ask to sit in on a live class session, whether in person or online, before you commit. Every program that is confident in the quality of its instruction should not only allow this but actively welcome it. If a program is reluctant to let prospective students observe a class, that reluctance is itself informative. The California MFT job market rewards clinical skill, and the training environment you choose over the next two to three years will shape the kind of therapist you become. Take the time to see it for yourself before you decide.

For a detailed comparison of every California MFT program, see our directory of all 71 BBS-approved MFT programs in California.

To learn more about CSU San Bernardino's MFT program, visit their official website at csusb.edu. If you are comparing MFT programs in California, you can explore Sentio University's MFT program to see how our Deliberate Practice training model compares.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CSU San Bernardino's MFT program accredited?

CSUSB is institutionally accredited by WSCUC, and the MS in Psychology (Clinical/Counseling option) meets California BBS educational requirements for the LMFT. The option is not COAMFTE- or CACREP-accredited.

Does CSUSB require the GRE?

No. The GRE is not required per the Department of Psychology graduate admissions page; applicants may submit scores voluntarily.

How long is the program and how many units?

It is a 60 to 68 semester-unit, full-time, in-person program designed to be completed in two years (a 60-unit comprehensive-exam track or a 68-unit thesis track), with a seven-year limit.

Does CSUSB prepare students for the LPCC as well as the LMFT?

The program meets California BBS educational requirements for the LMFT. LPCC or dual pathways are not publicly listed for this program, so confirm with the department.

Does CSUSB publish outcome rates?

No. The program does not publish graduation, job placement, licensure, or exam pass rates, and it is not COAMFTE-accredited. About 10 to 15 students are admitted each year.

When is the application deadline?

The Fall application deadline is February 1 of the prior cycle per the Department of Psychology; confirm current dates with the program.

Disclaimer: This profile was prepared by Sentio University for informational purposes only. Sentio University is an MFT program in California and a peer institution to the program profiled above. All information was drawn from publicly available sources and the program's own published materials as of April 2026. Sentio University makes no guarantee regarding the accuracy or completeness of this information. Prospective students should contact the program directly to verify all details, including admissions requirements, tuition, accreditation status, and clinical training structure. This profile does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. For a full list of California MFT programs, visit our California MFT Program Directory.

About the Authors

Tony Rousmaniere, PsyD is the President of Sentio University and Executive Director of the Sentio Counseling Center. He is Past President of the psychotherapy division of the American Psychological Association and the author of over 20 books on deliberate practice and psychotherapy training, including The Essentials of Deliberate Practice book series (APA Books). He is a licensed psychologist in California and Washington. Learn more

Alexandre Vaz, PhD is the Chief Academic Officer of Sentio University and cofounder of the Deliberate Practice Institute. He is co-editor of The Essentials of Deliberate Practice book series (APA Books) and the author of over a dozen books on deliberate practice and psychotherapy training. Dr. Vaz is the founder and host of Psychotherapy Expert Talks. He is a licensed clinical psychologist in Portugal. Learn more

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