Earn Your Master’s in Clinical Psychology Online from Pepperdine University

Pepperdine University MA in Clinical Psychology | OnlinePepperdine University MA in Clinical Psychology | OnlinePepperdine University MA in Clinical Psychology | Online

The Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) at Pepperdine University offers two paths to licensure to support your career goals: the licensed professional clinical counselor track and the licensed marriage and family therapist track.The Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) at Pepperdine University offers two paths to licensure to support your career goals: the licensed professional clinical counselor track and the licensed marriage and family therapist track.The Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) at Pepperdine University offers two paths to licensure to support your career goals: the licensed professional clinical counselor track and the licensed marriage and family therapist track.

  • Earn Your LPC Licensure — Gain the skills and knowledge required to take the professional LPC licensure exam.
  • Earn Your LMFT Licensure — Our marriage and family therapy program prepares students with the academic requirements to sit for the LMFT licensure exam.
  • Empower Your Patients — Help clients lead happier and healthier lives by offering them a safe space for reflection and pragmatic resolutions.

Earn Your Master’s in Clinical Psychology Online

The online Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology program from Pepperdine Graduate School of Education and Psychology prepares you for a rewarding career helping individuals, couples, and families thrive. Upon graduation, you will be prepared to earn your licensure as an LPC or LMFT.

While earning your clinical psychology degree online, you will learn from our esteemed faculty without having to relocate, and you will complete the same highly regarded curriculum and clinical placements that are required of on-campus students.

Pepperdine University was ranked #1 Best Online College for ROI for master’s in marriage and family therapy programs and #3 for Best Online College for ROI for master’s in counseling programs in 2020.1

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Licensure

Admissions Overview

Curriculum

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Online Clinical Psychology Master’s Program Highlights

Prepare to positively affect the health and well-being of those in need by completing the following curriculum requirements:

8–12

sessions

62–68

units

4

sessions of field placement

Graduate ready to earn your LPC or LMFT licensure in as few as 27 months.

On-Campus MA in Clinical Psychology MFT Programs

Pepperdine’s MA in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy prepares you to be a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) or licensed professional clinical counselor (LPCC). Offered in a daytime or evening format with over 130 clinical practicum sites, pursue your passion through meaningful service and purpose at Pepperdine GSEP.

Visit our on-campus site to learn more and apply to the on-campus program. Note that on-campus and online MA in Clinical Psychology program applications are separate. Access the online application here.

Clinical Psychology Online Licensure Options: LPC vs. LMFT

Pepperdine’s online clinical psychology master’s program prepares you to pursue licensure as a licensed professional counselor (LPC) or a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT).

The LPC Path

Choose this path if you want to help with:

  • A broader scope of mental health issues.
  • Diagnosis and treatment of mental, emotional, and addictive disorders.
  • Providing service to a larger audience, including individuals, families, and larger organizations.

Learn More About the LPC Path

The LMFT Path

Choose this path if you want to help people with:

  • Issues that stem from marriage and family dynamics and parent-child conflicts.
  • Diagnosis and treatment of mental, emotional, and addictive disorders.
  • Depression, substance abuse, and trauma, and how they affect couples and families.

Learn More About the LMFT Path

FAQ: Does the curriculum differ for each path?

It doesn’t. Foundational courses are the same regardless of the licensure path you wish to pursue. You will have the opportunity to customize your degree through electives.

Clinical Psychology Licensure Requirements by State

The program is designed to ensure that upon graduation, you will have met all academic requirements to sit for the LMFT or LPC licensure exams in the state of California. Visit the following pages for an overview of the requirements for each license:

OnlinePsychology@Pepperdine’s Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology program offers an LPC licensure path, an LMFT licensure path, or both licensure options in certain states. View which licensure paths are available in the following states outside of California.

Alaska

LPC

Arizona

LPC

Delaware

LPC

Georgia

LPC

Idaho

LPC

Illinois

LPC

Maryland

LPC

New Hampshire

LPC

New Jersey

LPC

Oklahoma

LPC

Oregon

LPC

Tennessee

LPC

Texas

LPC

Virginia

LPC

Washington D.C.

LPC

West Virginia

LPC

The licensure paths available to students outside of California are tied specifically to the program’s ability to operate within certain states. Based on your state of residence, you may be restricted in which licensure path you can pursue. You will be asked to declare a licensure path when you apply for the program, and based on the approval in your state, you may not be able to change your path while enrolled.

Licensure requirements vary by state, therefore Pepperdine University strongly encourages you to contact the licensing board in the state in which you intend to practice prior to enrolling in the OnlinePsychology@Pepperdine program. Learn more about LMFT licensure requirements or LPC licensure requirements in your state.

Pursue Your Purpose

Learn more about the online master’s in psychology curriculum from Pepperdine University.

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Pursue Your Purpose

Now is the time. Advance your career with Pepperdine. Take the next step today.

Jump to:

Licensure

Admissions Overview

Curriculum

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Admissions Overview

OnlinePsychology@Pepperdine seeks students who are committed to cultivating a deep understanding of human behavior while advancing their capability to serve those in need. We accept applications on a rolling basis and offer you the option to start earning your psychology degree at various times throughout the year.

  • A bachelor’s degree is required to apply.
  • GRE scores are not required.
  • Application fee waivers are available for those who meet the priority deadline.

Visit our Application Requirements page for further details.

Cohorts start four times per year in winter, spring, summer, and fall.  

Tuition and Financial Aid

You will need to complete 62 to 68 units to graduate. To gain a better understanding of the total cost of your degree, Pepperdine offers a calculator tool to approximate the cost of tuition.

Financial aid opportunities are available for Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology students. Students may utilize military education benefits, employer tuition assistance, federal student loans, private loans, or scholarships to assist with program expenses.

Requirements for scholarships vary. For more information about scholarship opportunities, please call our admissions team at +1-855-270-5431.

For more information, visit the Tuition and Financial Aid page.

On-Campus Master’s Programs

If you are interested in joining us on campus, we offer an on-campus Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology as well as a breadth of traditional psychology master’s programs at multiple campus locations. Note that the on-campus and online programs have separate applications.

Explore our on-campus master’s programs.

Earn Your Master’s Online. Help People Thrive.

Learn more about earning your master’s in clinical psychology online from Pepperdine University.

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Access Your Application

Now is the time. Advance your career with Pepperdine. Take the next step today.

Jump to:

Licensure

Admissions Overview

Curriculum

Request Info

Curriculum Overview

Our curriculum focuses on current applied methods of psychotherapy, offering a practice-based course of study with clinical training in or near your community. You will learn about various topics, including the social and psychological implications of socioeconomics and how poverty and social stress affect the ability of individuals, couples, and families to thrive.

Regardless of the licensure path you wish to pursue, our foundation courses are the same. You will have the opportunity to choose electives that most interest you during the program.

Upon graduation, you will know how to:

  • diagnose clients
  • formulate clinical cases
  • develop treatment plans
  • facilitate therapeutic processes

Course Work

The course catalog includes 6 units of core courses that build the foundation of your clinical psychology education and frame the concepts you’ll explore throughout the program. After these foundation courses, you will complete 62 units of master’s-level courses that expose you to the latest advancements being discussed in the field today.

Foundation courses include Psychopathology and Behavioral Principles and Theories of Learning. You may be able to waive these courses if you completed them for your undergraduate degree. To qualify for a waiver, course work must have been completed within the last seven years at a regionally accredited institution, and you must have earned a grade of “B” or better.

Course Spotlight: Multicultural Counseling

Consider how people’s identities and backgrounds relate to mental health and treatment. Explore how counselors can take into account clients’ race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, spirituality, sexual orientation, gender, and ableness.

Course Spotlight: Techniques of Counseling and Psychotherapy

Learn how to interview, formulate clinical cases, develop treatment plans, and facilitate therapeutic processes consistent with major theoretical approaches. Gain practical skills through examination of clinical case material and supervised exercises.

Sample Course Topics

Read course descriptions for more information about the classes you will take in the online clinical psychology master’s program.

Curious to know what your schedule might look like? Check out a sample course sequence (PDF).

Clinical Training

As part of the program, you will take four terms of clinical practicum, where you will receive clinical training under the supervision of a licensed therapist or counselor at an approved clinical site near your community. Ahead of your clinical practicum, you will take the Preparation for Practicum course, which will introduce you to key skills needed while working directly with clients.

For students in California intending to pursue licensure as a marriage and family therapist (LMFT), 225 hours must be spent directly with clients. For students in California intending to pursue licensure as a professional clinical counselor (LPC), 280 hours must be spent directly with clients.

The licensure path you choose and state of intended employment will determine the breakdown of hours you must complete as part of your clinical training.

As a student, you will work with our dedicated placement team to find and secure Pepperdine-approved practicum and internship opportunities, where you can observe professional counselors and gain experience working directly with clients.

All students outside of California will be required to complete 700 total placement hours, including the 225 (LMFT) or 280 (LPC) hours spent directly with clients.

Antiracism and Antidiscrimination Statement

The MA in Clinical Psychology program and GSEP psychology division stand in solidarity against racial inequities and injustice and other forms of discrimination and oppression. We are committed to fostering an inclusive learning environment that is enriched and strengthened by diversity, including but not limited to race, ethnicity and national origin, gender and gender identity, sexuality, class, age, ability status, and religion. GSEP also encourages all community members to engage in critical learning and reflection to strengthen our capacity for being effective, active, and outspoken against all forms of racism and intersectional oppression.

Passionate and Purpose-Driven Faculty

Graduate School of Education and Psychology faculty are active clinicians and experts in their disciplines who are dedicated to helping you grow as you pursue your career as a counselor or marriage and family therapist. The practitioners and professors you’ll collaborate with have a deep passion for inspiring future leaders in the field of psychology.

Learn more on the GSEP Meet Our Faculty page.

Become a Catalyst for Improvement Among Individuals, Families, and Communities. Learn More Today.

Now is the time. Advance your career with Pepperdine. Take the next step today.

1 2020 Best Online Marriage & Family Therapy (MFT) Master’s Programs. Retrieved May 17, 2021, from https://www.onlineu.com/degrees/masters-marriage-and-family-therapy; 2020 Best Online Master’s in Counseling Degrees. Retrieved May 12, 2021, from https://www.onlineu.com/degrees/masters-counseling arrow_upwardReturn to footnote reference