Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology offers several graduate pathways connected to counseling, psychotherapy, psychology, and behavioral health. The clearest route to California counseling licensure is its Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy, available in daytime, evening, online, and Latinx Communities formats. Applicants comparing Pepperdine with other institutions can also explore the broader directory of California counseling schools.
All four MA in Clinical Psychology formats are designed to meet the educational requirements for California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor pathways. They do not confer either license at graduation. Graduates must complete the applicable Associate Marriage and Family Therapist or Associate Professional Clinical Counselor registration, supervised experience, examinations, and other requirements established by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
Pepperdine also offers campus-based and online MA in Psychology programs, but these are nonlicensure degrees. Its Clinical Psychology PsyD prepares psychologists rather than LMFTs or LPCCs. Two MS in Applied Behavior Analysis formats prepare students for behavior-analysis work and the Board Certified Behavior Analyst certification process, not California counseling licensure.
Pepperdine operates its main campus in Malibu and graduate campuses in West Los Angeles, Calabasas, and Irvine. The university is institutionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.
Pepperdine counseling and psychology programs at a glance
| Program | Format and location | Units | Typical time | 2026-2027 tuition per unit | Primary outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MA in Clinical Psychology/MFT, daytime | Full-time daytime program in Malibu | 62 | Two years | $2,060 | California LMFT or LPCC educational preparation |
| MA in Clinical Psychology/MFT, evening | Evening and afternoon classes in West Los Angeles, Irvine, and Calabasas | 60-66 | About 2.5-3 years | $1,655 | California LMFT or LPCC educational preparation |
| Online MA in Clinical Psychology/MFT | Online classes with local clinical placement | 62-68 | About 2.5-3 years; as few as 27 months | $2,060 | California LMFT or LPCC educational preparation |
| MA in Clinical Psychology/MFT with Latinx Communities | Evening cohort connected to multiple graduate campuses; specialized courses in Irvine | 60-72 | About 2.5-3 years | $1,655 | LMFT or LPCC preparation with Latinx-focused clinical and linguistic training |
| MA in Psychology, evening | Evening and afternoon classes at three graduate campuses | 36-48 | About 1.5-2 years | $1,655 | Doctoral preparation and nonlicensed human-services work |
| Online MA in Psychology | Online live and asynchronous coursework | 36-48 | About 18-24 months | $2,060 | Doctoral preparation and nonlicensed human-services work |
| Clinical Psychology PsyD | Primarily campus-based in West Los Angeles | Approximately 82 | Three years of coursework and training plus internship | $2,085 | Clinical psychologist preparation |
| MS in Applied Behavior Analysis, evening | Evening program in West Los Angeles | 30 | About 16 months | $1,655 | Behavior-analysis practice and BCBA coursework preparation |
| Online MS in Applied Behavior Analysis | Online coursework with local field placement | 30 | About 12-15 months | $2,060 | Behavior-analysis practice and BCBA coursework preparation |
Published rates exclude fees, living expenses, books, transportation, and other attendance costs. Pepperdine states that tuition may increase annually.
MA in Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy, Daytime Format
Pepperdine’s daytime MA is a structured, full-time program completed at the Malibu campus. It requires 62 units and follows a two-year schedule. The catalog permits up to 25% virtual delivery, but this remains a campus-centered daytime program rather than an online degree.
The curriculum covers counseling and psychotherapy theories, diagnosis and treatment, multicultural counseling, couple and family therapy, ethics and California law, substance-use treatment, trauma, career development, child and adolescent interventions, assessment, research, and psychopharmacology. Students begin field placement during the second term and remain in supervised clinical training for four successive terms.
Pepperdine identifies different direct-client-contact expectations for the two California licensing pathways. The catalog specifies at least 225 direct-client hours for the LMFT pathway and 280 for the LPCC educational pathway. Students planning to pursue the LPCC route can review how the degree fits into the broader California LPCC licensing process.
The daytime format is the most structured option in Pepperdine’s MFT portfolio. It fits applicants prepared for full-time study in Malibu and a fixed two-year progression. It is less suitable for someone who needs part-time enrollment or evening classes.
Admissions language for this format requires careful reading. The specific daytime materials call for GRE scores or a completed GRE waiver form, while Pepperdine’s general clinical psychology overview says standardized tests are not required. The format-specific GRE or waiver language is the more precise requirement for this program.
For 2026-2027, tuition is $2,060 per unit. At 62 units, tuition alone represents a substantial commitment before fees, clinical-placement travel, and living expenses.
MA in Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy, Evening Format
The evening format provides the broadest verified set of campus and enrollment choices among Pepperdine’s licensure-oriented master’s options. Classes are offered in the evening and afternoon at the West Los Angeles, Irvine, and Calabasas graduate campuses. Students may enroll part time or full time, and Pepperdine permits up to 25% virtual delivery.
The program requires 60 to 66 units and normally takes about 2.5 to three years. Its curriculum is designed around California LMFT and LPCC educational requirements and includes counseling theory, diagnosis, group therapy, multicultural counseling, family systems, human sexuality, advocacy, lifespan development, trauma, career development, psychopharmacology, substance-use treatment, and California law and ethics.
Students complete at least three consecutive practicum terms in an approved clinical setting. As in the daytime format, the catalog specifies at least 225 direct-client-contact hours for the LMFT pathway or 280 for the LPCC educational pathway.
This is Pepperdine’s practical campus option for working adults because it combines evening scheduling, three Southern California locations, and part-time or full-time enrollment. The tradeoff is a longer normal completion period than the daytime program.
The 2026-2027 rate is $1,655 per unit, lower than the published per-unit price for the daytime and online MFT formats. The total tuition varies because the degree can require between 60 and 66 units.
Applicants may enter with a bachelor’s degree in any field. Students without recent psychology coursework can be assigned foundation courses. Current admissions materials list transcripts, recommendations, and a statement of purpose and state that standardized tests are not required.
Online MA in Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy
Pepperdine’s online MFT program combines asynchronous course material with scheduled live classes. No campus visits are advertised, but the degree is not entirely remote in practice because students complete supervised clinical training at approved sites near their communities.
The program requires 62 to 68 units and usually takes 2.5 to three years. An accelerated progression allows completion in as few as 27 months. Pepperdine offers four annual start terms.
Coursework follows the clinical and licensing focus of the evening MA. It includes counseling theory and skills, diagnosis, multicultural counseling, ethics and law, family systems, substance-use treatment, assessment, research, trauma, career development, and practicum. Students complete four terms of supervised clinical placement and document their training hours.
This format is designed for California LMFT and LPCC educational preparation. It is not simply a general online psychology degree. Students pursuing marriage and family therapy can place the curriculum within the complete California LMFT licensing sequence, which continues after graduation through associate registration, supervised postdegree experience, and examinations.
The online structure reduces the need for routine campus travel, but local placement participation remains a substantial in-person obligation. That structure favors students who need online academic delivery while still having the schedule and transportation needed for community-based clinical training.
Tuition for 2026-2027 is $2,060 per unit. With a 62-to-68-unit range, the degree’s tuition varies with the student’s final program requirements. The current program page states that the GRE is not required.
MA in Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy with Latinx Communities
The Latinx Communities format combines Pepperdine’s clinical psychology and MFT curriculum with culturally responsive practice, community engagement, and Spanish-language clinical development. It is designed to meet California LMFT and LPCC educational requirements while preparing clinicians to serve Latinx individuals, couples, families, and communities.
The 60-to-72-unit curriculum includes Latinx mental-health coursework, bilingual clinical preparation, culturally responsive diagnosis and assessment, community and liberation psychology, family systems, and language-development study. Students also complete supervised fieldwork in settings serving Latinx communities and participate in community-service projects with local agencies, churches, or culturally specific associations.
Pepperdine connects the program to its West Los Angeles, Calabasas, and Irvine graduate campuses. The current catalog clarifies that the Latinx-specific courses required for graduation are offered at the Irvine Graduate Campus. Required attendance in Irvine therefore affects the practicality of this option for students living elsewhere in Southern California.
Conversational Spanish proficiency is needed for Spanish-language clinical coursework, although the curriculum includes language-development courses. This is not simply the standard evening program with a small elective concentration. The specialized coursework, fieldwork population, bilingual development, and community projects shape the program’s central clinical focus.
The degree usually takes 2.5 to three years. Tuition is $1,655 per unit for 2026-2027. Because the curriculum ranges from 60 to 72 units depending on approved waivers or transfer credit, total tuition can vary considerably.
MA in Psychology, Evening Format
Pepperdine’s evening MA in Psychology resembles the clinical psychology/MFT degree in name and includes counseling-related coursework, but its professional outcome is different. Pepperdine explicitly states that this degree does not meet California LMFT or LPCC educational requirements.
The program requires 36 to 48 units and generally takes 1.5 to two years. Classes are offered in the evening and afternoon at West Los Angeles, Irvine, and Calabasas, with up to 25% of the program available virtually.
Students study diagnosis, assessment, counseling and psychotherapy theories, multicultural counseling, group processes, research, psychopathology, and physiological psychology. Elective topics can include career development, substance-use treatment, trauma, and child interventions. Despite that clinically oriented curriculum, the degree does not contain the licensure practicum sequence required in Pepperdine’s MFT programs.
The evening MA in Psychology is better aligned with doctoral preparation, academic development, or nonlicensed human-services work. It is not an abbreviated route into LMFT or LPCC practice. Applicants seeking a counseling license should focus on one of the four MA in Clinical Psychology/MFT formats instead.
Tuition is $1,655 per unit for 2026-2027. Applicants may hold a bachelor’s degree in any field, although those without sufficient recent psychology preparation can be required to complete foundation courses.
Online MA in Psychology
The online MA in Psychology is the remote-delivery counterpart to Pepperdine’s general psychology master’s. It requires 36 to 48 units and can be completed in approximately 18 to 24 months through asynchronous material and live online classes.
The curriculum addresses human behavior, diagnosis, counseling and psychotherapy theory, assessment, multicultural counseling, and research. It does not include the supervised clinical-placement sequence associated with the online MFT degree.
This program supports doctoral preparation and some nonlicensed roles in human services or related fields. It does not provide the educational eligibility required for California LMFT or LPCC registration. Applicants deciding between Pepperdine’s two online psychology degrees should use that licensure difference as the first screening criterion.
For 2026-2027, tuition is $2,060 per unit. The program requires an accredited bachelor’s degree, transcripts, a resume, recommendations, and a statement of purpose. GRE scores are not required.
Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology
Pepperdine’s Clinical Psychology PsyD is an advanced psychologist-training program offered primarily at the West Los Angeles Graduate Campus. It is not an LMFT or LPCC degree and is not an entry-level master’s program.
Applicants generally need both bachelor’s and master’s degrees, with graduate preparation in psychology or a closely related field. The program requires approximately 82 units, three years of coursework and supervised training, a one-year predoctoral internship, and a clinical dissertation.
The practitioner-scholar curriculum covers evidence-based psychotherapy, psychological assessment, multicultural practice, consultation, supervision, ethics, research, and biological and developmental foundations. Students participate continuously in clinical practicum before completing the doctoral internship. Psychologist licensure also entails postdoctoral and jurisdiction-specific requirements after graduation.
Pepperdine reports that the PsyD is accredited by the American Psychological Association through 2027. The program is scheduled for an APA accreditation site visit in winter 2027. Institutional WSCUC accreditation and APA programmatic accreditation serve different purposes: WSCUC accredits Pepperdine as a university, while APA accreditation applies specifically to the clinical psychology doctoral program.
Tuition is $2,085 per unit for 2026-2027. At approximately 82 units, the academic cost is materially higher than Pepperdine’s master’s programs before internship, living, and placement-related expenses.
Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis, Evening Format
The evening MS in Applied Behavior Analysis is a 30-unit program based at the West Los Angeles Graduate Campus. It can be completed in approximately 16 months and includes supervised experience at approved ABA clinical sites.
Coursework covers behavior-analysis principles, measurement and research design, behavioral assessment, intervention, ethics, multicultural considerations, and applied clinical practice. Six units are devoted to supervised field placement.
Pepperdine designed the curriculum to meet BCBA Pathway 2 coursework requirements. Completing the master’s degree does not itself award Board Certified Behavior Analyst certification. Additional fieldwork and examination requirements apply.
This degree belongs in Pepperdine’s broader behavioral-health portfolio, but it is not a counseling program. It does not prepare graduates for AMFT, APCC, LMFT, or LPCC status. Its career focus includes behavior-analysis work in autism and developmental-disability services, education, behavioral health, rehabilitation settings, and social services.
The program charges $1,655 per unit for 2026-2027. A bachelor’s degree is required, and applicants without recent psychology coursework can be assigned foundational preparation. The GRE and other standardized admission tests are not required.
Online Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis
Pepperdine also offers the 30-unit MS in Applied Behavior Analysis online. The academic component combines asynchronous content with weekly live classes, while six units of supervised field placement occur at an approved site in the student’s community.
The program can be completed in approximately 12 to 15 months. Its curriculum covers behavioral assessment and intervention, ethics, autism spectrum disorders, organizational behavior management, diversity, ABA concepts, and supervised practice.
Like the evening format, the online degree is designed to satisfy BCBA Pathway 2 coursework requirements. Graduates still need to complete the remaining experience and examination requirements for certification. BCBA is a professional certification and should not be confused with California BBS licensure.
Tuition is $2,060 per unit for 2026-2027, producing base tuition of approximately $61,800 for 30 units before fees and other costs. Applicants need a bachelor’s degree and submit transcripts, recommendations, and a statement of purpose. The GRE is not required.
Accreditation and California licensing distinctions
Pepperdine University is institutionally accredited by WSCUC. The reviewed official materials do not identify CACREP or COAMFTE programmatic accreditation for the MA in Clinical Psychology/MFT formats. Institutional accreditation, counseling accreditation, MFT accreditation, APA doctoral accreditation, state licensure, and private certification are separate categories.
Pepperdine’s four MFT-focused master’s formats are designed to satisfy the education component for California LMFT and LPCC pathways. Graduates do not become independently licensed clinicians upon earning the degree. They first move into the relevant associate category, AMFT or APCC, and complete the remaining supervised-experience, examination, and regulatory requirements.
The two MA in Psychology formats are nonlicensure degrees. The PsyD follows the clinical psychologist pathway. The ABA programs lead toward BCBA certification requirements rather than LMFT, LPCC, or psychologist licensure.
Pepperdine’s current program inventory did not reveal a separate school counseling or PPS credential program, rehabilitation counseling degree, addiction counseling degree, counselor-education program, social work degree, or structured counseling certificate. Topics such as substance-use treatment, trauma, career counseling, and child intervention appear within broader curricula rather than as separately verified programs.
How to choose among Pepperdine’s options
Begin with the professional endpoint.
Choose among the four MA in Clinical Psychology/MFT formats when the goal is California LMFT or LPCC preparation. The Malibu daytime program provides a fixed, full-time two-year structure. The evening program provides part-time or full-time enrollment across three graduate campuses at a lower published per-unit rate. The online program moves academic coursework online but retains local supervised clinical training. The Latinx Communities program adds bilingual development, culturally focused coursework, community engagement, and fieldwork serving Latinx populations, with required specialized instruction in Irvine.
The MA in Psychology formats serve a different purpose. Their shorter 36-to-48-unit curricula can support doctoral study or nonlicensed human-services work, but they omit the licensure practicum sequence and do not satisfy California LMFT or LPCC educational requirements.
The PsyD is appropriate only for applicants pursuing doctoral clinical psychologist training and entering with the required prior graduate preparation. The ABA programs fit careers centered on behavioral assessment and intervention, particularly in autism, developmental-disability, education, and related services.
After narrowing by career outcome, compare scheduling, placement logistics, location, unit range, and tuition. At Pepperdine, those factors produce meaningful differences even among programs that share the same clinical psychology/MFT degree title.