phd in counseling and psychology

Get Your Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology – Everything You Need to Know in 2024

What’s in this guide, at a glance, what do you cover in a phd in counseling psychology, why get a phd in counseling psychology, how much does a phd in counseling psychology cost, what jobs can you do with a phd in counseling psychology, how much can you earn with a phd in counseling psychology, what to look for in a phd program.

By psychologyjobs.com Staff Writer

A PhD in Counseling Psychology is frequently the final educational step for students on the path to becoming a licensed  Counseling Psychologist  and helping individuals overcome emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal challenges through counseling and psychotherapy. But this qualification opens up a wealth of career opportunities across psychotherapy, education, sports, academia and Government.

A PhD in Counseling Psychology is a  doctoral-level degree  program that typically takes 4-6 years to complete.

During the program, students will take a variety of courses in areas such as counseling theories, research methods, human development, social and cultural diversity, and ethical and legal issues in counseling. They will also receive extensive training in counseling techniques, including individual, group, and family counseling, as well as assessment and diagnosis of mental health disorders.

A Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology is a rigorous program that prepares students to become competent and ethical counseling psychologists. Here are some of the topics likely to be covered:

• Counseling Theory and Practice:  different counseling approaches, such as humanistic, cognitive-behavioral, and psychodynamic, and how to apply them in practice.
• Research Methods:  learn about research design, data analysis, and how to conduct research in counseling psychology.
• Assessment and Diagnosis:  learn how to assess and diagnose mental health disorders, such as anxiety and depression, using different assessment tools and techniques.
• Human Development:  learn how individuals develop physically, cognitively, and socially over the lifespan, and how developmental factors influence mental health.
• Multicultural Counseling:  learn how culture, ethnicity, and other diversity factors impact counseling and the importance of cultural competence in working with diverse populations.
• Ethics and Professional Issues:  learn about ethical and legal issues in counseling, including confidentiality, informed consent, and boundaries.
• Supervised Clinical Practice:  gain hands-on experience in counseling by providing therapy to clients under the supervision of licensed professionals.
• Dissertation:  Students are required to conduct original research in counseling psychology and write a dissertation that demonstrates their ability to contribute to the field.

Here is a sample curriculum:

• Introduction to Counseling Psychology
• Counseling Theories and Techniques
• Research Methods in Counseling Psychology
• Assessment and Diagnosis
• Multicultural Counseling

Second Year

• Human Development and Counseling
• Advanced Counseling Theories and Techniques
• Group Counseling and Group Dynamics
• Ethics and Professional Issues
• Supervised Practicum
• Psychological Testing and Assessment
• Advanced Research Methods in Counseling Psychology
• Child and Adolescent Counseling
• Family Counseling

Fourth Year

• Career Counseling
• Cognitive and Behavioral Approaches in Counseling
• Addictions Counseling
• Dissertation Proposal Development
• Advanced Topics in Counseling Psychology
• Dissertation Research and Writing
• Internship in Counseling Psychology
• Teaching Assistantship
• Professional Development

Career Opportunities

Pursuing a PhD in Counseling Psychology opens up a wide range of career opportunities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for clinical, counseling, and school psychologists is projected to grow by 3% from 2020 to 2030. Moreover, a PhD in Counseling Psychology allows for a variety of career paths, including clinical practice, teaching, research, consulting, and administration.

See also:  what is the difference between a clinical psychologist and a counseling psychologist?

Professional Recognition

Earning a PhD in Counseling Psychology can lead to professional recognition and respect within the mental health field. Graduates of PhD programs are recognized as experts in their field, and this recognition can open up opportunities for leadership positions, speaking engagements, and consulting work. Moreover, a PhD in Counseling Psychology can provide a competitive advantage when seeking employment or pursuing advanced certification or licensure.

Contribution to the Field

Pursuing a PhD in Counseling Psychology offers the opportunity to contribute to the field of mental health and make a positive impact on people’s lives. Through research, students can advance the knowledge and understanding of mental health issues and improve treatment approaches. They can also develop and implement innovative interventions that address the unique needs of diverse populations.

According to data from the National Science Foundation, the average cost of tuition and fees for doctoral programs in Psychology (including Counseling Psychology) is approximately $18,100 per year for in-state students at public institutions, and $34,600 per year for out-of-state students at public institutions. At private institutions, the average cost is approximately $33,800 per year.

A PhD in Counseling Psychology opens the doors to a wide range of opportunities in and out of the mental health field including:

• Counseling Psychologist  (or any other licensed psychologist – see some examples below) : After meeting  state-specific licensure requirements , you can provide therapeutic services to individuals, couples, families, or groups in private practice or group practices.  Find counseling psychologist jobs.
• Licensed professional counselor : A licensed professional counselor (LPC) is a certified mental health professional trained to provide therapeutic services to individuals, couples, and groups for a variety of emotional and psychological challenges.  See available LPC jobs on our board.
• School Counselor or Psychologist :  Work in schools to help students navigate academic and personal challenges, although this may require additional certifications depending on the jurisdiction.  See all our available school psychology jobs .
• Forensic Psychologist : While this might require additional training or specialization, you can work within the criminal justice system, evaluating defendants, making recommendations to courts, or providing therapy to offenders. Perhaps a  Ph.D. in forensic psychology  may be a better fit for you however if you are looking to become a forensic psychologist.  Find forensic psychology jobs .
• Sports Psychologist : While this may require further training in sports psychology, it involves working with athletes and teams to optimize performance and deal with sports-related stress.  See our latest sports psychology jobs .
• Researcher : Conduct research in universities or research institutions on topics related to counseling psychology, mental health, interventions, psychopathology, or other related areas.  Find open research jobs .
• Professor : Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in psychology and related fields at colleges and universities. This role often includes conducting research, publishing articles, mentoring students, and participating in academic service.
• Consultant : Offer expert advice to organizations, schools, or businesses on topics like stress management, conflict resolution, and employee well-being.
• Director of Counseling Services : Oversee the delivery and quality of counseling services at institutions such as universities or community centers.

The earning potential for someone with a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology can vary widely based on factors such as geographical location, years of experience, specific role, work setting, and individual expertise.

Here are some of the average salaries for jobs commonly held by those with a PhD in counseling psychology. The links take you to specific salary guides that provide further insights such as what you can expect as a starting salary and how your salary might grow as you gain years of experience or complete additional education.

• Counseling Psychologist – $81,040
• School Counselor or Psychologist – $60,000
• Forensic Psychologist – $101,000
• Sports Psychologist – $72,255
• Professor – $80,370
• Consultant  – $150,000
• Director of Counseling Services  – $120,000

Choosing a Ph.D. program in Counseling Psychology is a significant decision, and several key considerations should guide this choice. When assessing any program, it’s a good idea to visit if possible, talk to current students and faculty, and review program websites and literature for up-to-date statistics and information.

Accreditation

Ensure the program is accredited by a recognized body, such as the  American Psychological Association (APA) . Accreditation ensures the program meets certain standards and can be crucial for licensure and employment. Historically, graduates from APA-accredited programs have had higher  EPPP (Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology)  pass rates compared to non-accredited programs.

Be sure to review the overall cost of any particular PhD program taking into consideration the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses. Tuition and fees for counseling psychology PhD programs can vary widely, from $18,000 a year to nearly $34,000 per year.

Cost of living is frequently overlooked when considering programs but this can significantly impact the overall cost. For example, according to the Council for Community and Economic Research, the cost of living in San Francisco is 62% higher than the national average.

Students should also research available financial aid,  scholarships , and grants, as well as the availability of paid research or teaching assistantships.

Program’s Approach and Curriculum

Some programs may emphasize certain therapeutic modalities, research methods, or populations. Individual preferences vary, but it’s crucial to find a program that aligns with your career goals and theoretical orientation.

Faculty and Research Opportunities

Another important consideration when comparing counseling psychology PhD programs is the faculty and research opportunities available. Students should look for programs that have faculty members who are experts in their areas of interest and who are actively conducting research in those areas. This will provide students with the opportunity to work with and learn from experienced researchers and practitioners in the field. Additionally, students should consider the research opportunities available, such as access to research facilities, grants, and other resources.

Practical Experience and Internship Opportunities

Finally, students should consider the practical experience and internship opportunities offered by any given PhD program.

Students should look for programs that offer ample opportunities for clinical experience, such as supervised  practicums  or internships. Additionally, students should consider the quality of the internship opportunities offered, including the reputation of the sites, the level of supervision, and the diversity of the clients served.

Post-Graduation Job Placement

Investigate where graduates typically work after completing their degrees – in academia, private practice, hospitals, etc. Does this align with your career goals?

The majority of psychology doctorate recipients, around 70% according to the APA, find their first postdoctoral employment in health service provision settings.

Counseling Psychology PhD

Doctor of philosophy in counseling psychology.

The Ph.D. Program in Counseling Psychology is dedicated to the preparation of counseling psychologists who facilitate the optimal development of individuals, groups, and organizations that is culturally relevant and psychologically appropriate across the lifespan. Our students are taught to use strategies of prevention, intervention, and remediation to assist others in developing effective coping skills and responses to their environments.

The program prepares students to meet the following profession wide competencies:

Individuals who successfully complete programs accredited in health service psychology (HSP) must demonstrate knowledge, skills, and competence sufficient to produce new knowledge, to critically evaluate and use existing knowledge to solve problems, and to disseminate research. This area of competence requires substantial knowledge of scientific methods, procedures, and practices.

Doctoral students are expected to: 

• Demonstrate the substantially independent ability to formulate research or other scholarly activities (e.g., critical literature reviews, dissertation, efficacy studies, clinical case studies, theoretical papers, program evaluation projects, program development projects) that are of sufficient quality and rigor to have the potential to contribute to the scientific, psychological, or professional knowledge base. 
• Conduct research or other scholarly activities. 
• Critically evaluate and disseminate research or other scholarly activity via professional publication and presentation at the local (including the host institution), regional, or national level.

Doctoral students are expected to demonstrate competency in each of the following areas:

• Be knowledgeable of and act in accordance with each of the following: 
• the current version of the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct; 
• relevant laws, regulations, rules, and policies governing health service psychology at the organizational, local, state, regional, and federal levels; and 
• relevant professional standards and guidelines. 
• Recognize ethical dilemmas as they arise, and apply ethical decision-making processes in order to resolve the dilemmas.
• Conduct self in an ethical manner in all professional activities. 

Trainees must demonstrate knowledge, awareness, sensitivity, and skills when working with diverse individuals and communities who embody a variety of cultural and personal background and characteristics. The Commission on Accreditation defines cultural and individual differences and diversity as including, but not limited to, age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, language, national origin, race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. 

Doctoral students are expected to demonstrate: 

• An understanding of how their own personal/cultural history, attitudes, and biases may affect how they understand and interact with people different from themselves.
• Knowledge of the current theoretical and empirical knowledge base as it relates to addressing diversity in all professional activities including research, training, supervision/consultation, and service. 
• The ability to integrate awareness and knowledge of individual and cultural differences in the conduct of professional roles (e.g., research, services, and other professional activities). This includes the ability apply a framework for working effectively with areas of individual and cultural diversity not previously encountered over the course of their careers. Also included is the ability to work effectively with individuals whose group membership, demographic characteristics, or worldviews create conflict with their own.
• Demonstrate the requisite knowledge base, ability to articulate an approach to working effectively with diverse individuals and groups, and apply this approach effectively in their professional work.
• Behave in ways that reflect the values and attitudes of psychology, including integrity, deportment, professional identity, accountability, lifelong learning, and concern for the welfare of others. 
• Engage in self-reflection regarding one’s personal and professional functioning; engage in activities to maintain and improve performance, well-being, and professional effectiveness. 
• Actively seek and demonstrate openness and responsiveness to feedback and supervision.
• Respond professionally in increasingly complex situations with a greater degree of independence as they progress across levels of training. 

Communication and interpersonal skills are foundational to education, training, and practice in psychology. These skills are essential for any service delivery/activity/interaction and are evident across the program’s expected competencies. 

• Develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of individuals, including colleagues, communities, organizations, supervisors, supervisees, and those receiving professional services. 
• Produce and comprehend oral, nonverbal, and written communications that are informative and well-integrated; demonstrate a thorough grasp of professional language and concepts. 
• Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills and the ability to manage difficult communication well. 

Trainees should demonstrate competence in conducting evidence-based assessment consistent with the scope of HSP. 

Doctoral students are expected to demonstrate the following competencies: 

• Demonstrate current knowledge of diagnostic classification systems, functional and dysfunctional behaviors, including consideration of client strengths and psychopathology.
• Demonstrate understanding of human behavior within its context (e.g., family, social, societal and cultural).
• Demonstrate the ability to apply the knowledge of functional and dysfunctional behaviors including context to the assessment and/or diagnostic process.
• Select and apply assessment methods that draw from the best available empirical literature and that reflect the science of measurement and psychometrics; collect relevant data using multiple sources and methods appropriate to the identified goals and questions of the assessment as well as relevant diversity characteristics of the service recipient.
• Interpret assessment results, following current research and professional standards and guidelines, to inform case conceptualization, classification, and recommendations, while guarding against decision-making biases, distinguishing the aspects of assessment that are subjective from those that are objective.
• Communicate orally and in written documents the findings and implications of the assessment in an accurate and effective manner sensitive to a range of audiences.

Trainees should demonstrate competence in evidence-based interventions consistent with the scope of HSP. Intervention is being defined broadly to include but not be limited to psychotherapy.  Interventions may be derived from a variety of theoretical orientations or approaches. The level of intervention includes those directed at an individual, a family, a group, an organization, a community, a population, or other systems. 

Doctoral students are expected to demonstrate the ability to: 

• Establish and maintain effective relationships with the recipients of psychological services. 
• Develop evidence-based intervention plans specific to the service delivery goals. 
• Implement interventions informed by the current scientific literature, assessment findings, diversity characteristics, and contextual variables. 
• Demonstrate the ability to apply the relevant research literature to clinical decision making. 
• Modify and adapt evidence-based approaches effectively when a clear evidence-base is lacking, 
• Evaluate intervention effectiveness, and adapt intervention goals and methods consistent with ongoing evaluation. 

Supervision involves the mentoring and monitoring of trainees and others in the development of competence and skill in professional practice and the effective evaluation of those skills. Supervisors act as role models and maintain responsibility for the activities they oversee. Doctoral students are expected to demonstrate knowledge of supervision models and practices. 

Consultation and interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills are reflected in the intentional collaboration of professionals in health service psychology with other individuals or groups to address a problem, seek or share knowledge, or promote effectiveness in professional activities. 

Doctoral students are expected to demonstrate knowledge and respect for the roles and perspectives of other professions, as well as knowledge of consultation models and practices.

Strengths and highlights of our training program include:

In-depth infusion of racial-cultural and social justice emphases throughout program components. Although our curriculum features certain courses with words like "multicultural" in the titles, our multicultural-social justice instruction does not just reside in those courses. Rather, we conceptualize every course and program experience within the context of a social justice and racial-cultural framework. Not only is this orientation consonant with our belief that socially-just practice is ethical, effective practice, it also allows us to align our work with broader movement toward social equity.

Research exposure and opportunities.  At Teachers College, you have the opportunity to get first-rate practitioner preparation in the context of first-rate scholarship. Our faculty includes researchers whose work has shaped the counseling profession, and every faculty member maintains ongoing research teams to which students at any level of training may apply. To find out more about our faculty's research interests, please consult their individual pages on the TC website.

A commitment to the crucial role of experiential training and self-awareness within psychotherapist preparation.  As a counselor or therapist, the instrument that you use to enact your professional work is you -- so the more aware you are of your own interpersonal style, skills, and biases, the more effectively you can use your instrument. Many students find that some of the most important, challenging, and transformational aspects of their TC training results from courses like Foundations, Group Counseling, and Racial-Cultural Counseling Lab, where students learn about themselves as they learn about the practice of psychology.

TC's program of study leading to the doctorate in Counseling Psychology is guided by criteria adopted by the  American Psychological Association  for accredited programs in professional psychology.

The course of study includes:

• Scientific and professional ethics and standards
• Psychological measurement, statistics, and research design and methodology
• Knowledge and understanding of a) history and systems of psychology b) the biological basis of behavior c) the cognitive-affective bases of behavior d) the social bases of behavior (e.g., social psychology) and e) individual behavior (e.g., personality theory, human development)
• Intervention strategies and methods of inquiry; and
• Preparation to undertake a doctoral dissertation.

In developing the necessary mastery of these areas, students are expected to be attentive to the historical roots of counseling psychology, i.e., the study of individual differences, the vocational guidance movement, and the mental health movement. Similarly, they are expected to be prepared for the probable future of counseling psychology in the areas of expertise represented by the faculty, especially the influence of social and cultural systems (home, family, workplace, and environment) on human development and change.

Mentorship model.  Students are advised by the faculty mentor with whom they selected during the application process. The advisor serves the important roles of orienting students to the program and helps them to develop their curriculum plans. Students receive mentorship in research by serving on the research teams of their advisors and ordinarily do research practicum on their mentor’s research team.  The doctoral mentors are:

• Melanie E. Brewster: ( Not interviewing new Ph.D. students to enroll in Fall 2025) Mental and physical health correlates of marginalization and/or objectification; atheism and nonreligious identities; collective action and well-being; instrument development and psychometric evaluation. Co-directs the Sexuality, Women, and Gender Project, which offers a graduate certificate. Link to website . 
• Whitney J. Erby: (Interviewing new Ph.D. students to enroll in Fall 2025) The relationship between the experience of racism, racial identity, and well-being; career development; Black women’s mental health; couple’s therapy; psychological assessment.
• George V. Gushue: (I nterviewing new Ph.D. students to enroll in Fall 2025) The influence of racial/cultural attitudes, beliefs, and values on social cognition (e.g., perception, judgment, memory, and attribution) in the areas of client evaluation and counseling practice, career development, and health; group and family counseling; psychosocial dimensions of HIV/AIDS. Link to website. 
• Marie L. Miville: (I nterviewing new Ph.D. students to enroll in Fall 2025) Multicultural counseling; universal-diverse orientation; Latina/o psychology; LGBT issues; women's issues; intersections of identities; supervision and training. Link to website.  
• Laura Smith: (I nterviewing new Ph.D. students to enroll in Fall 2025)
• Social inclusion/exclusion and wellbeing; psychological dimensions of social class, poverty, and classism; intersections of race and class; Whiteness and antiracism; participatory action research; community-based psychological interventions.  Link to website.
• Derald Wing Sue : Multicultural counseling and therapy, cultural competency, multicultural consultation and organizational development, psychopathology, racism and antiracism, law and ethics.  Link to website.
• Brandon L.  Velez (Director of Clinical Training ) [Not i nterviewing new Ph.D. students to enroll in Fall 2025]
• The associations of discrimination and identity-related attitudes with mental health and career outcomes among sexual, gender, and racial/ethnic minority individuals, as well as populations with multiple minority identities. Link to website. 

For detailed information about the program and its requirements, please see the Doctoral Student Handbook available for download below.

The Ph.D. program also offers a  Bilingual Latinx Mental Health Concentration .

Questions related to the program's accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation: 

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation American Psychological Association 750 1st Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Phone: (202) 336-5979 / Email: [email protected] Web:  www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

Admissions Information

Displaying requirements for the Spring 2025, Summer 2025, and Fall 2025 terms.

Doctor of Philosophy

• Points/Credits: 90
• Entry Terms: Fall
• Enrollment Formats: Full-Time

Application Deadlines

Select programs remain open beyond our standard application deadlines , such as those with an extended deadline or those that are rolling (open until June or July). If your program is rolling or has an extended deadline indicated above, applications are reviewed as they are received and on a space-available basis. We recommend you complete your application as soon as possible as these programs can close earlier if full capacity has been met.

Application Requirements

Requirements from the TC Catalog (AY 2023-2024)

Displaying catalog information for the Fall 2023, Spring 2024 and Summer 2024 terms.

View Full Catalog Listing

The program of study that follows is described in terms of full-time study. Some of the courses may be taken on a part-time basis. However, full-time study after the first 30 applicable credits is required unless the student can present persuasive evidence that his or her living and working circumstances have not prevented, and will not prevent, him/her from taking full advantage of the College’s resources. Certain essential subjects and practica are offered only in the morning and early afternoon hours.

The doctorate degree is granted after successful completion of a minimum of 90 points of planned, sequential study beyond the bachelor’s degree, of which at least 60 points must be taken at Teachers College. The doctoral program is accredited by the American Psychological Association and requires at least five years, including the equivalent of four years of academic study beyond the bachelor’s degree and one calendar year of internship.

Please note that upon admission to the Ph.D. program in Counseling Psychology, students will receive a Doctoral Student Handbook for the Ph.D. program in Counseling Psychology which will provide updated policy, program features, and requirements. (The most recent handbook is available on the Program website). The program of study leading to the Doctorate in Counseling Psychology is guided by criteria adopted by the American Psychological Association for accredited programs in professional psychology.

The course of studies includes: scientific and professional ethics and standards; psychological measurement, statistics, and research design and methodology; knowledge and understanding of: (a) history and systems of psychology, (b) the biological basis of behavior, (c) the cognitive-affective bases of behavior, (d) the social bases of behavior (e.g., social psychology), and (e) individual behavior (e.g., personality theory and human development), intervention strategies and methods of inquiry; and preparation to undertake a doctoral dissertation.

In developing the necessary mastery of these areas, the student is expected to be attentive to the historical roots of counseling psychology, i.e., the study of individual differences, the vocational guidance movement and the mental health movement. Similarly, she or he is expected to be prepared for the probable future of counseling psychology in the areas of expertise represented by the faculty, especially the influence of social and cultural systems (home, family, workplace, and environment) on human development and change.

In addition to core requirements, courses in specific and specialized areas of counseling psychology are available. Courses in the department are supplemented by appropriate offerings in other Programs and Departments at Teachers College, and Columbia University.

Please note that satisfactory performance in the degree program is defined as no incomplete grades and no courses in which the grade earned is lower than B. Academic dishonesty and unethical behavior may be grounds for immediate dismissal from the program (master’s or doctoral). Specific information regarding curriculum requirements are contained in the Doctoral Student Handbook. In addition to coursework, a number of other academic experiences are required.

Doctoral Certification

Candidacy as a doctoral student expires after a certain number of years. Ph.D. candidates must complete all degree requirements within seven years of first entering the program (six years if they have an applicable master’s degree or 30 points of advanced standing prior to doctoral admission).

Counseling Psychology students do not become official candidates for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy until they have passed: 1) a College-Wide Psychology Research Methods Exam, and 2) a Program Comprehensive exam which includes both a written exam and the submission of a Research Competence project paper. The written exam covers several areas in Counseling Psychology, including: (1) theoretical concepts; (2) core psychology course work; (3) clinical interventions; (4) assessment in career work and personal/social counseling; (5) professional issues such as ethics, professional trends, and developments in counseling psychology. Cultural issues will be infused into the content questions in the exam. In addition, they must satisfy all other requirements for certification prescribed by the Office of Doctoral Studies (ODS). Students who fail to take the certification examination at the appropriate point in their studies are subject to certain penalties. Also there are evaluations done annually to facilitate students’ timely completion of the Ph.D. degree (See Doctoral Student Handbook for more information).

Practicum and Externship

Practicum placements are available both on-campus and off-campus. The Dean Hope Center for Educational and Psychological Services (CEPS) is an in-house training clinic located at 657 528 Building. Students may petition program faculty to complete practicum placements off-campus and should contact the Fieldwork Coordinator for further information. A year-long externship placement may be required of students who do not obtain sufficient clinical hours during their practicum rotations.

For doctoral students only: Supervised experience in approved and appropriate agencies, institutions, and establishments. Students are required to petition faculty for internship training and must be approved to apply for an internship. Students must have completed all coursework during the academic year in which they are applying for an internship. Students must have passed all certification and comprehensive examinations as well as have an approved dissertation proposal.

The Dissertation

For most doctoral students, the completion of course requirements presents few problems. Successful completion of a dissertation is usually less easily managed. Unless carefully planned in advance, it can prove a difficult hurdle. Accordingly, the degree program has several built-in features designed to facilitate the formulation and successful execution of an acceptable dissertation proposal and assistance in completing the dissertation. These include the completion of a research competence project, the Dissertation Seminar course, and a Review of Research course.

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Teachers College, Columbia University 428 Horace Mann

Contact Person: Jacob Holober

Phone: (212) 678-3397 Fax: (212) 678-3397

Email: jsh2239@tc.columbia.edu Admissions Inquiries: CCPadmission@tc.columbia.edu

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Counseling Psychology Ph.D.

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Welcome to our Website!

We are pleased that you are interested in learning more about our doctoral program in Counseling Psychology. On this page you will find general information about our program as well as two important links. These allow you to see   data about our admissions and other student outcomes for the past 10 years , and to   download our e-packet . The e-packet is a document that provides more detail about the program, such as admissions criteria, required courses, financial aid, and program faculty. I invite you to visit our links, review the e-packet, and   contact me   for any additional information you may need to make an informed decision about applying to our program.

Lydia P. Buki, Ph.D. Director of Training

Program Description

The Counseling Psychology Doctoral Program at the University of Miami has been accredited by the American Psychological Association since 1989 and has a proud tradition of preparing students as scholars and clinicians. Firmly committed to the foundational values of the discipline of counseling psychology, including its emphasis on prevention, optimal human development and the promotion of individual, family and community well-being, our program strives to prepare students who will make a difference in the world through research, scholarship, and reflective practice.

The Program advocates the scientist–practitioner model of training in which students receive extensive grounding in the scientific underpinnings of the discipline. In turn, students use this knowledge en route to becoming highly skilled scholars and clinicians. Although a degree from our program prepares students to be licensed as practicing psychologists, it is important to keep in mind that the Ph.D. is a research degree; our priority is to cultivate scholars who are capable of developing original lines of research and of playing leadership roles in both academic and applied settings. Applicants who are exclusively or primarily interested in psychotherapy practice are encouraged to consider more practitioner-oriented training programs like those offering a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) degree.

Our program values diversity in many senses of the word and we are firmly committed to the development of multicultural competence in each of our students. We adopt the philosophy that cultural competence is not a static achievement, but one of continual striving for excellence in the inclusion and affirmation of diverse populations. The University of Miami prides itself on being a “global university in a global city,” and this context offers students a unique opportunity to explore issues of diversity in all aspects of their lives. In the academic setting, such opportunities include: being involved in clinical training opportunities with diverse underserved populations; participating as research assistants in grant-funded projects addressing the health-related needs of these populations; pursuing original diversity-related dissertation projects; and, for those fluent in Spanish, practicing bilingual counseling skills in supervised practicum experiences. The training we offer on multicultural issues is consistent with the   APA Guidelines on Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice, and Organizational Change for Psychologists .

Our Program does not adhere to any one theory of human functioning or any one theory of counseling and development. Faculty members work from a variety of theoretical orientations including psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, family systems and humanistic perspectives. We place a high value on students developing a firm grounding in theory and being able to clearly integrate theory in all of their research and clinical work. Diversity is also reflected in the areas of expertise of our faculty. Content areas of expertise include multicultural training, health psychology, social justice, systems and community intervention, and theoretical psychology. Please consult our faculty listings within the e-packet for a more thorough overview of faculty research interests.

For the most up-to-date information about our program, we recommend that prospective students use our most recent web materials as a guide. Information about our program published by others on the web can be inaccurate and misleading.

Program Vision

We are dedicated to excellence in the development of multiculturally competent reflective researchers and practitioners in Counseling Psychology.

Program Mission

To nurture the development of counseling psychology graduate students and faculty as reflective researchers and scientist–practitioners committed to promoting psychological well-being in a multiculturally complex world.

The Counseling Psychology Program was first accredited by the American Psychological Association in 1989 and has been continuously accredited since then. 

Questions related to the program's accreditation status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation American Psychological Association 750 1 st  Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002 Phone: (202) 336-5979 / E-mail:  [email protected] Web:  www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

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PhD in Counseling Psychology

Our Counseling Psychology PhD Program utilizes a multiple mentor model in which doctoral students are assigned to a primary advisor and encouraged to work with all faculty members throughout their time in the department through involvement on research teams, clinical training opportunities, outreach, and teaching.

The APA-accredited doctoral program in counseling psychology is based on the scientist/practitioner model of professional psychology and integrates counseling and psychological theory, scientific inquiry, and supervised practice. Counseling psychology is a psycho-educational specialty in which practitioners help others to improve their well-being, alleviate their distress, resolve their crises, and increase their ability to solve problems and make decisions. Counseling psychologists apply systematic, research-based approaches to help themselves and others understand and develop solutions to problems that are educational, vocational, emotional, social, cultural, health-related, or developmental in nature.

The UW–Madison program places special emphasis on multicultural competence and social justice, integration of research and practice, and preparation for ethical and professional conduct as either a researcher, teacher, or practitioner. The theoretical orientation of the program is best described as eclectic. Coursework emphasizes the research base of counseling psychology and students are expected to involve themselves in faculty research. All students complete a one-year, full-time pre-doctoral internship as a culminating training experience. The planned length of the program for students entering with a master's degree (post-MA track) is five years, although students may opt to take additional time depending on academic background and career objectives.

The department also admits a small number of students to a post–BA track. These students apply to the PhD program at the completion of their undergraduate degree and are required to integrate coursework and professional practice training at the master's level, as well as introductory doctoral coursework, during the first two years of study. Students admitted to the post–BA track typically have excellent academic records and experiences that demonstrate high levels of both helping skills and research skills prior to admissions. The planned length of the post–BA track is six years, although actual completion times will vary depending on student needs and career goals.

The mission of the counseling psychology PhD program is to train health service psychologists who are skillful in research and intervention with diverse populations, who integrate science and practice into their professional roles, and who uphold high ethical and professional standards as psychologists. Program graduates are broadly prepared for a number of professional roles, including direct service, research, teaching, clinical supervision, and program design and evaluation. 

The PhD program is accredited by the American Psychological Association. For further information on accreditation, contact APA's Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242; 202-336-5979; [email protected] .

Licensure as a Psychologist

Graduates of the PhD program are eligible for licensure to practice psychology. Licensure requirements differ by state, and currently most states require additional supervised practice post-PhD. All states require passage of the national licensure examination (the Examination for Professional Practice of Psychology or EPPP), and most states also have state-specific written and oral examinations. Links to descriptions of licensure requirements by state may be obtained from the website of the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards .

Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.

Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online .

Many students who apply to and are enrolled in the PhD program have earned a master's degree (post-MA in counseling or a related field).  However, we also offer a “Post-BA” track within our PhD program for highly qualified students who have not yet earned a master's degree in a counseling-related field and wish to apply directly to a PhD program. Having a "Post-BA" track allows us to accept qualified applicants to the PhD program who may have work, volunteer, or research experience in counseling or a related profession, have exhibited a passion for helping others, and/or possess a master's degree in a non-counseling field. Admission to the program is highly competitive.  Applicants are responsible for collecting, assembling, and submitting all the pieces of the application by the deadline. Applicants must upload materials to the online application.  

Several informational meetings are hosted each fall by the department.  A schedule of meetings and other information can be found on the Information for Prospective PhD Applicants page.

Questions can be directed to the Student Services Coordinator. See the People tab for contact information.

Applicants without a Master's Degree in Counseling or Related Field

The program accepts applications from applicants without a master's degree in counseling. An undergraduate degree in Psychology is recommended. Applicants without a Psychology degree but with substantial undergraduate coursework in introductory psychology and statistics may be considered.

Information and application instructions are found on the program website .

Graduate School Resources

Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid.  Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.

Program Resources

Incoming PhD students will be guaranteed five years of funding. For post-MA students, the fifth year may be covered by the funding students receive through their predoctoral internship, which is administered by a different institution. Funding is through a combination of fellowships and graduate assistantships, usually either teaching or research (usually termed "project" assistantships) -- either in the Department of Counseling Psychology or in other university departments. Assistantship appointments are at the 50% level (equating to 20 hours per week) for the 9-month academic year. Summer funding is available but not guaranteed.

Department assistantships are assigned through a competitive application process each spring. Admitted students (non-fellows) are included in the process the spring before they start in the program. Students are encouraged to also apply for graduate assistantships outside the department, and most obtain at least some of their support in other departments or units on campus during their time in the program.

Currently, all graduate assistantships and fellowships include tuition remission and health benefits. 

Fellowships

• Students may be eligible for an Ed-GRS fellowship.  Ed-GRS is a community of first-generation students and ethnically underrepresented students who are receiving an Advanced Opportunity Fellowship (AOF) in the School of Education. In addition to tuition remission, monthly stipend, and health care benefits, the program strives to assist our fellows with first-year transition, community building, and professional development opportunities. The department nominates top eligible candidates for Ed-GRS automatically—no additional application materials are needed from the applicant. More information about AOFs can be found on their website .
• Racial and ethnic minority students are encouraged to apply for the American Psychological Association Minority Fellowship Program. Information is available on their website .

Financial Aid

Information and application materials for financial aid, loans, scholarships, and student employment may be obtained by contacting the Office of Student Financial Aid at 333 East Campus Mall, Room 9701, Madison, WI 53706, 608-262-3060. International applicants are encouraged to seek other forms of financial assistance as international students are not eligible for loans and scholarships.

Additional information about funding is available on the Counseling Psychology website . Questions can be directed to the Student Services Coordinator. See the People tab for contact information.

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

Major requirements.

Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements , in addition to the program requirements listed below.

Mode of Instruction

Mode of Instruction Definitions

Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students typically take enough credits aimed at completing the program in a year or two.

Evening/Weekend: ​Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules.  Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments.

Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.

Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats.  Contact the program for more specific information.

Online: These programs are offered 100% online.  Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format.

Curricular Requirements

Required Courses

There are two primary curriculum domains of the doctoral program. Required coursework and practicum experiences contribute to each student’s competency in these areas. The core curriculum areas are:

• History and Systems of Psychology
• Basic Psychology Content Areas (i.e., Affective Aspects of Behavior, Biological Aspects of Behavior, Cognitive Aspects of Behavior, Developmental Aspects of Behavior, and Social Aspects of Behavior)
• Research, Quantitative Methods, and Psychometrics
• Advanced Integrative Knowledge in Scientific Psychology
• Integration of Science and Practice
• Ethical and Legal Standards
• Individual and Cultural Diversity
• Professional Values and Attitudes
• Communication and Interpersonal Skills
• Intervention
• Supervision
• Consultation and Interprofessional/Interdisciplinary Skills Required coursework (i.e., major core coursework) includes courses in each of these areas.

In accordance with the Standards of Accreditation (SoA) for Health Service Psychology, all students are required to document mastery of broad and general content knowledge in each of these psychological foundations areas during their doctoral studies.

Post–MA Pathway 1 :

These pathways are internal to the program and represent different curricular paths a student can follow to earn this degree. Pathway names do not appear in the Graduate School admissions application, and they will not appear on the transcript.

Students must take at least 1 semester of COUN PSY 810 Professional Development and Clinical Practice for 2 credits.

Students may take 2 semesters of COUN PSY 904 Counseling Psychology Externship for a total of 2-6 credits.

Post–BA Pathway 1 :

Post-BA track students start the program alongside the incoming master's student cohort. In their first academic year, post-BA track students will complete a course load similar to their master's student counterparts. In their second academic year, students will complete their "first Year Experience" while beginning their PhD coursework. Post-BA track students are not currently required to complete a master's thesis or the Professional Integration Exercise but will also not receive a master's degree unless they choose to meet all requirements for our master's program.

Must complete all courses listed for the Post–MA pathway  and

Graduate School Policies

The  Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures  provide essential information regarding general university policies. Program authority to set degree policies beyond the minimum required by the Graduate School lies with the degree program faculty. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.

Major-Specific Policies

Prior coursework, graduate credits earned at other institutions.

With program approval, students are allowed to transfer no more than 21 credits of graduate coursework from other institutions. Coursework earned four or more years prior to admission to the doctoral program is not allowed to satisfy requirements.

Undergraduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions or UW-Madison

No credits from an other institution or UW–Madison undergraduate degree are allowed to transfer toward the degree.

Credits Earned as a Professional Student at UW-Madison (Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Veterinary careers)

Refer to the Graduate School: Transfer Credits for Prior Coursework policy.

Credits Earned as a University Special Student at UW–Madison

With program approval, students are allowed to transfer no more than 9 credits of coursework numbered 300 or above taken as a UW–Madison University Special student. Coursework earned four or more years prior to admission to the doctoral program is not allowed to satisfy requirements.

Placement on probation indicates a very serious faculty concern about a student's performance. Students are placed on probation, as opposed to being dismissed from the program, when the faculty determines that the student likely will be able to address the difficulty that led to the probation if appropriate remediation is provided. If a recommendation for probation and remediation is adopted by the faculty, the student and advisor work with the Doctoral Training Committee (or a subset of this committee) to formulate a remediation plan including explicit goals and deadlines for evaluation of their attainment.

Students on probation cannot be approved as ready for the next level of clinical training (i.e., for foundational practicum; for internship) until they have successfully remediated the identified concern(s). This can have a substantial impact on time to degree, as practicum applications begin in the fall semester for the following academic year.

Advisor / Committee

Upon admission to the doctoral program, all students are assigned a faculty advisor. The doctoral student may select a major professor from the Department of Counseling Psychology who is not the original faculty advisor. In view of the important role that the major professor plays in the student's dissertation research, students are advised to allow themselves sufficient time to get acquainted with all faculty, so that they can select a major professor with whom they share similar research interests, career goals, or other interests. The doctoral student's faculty advisor plays an important role in monitoring and assisting the student with program planning.

Reviews of student progress are an agenda item for departmental faculty meeting in November (1st-year students only) and in April or May (all active PhD students). All students are required to conduct a yearly progress report meeting with their advisor. Student perspectives are taken into account in these reviews, and all students complete the Doctoral Student Report on Progress, in conjunction with their advisors.

Credits Per Term Allowed

Time limits.

Students have eight years from the date of admission to complete all of the necessary courses. Courses that are more than eight years old will not fulfill program completion requirements for admission to candidacy. Admission to candidacy occurs when students successfully complete all required coursework and pass their doctoral preliminary examinations. Students must be admitted to candidacy within ten years of admission to the department. Once admitted to candidacy (dissertator status) the student has five years to complete the dissertation and pass the final oral examination.

Once students are admitted they are expected to maintain continuous enrollment and make satisfactory progress toward their degree. Failure to maintain continuous enrollment may result in lengthy reentry process or possible termination from the program.

Prior to reentry into the program, the student should contact the department and petition the faculty for reentry. The full faculty will determine whether the student is granted reentry without conditions, granted reentry conditionally (e.g., require additional coursework or adherence to timelines for completion of degree requirements) or denied reentry.

Grievances and Appeals

These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:

• Bias or Hate Reporting  
• Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures
• Office of the Provost for Faculty and Staff Affairs
• Employee Assistance (for personal counseling and workplace consultation around communication and conflict involving graduate assistants and other employees, post-doctoral students, faculty and staff)
• Employee Disability Resource Office (for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities to have equal employment opportunities)
• Graduate School (for informal advice at any level of review and for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions)
• Office of Compliance (for class harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence)
• Office Student Assistance and Support (OSAS)  (for all students to seek grievance assistance and support)
• Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts involving students)
• Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for employed graduate students and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff)
• Title IX (for concerns about discrimination)

School of Education Grievance Policy and Procedures

The following School of Education Student Grievance Policy and associated procedures are designed for use in response to individual student grievances regarding faculty or staff in the School of Education.

Any individual student who feels they have been treated unfairly by a School of Education faculty or staff member has the right to file a grievance about the treatment and receive a timely response addressing their concerns. Any student, undergraduate or graduate, may use these grievance procedures, except employees whose complaints are covered under other campus policies. The grievance may concern classroom treatment, mentoring or advising, program admission or continuation, course grades (study abroad grade complaints are handled through International Academic Programs ), or issues not covered by other campus policies or grievance procedures. 

For grievances regarding discrimination based on protected bases (i.e., race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, etc.), contact the Office of Compliance ( https://compliance.wisc.edu/eo-complaint/ ).

For grievances or concerns regarding sexual harassment or sexual violence (including sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, stalking, and sexual exploitation), contact the Sexual Misconduct Resource and Response Program within the Office of Compliance.

For grievances that involve the behavior of a student, contact the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards in the Dean of Students Office at https://conduct.students.wisc.edu/ ).

For grievances about, or directed at, faculty or staff in a School of Education department, unit, or program, students should follow these steps:

• Students are strongly encouraged to first talk with the person against whom the concern is directed. Many issues can be settled informally at this level. If students are unable to resolve concerns directly or without additional support, step 2 or 3 should be pursued.
• If the concern is directed against a teaching assistant (TA), and the student is not satisfied, the student should contact the TA's supervisor, who is usually the course professor. The course professor will attempt to resolve the concern informally.
• If the concern involves a non-TA instructor, staff member, professor, academic department, or School of Education office or unit, the student should contact the chair of the department or the director of the office or unit, or their designee. The chair or director, or their designee, will attempt to resolve the concern informally. If the concern is about the department chair or office/unit director, the student should consult the School of Education Senior Associate Dean for guidance.
• If the concern remains unresolved after step 2, the student may submit a formal grievance to the chair or director in writing within 30 business days 1 of the alleged unfair treatment. To the fullest extent possible, a formal written grievance shall contain a clear and concise statement of the issue(s) involved and the relief sought.  
• On receipt of a written grievance, the chair or director will notify the person at whom the grievance is directed with a copy of the written grievance. The person at whom the complaint is directed may submit a written response, which would be shared with the student.
• On receipt of a written grievance, the chair or director will refer the matter to a department, office, or unit committee comprised of at least two members. The committee may be an existing committee or one constituted for this purpose. The committee, or delegates from the committee, may meet with the parties involved and/or review any material either party shares with the committee.  
• The committee will provide a written description of the facts of the grievance and communicate recommendations to the department chair or office/unit head regarding how the grievance should be handled.

For the purpose of this policy, business days refers to those days when the University Offices are open and shall not include weekends, university holidays, spring recess, or the period from the last day of exams of fall semester instruction to the first day of spring semester instruction. All time limits may be modified by mutual consent of the parties involved.

If the grievance concerns an undergraduate course grade, the decision of the department chair after reviewing the committee’s recommendations is final. 

Other types of grievances may be appealed using the following procedures:

• Both the student who filed the grievance or the person at whom the grievance was directed, if unsatisfied with the decision of the department, office or unit, have five (5) business days from receipt of the decision to contact the Senior Associate Dean, indicating the intention to appeal.   
• A written appeal must be filed with the Senior Associate Dean within 10 business days of the time the appealing party was notified of the initial resolution of the complaint.
• On receipt of a written appeal, the Senior Associate Dean will convene a sub-committee of the School of Education’s Academic Planning Council. This subcommittee may ask for additional information from the parties involved and/or may hold a meeting at which both parties will be asked to speak separately (i.e., not in the room at the same time).
• The subcommittee will then make a written recommendation to the Dean of the School of Education, or their designee, who will render a decision. The dean or designee’s written decision shall be made within 30 business days from the date when the written appeal was filed with the Senior Associate Dean.  For undergraduate students, the dean or designee’s decision is final.

Further appealing a School of Education decision – graduate students only

Graduate students have the option to appeal decisions by the School of Education dean or designee by using the process detailed on the Graduate School’s website .

Questions about these procedures can be directed to the School of Education Dean's Office, 377 Education Building, 1000 Bascom Mall, 608-262-1763.

• Office of Compliance (for discrimination based on protected classes, including misconduct) 179A Bascom Hall, 608-262-2378
• Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts between students, or academic integrity violations) 70 Bascom Hall, 608-263-5700
• Bias or Hate Reporting (for students who experience or observe bias or hate incidents)  70 Bascom Hall, 608-263-5700
• Graduate School (for graduate students who need informal advice at any level of review; for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions, see Graduate Assistant Policies and Procedures ) 217 Bascom Hall, 608-262-2433
• Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for UW–Madison employees, including graduate students) 523-524 Lowell Center, 608-265-9992
• Employee Assistance (for conflicts involving graduate assistants and other employees) 256 Lowell Hall, 608-263-2987
• Office of Human Resources for policies and procedures to address workplace conflict) 21 N Park Street Suite 5101, 608-265-2257
• Office of Student Assistance and Support (OSAS) (for any students needing advice or support) 70 Bascom Hall, 608-263-5700
• School of Education, Office of Student Services (for students, particularly undergraduates, in the School of Education) 139 Education Building, 608-262-1651
• School of Education, Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (OEDI) 145 Education Building, 608-262-8427

Professional Development

Take advantage of the Graduate School's  professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career. 

Learning Outcomes

• Prepare for role as professional psychologist.
• Apply professional standards and conduct.
• Demonstrate scientific foundations.
• Acquire knowledge and skill in psychological practice.
• Acquire knowledge and skills in clinical supervision.
• Develop relational skills.
• Gain an understanding of the scientific basis for practice.
• Acquire knowledge of research methods.
• Apply research findings to psychological practice.
• Apply scientific thinking to practice.
• Develop a multicultural competence and social justice orientation.
• Acquire cultural and scientific knowledge relevant to diverse and underrepresented groups.
• Develop awareness of self as a cultural being.
• Develop skill in application of knowledge of self, culture, and context to clinical work.

Faculty:  Professors Thompson (Chair), Gloria, and Quintana; Associate Professors Budge, Goldberg, and Wright; Assistant Professors Frost and Kim; Faculty Associate Lotta; Clinical Associate Professor Graham; Clinical Assistant Professors Ramirez Stege and Her.

Graduate Program Manager: Andrea Burdick. Department Administrator: Nancy Jaeckle

Accreditation

American Psychological Association

Accreditation status: Accredited. Next accreditation review: 2029.

Certification/Licensure

Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology

Note: Because of the relatively small size of many doctoral programs, EPPP pass rates are reported only in terms of the three-year moving average.

Professional Certification/Licensure Disclosure (NC-SARA)

The United States Department of Education (via 34 CFR Part 668 ) requires institutions that provide distance education to disclose information for programs leading to professional certification or licensure. The expectation is that institutions will determine whether each applicable academic program meets state professional licensure requirements and provide a general disclosure of such on an official university website.

Professional licensure requirements vary from state-to-state and can change year-to-year; they are established in a variety of state statutes, regulations, rules, and policies; and they center on a range of educational requirements, including degree type, specialized accreditation, total credits, specific courses, and examinations.  

UW-Madison has taken reasonable efforts to determine whether this program satisfies the educational requirements for certification/licensure in states where prospective and enrolled students are located and is disclosing that information as follows.

Disclaimer: This information is based on the most recent annual review of state agency certification/licensure data and is subject to change. All students are strongly encouraged to consult with the individual/office listed in the Contact Information box on this page and with the applicable state agency for specific information.

The requirements of this program meet certification/licensure requirements in the following states:

The requirements of this program do not meet certification/licensure requirements in the following states:.

Not applicable

Updated: 1 June 2024

APA Accreditation

Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data

• Counseling Psychology

Counseling Psychology is a generalist health service (HSP) specialty in professional psychology that uses a broad range of culturally-informed and culturally-sensitive practices to help people improve their well-being, prevent and alleviate distress and maladjustment, resolve crises, and increase their ability to function better in their lives. It focuses specifically but not exclusively on normative life-span development, with a particular emphasis on prevention and education as well as amelioration, addressing individuals as well as the systems or contexts in which they function. It has particular expertise in work and career issues.

Specialized knowledge

Psychologists have an understanding of and capacity to engage in evidence-based and culturally-informed intervention, assessment, prevention, training, and research practices. They focus on healthy aspects and strengths of their clients (whether they are individuals, couples, families, groups, organizations, or communities); environmental/contextual influences (such as cultural, sociopolitical, gender, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic factors) that shape people’s experiences and concerns; the role of career and work in peoples’ lives; and advocacy for equity and social justice.

Problems addressed

Counseling psychologists focus on normative developmental and mental health issues and challenges faced by individuals across their lifespan, as well as systemic challenges (such as prejudice and discrimination) experienced in groups, workplaces, organizations, institutions, and communities. They use strengths-based perspectives and practices to prevent and ameliorate emotional, relational, physical/health-related, social, cultural, vocational, educational, and identity-related problems.

Population served

Counseling psychologists serve persons of all ages and cultural backgrounds in individual, group (including couples and families), workplace, organizational, institutional, and community settings. They work with groups and communities to assist them in addressing or preventing problems, as well as to improve the personal and interpersonal functioning of individual members. Counseling psychologists also intervene in organizations, institutions, workplaces, and communities to enhance their effectiveness, climate, and the success and well-being of their members.

Skills & procedures utilized

The procedures and techniques used within counseling psychology include, but are not limited to:

Individual, family and group counseling and psychotherapy.

Crisis intervention, disaster and trauma management.

Assessment techniques for the diagnosis of psychological disorders.

Programs/workshops that educate and inform the public about mental health, school, family, relationship and workplace issues so that problems can be prevented before they start or reduced before they get worse.

Consulting with organizations.

Program evaluation and treatment outcome (e.g., client progress).

Clinical supervision.

Test construction and validation.

Research methodologies for scientific investigations.

Related Resources

Recognized Specialties and Proficiencies

About Specialties and Proficiencies

Commission for the Recognition of Specialties and Proficiencies in Professional Psychology (CRSPPP)

Contact CRSPPP

Pursuing a Career

Contact education.

Search NYU Steinhardt

Phd, clinical/counseling psychology.

The 69-72 credit PhD in Clinical/Counseling Psychology prepares you to become a licensed psychologist. This program operates from a scientist-practitioner model, emphasizing that academic scholarship and research are inseparable from clinical practice. Training integrates models traditionally associated with clinical psychology (health, wellness, and psychological science) and counseling psychology (strength- and asset-based, social justice-oriented, and multicultural perspectives), which together equip you to be a multi-faceted and culturally informed psychologist.

Core Course Sequence

The PhD in Clinical/Counseling Psychology core curriculum features foundations in psychological science, such as research design and neuropsychology of behavior, as well as psychological theories and skills, including multicultural counseling and ethical and professional issues. You’ll then apply these knowledge and skills in actual practice, both with research and clinical assessment and intervention work.

Sample Electives

You’ll have the opportunity to take several research and clinical electives. Research electives may include qualitative research design, advanced statistics offerings, or utilizing mixed methods designs. Clinical electives may include additional clinical theoretical orientations (like cognitive-behavioral therapy or brief dynamic psychotherapies) or work with specific populations (like therapies with children and adolescents or LGBTQ+ populations).

Culminating Experience

The PhD in Clinical/Counseling Psychology culminates in two applied experiences: the dissertation and the clinical internship. The doctoral dissertation integrates the research knowledge and skills you gained throughout the research program, contributing unique knowledge to the literature of psychology. The clinical internship is a yearlong, full-time placement in a mental health setting (like a hospital, college counseling center, or community mental health center), where you’ll apply clinical knowledge and skills to the full range of applied clinical work conducted by psychologists.  

Curricular Requirements

Program requirements, additional program requirements.

For completion of the doctorate, 69-72 credits beyond the bachelor's degree are required. Additionally, as part of undergraduate or other graduate work, 18 credits in psychology including a course in statistics are prerequisites to the PhD program. 

In addition to course requirements, students must pass a comprehensive examination to be admitted to candidacy, complete a full-year full-time internship, have an approved dissertation proposal and dissertation, and pass a final oral examination of the dissertation.

Sample Plan of Study

Take the Next Step

Advance your personal and professional journey – apply to join our community of students.

PhD in Counseling Psychology

Join our nationally recognized, social justice oriented, apa-approved program in counseling psychology.

Earn your doctoral degree and license to practice as a professional psychologist in a program focused on breaking down barriers to equity in health and education.

Our commitment to you

Upon graduation with a PhD in counseling psychology from Loyola, you will possess the following knowledge, skills, and professional values necessary to work as a licensed psychologist, conducting research, teaching, and/or counseling in a variety of settings.

You'll gain discipline-specific knowledge in counseling psychology (including vocational psychology, prevention and outreach, and multicultural and international psychology), the psychological sciences, measurement, research methods, and statistics, as well as foundational knowledge in the history and philosophy of counseling psychology, current professional issues and trends, theories and research on normal human development, and major theories and research in vocational psychology, prevention and outreach, and multicultural and international psychology. Throughout all this, there will be an emphasis on how social injustice affects human functioning.

You will   engage in independent scholarship on questions important to counseling psychology, and develop and evaluate interventions to promote positive human development. You'll be equipped to practice as a health service psychologist with competencies in research, ethical and legal standards, individual and cultural diversity, professional values and attitudes, communication and interpersonal skills, assessment, intervention, supervision, consultation and inter-professional/interdisciplinary knowledge and skills.

Professional Values

You'll be educated in the scientist-practitioner model, committed to both research and its practical applications, all with social justice and equality in mind. You will display effective communication and interpersonal skills, as well as professional behaviors, and apply the knowledge base of the discipline in a scientifically-based, theoretically-driven, ethical, and culturally-responsive manner.

Program Faculty

Our dedicated  Counseling Faculty  are experts in their fields who will support students throughout each stage of the program.

APA Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data

Click here to access the APA Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data (2024) related to this program.

Accreditation

Loyola's PhD in counseling psychology has been accredited by the  American Psychologist Association (APA)  since 1984.

2023 Current Students

Aaron Graham, M.S. (enrolled 2022)

• Hometown: Matteson, IL • Ethnicity: Black • Clinical Interests: My clinical interests reside in mindfulness-based therapies and counseling practices, vocational counseling, psychoeducation, mind & body integrative therapy, and general mental health wellness. • Research interests: My current research interests are in the stigma against mental health in underrepresented communities, community-based participatory research, workplace mental health, and counseling training. • Contact info:  [email protected]

Jiwon Lee, M.Ed. (enrolled 2022)

• Hometown: Seoul, South Korea • Ethnicity: Asian • Clinical Interests: Trauma-informed therapy, cross-cultural counseling (working with racial/ethnic minorities, LGBT+ population), self-acceptance/self-compassion, social anxiety • Research interests: Experiences of racism and microaggressions among Asians/Asian Americans, systemic interventions that target racism • Contact info:  [email protected]

Claude Louis, M.S. (enrolled 2022)

• Hometown: Norwalk, CT • Ethnicity: Black/Haitian American • Clinical Interests: Community based counseling, integration of social justice in counseling for marginalized populations, LGBTQ focused counseling existential, humanistic, and person-centered counseling interventions. • Research interests: LGBTQ, minority and urban populations; development of humanistic, social justice interventions in community counseling settings to address retention, quality of mental health treatment and other disparities among urban vulnerable populations; counselor education, with a focus on counselor competency working with multicultural, immigrant, and other underserved populations. Counselor identity development and internalized racism. • Contact info:  [email protected]

Trayvon Truss, M.A. (enrolled 2022)

• Hometown: Chicago, IL • Ethnicity: African American • Clinical and Research Interests: Stigma among mental health in African American men. • Contact info:  [email protected]

Kayla Horne, M.A.

• Hometown: Indianapolis, IN
• Ethnicity: African American/ Black
• Clinical Interests: Trauma-informed care, addictions counseling, person-centered interventions, and social justice and multiculturally competent counseling.
• Research Interests: I am excited to research identity development in people who have become bilingual or multilingual after attending an International School. I am interested in understanding how the language(s) have shaped the graduates and how they have integrated the new language and culture into their identity.
• Contact info: [email protected]

Katharina Lippert, B.S.

• Hometown: Miami, FL
• Ethnicity: White
• Clinical Interests: My clinical interests focus on mindfulness/ positive psychology intervention techniques, as well as focusing on self-identity and purpose in life.
• Research Interests: My current research interest focuses on how well-being and positive psychology methods can help identity development in youths and adults across cultures. Especially the effectiveness of positive psychology interventions across cultures and social classes.
• Contact info: [email protected]

Kristin Woodlen, M.A.

• Hometown: Harrisburg, PA
• Ethnicity: Asian, Chinese American
• Clinical Interests: Person-Centered therapy, Cross-cultural counseling (working with racial/ethnic minorities and diverse families), Racial/Ethnic Identity Development.
• Research Interests: Racial/Ethnic identity development and mental health of transracial adoptees.
• Contact info: [email protected]

Length of Program

The program typically takes four to five years of study, including a full-time pre-doctoral internship. Time for degree completion, including the dissertation is six years.

Continuous Enrollments Doctoral students in counseling psychology are required to maintain continuous enrollment during their program of studies. This means that during each semester of each academic year (excluding Summer Sessions), each student must enroll in at least one course. A formal  leave of absence  may be granted upon request and with the approval of the Graduate School’s Associate Dean.

Comprehensive Assessment

Comprehensive take-home exam is required. Refer to the 2024 CPSY Doctoral Handbook for more information.

Admission Requirements

Interested in applying? Check out the  PhD Counseling Psychology application requirements .

• For  application  related questions,  contact Graduate Enrollment Management . 
• For  program structure and academics  related questions, contact:  Matthew Miller and Elizabeth Vera , Program Chairs

Tuition, Financial Aid and Scholarships

The School of Education and Loyola's Financial Aid Office are committed to helping students secure the necessary financial resources to make their education at Loyola affordable. You can learn more on the  Financial Assistance  page.

• Department of Counseling, School and Educational Psychology >
• Academics >
• Doctoral Degrees >

Counseling Psychology and School Psychology, PhD

VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE Thursday, Nov. 9 Event Details Register Now

Our combined doctoral program in counseling psychology and school psychology, accredited by the American Psychological Association (750 First St., NE, Washington, D.C. 20002-4242, 202-336-5979), focuses on preparing psychologists who can evaluate, provide and enhance human services through scientific inquiry and practice. Our program adheres to the scientist-practitioner model of training that provides you with an opportunity to receive specialized training in either counseling psychology or school psychology. The major difference between the two concentrations is counseling psychology's emphasis on older adolescent and adult populations as compared to school psychology's focus on child and adolescent client populations.

On this page:

Why counseling psychology and school psychology at ub.

The features of our program include:

• foundation in psychological science that addresses etiology, prevention and intervention with contemporary problems
• integration of science and practice through instruction in research methods, counseling/interventions and supervised practicum experiences
• quality advisement for ongoing research efforts and clinical training

Program Overview

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Program coursework.

Our combined doctoral program in counseling psychology and school psychology is designed as a full-time program of study. You are required to be registered each semester. Full-time status requires being registered for 12 credit hours each semester. Graduate assistants are considered full-time when registered for 9 credit hours. The intent of the full-time residence requirement is to provide the interactions with faculty and fellow students necessary for acculturation and socialization in the science and practice of psychology.

Coursework information is being updated. Please check back for an updated list of course requirements.

Five Year Program: Counseling Psychology (CP)

*  May be waived with prior approval **  Possible options for required Advanced Statistics Courses though other options are available ***  Prerequisite Career Counseling Course may be required and should be taken earlier #  Rotating courses offered every other year

Five Year Program: School Psychology (SP)

*  May be waived with prior approval **  Possible options for required Advanced Statistics Courses, though other options are available #  Rotating courses offered every other year

Program Handbook

Program disclosures.

As articulated in Standard I.B.2, programs may have “admission and employment policies that directly relate to affiliation or purpose” that may be faith-based or secular in nature. However, such policies and practices must be disclosed to the public.

This program does not require students, trainees, and/or staff to comply with specific policies or practices related to the institution’s affiliation or purpose. Such policies or practices may include, but are not limited to, admissions, hiring, retention policies, and/or requirements for completion that express mission and values.

Professional Licensure Disclosure

New York State prides itself in the high quality of its licensed and certified professionals. For the protection of its citizens, each license and certificate has requirements that individuals must meet in order to be licensed or certified in New York State. SUNY’s academic programs leading to licensure or certification are carefully designed to meet and exceed these State requirements. This is a role SUNY plays in protecting the public. Other states frequently have their own requirements, so if your goal is to practice in another state, this disclosure will help you check to see what that state requires.

Enrolled students and prospective students are strongly encouraged to contact their state’s licensure entity using the links provided in the full disclosure document to review all licensure and certification requirements imposed by their state(s) of choice.

Accreditation

Our combined doctoral program in counseling psychology and school psychology is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) : 750 First St., NE; Washington, D.C. 20002-4242; 202-336-5979.

Application Requirements

In an effort to make the application process more equitable, the GRE/MAT is no longer required for admissions consideration. If you still plan to take the GRE/MAT exam, you can send your scores through the testing agency, and they will automatically be added to your application; however, they are not required for admission consideration to this program.

You must have a bachelor’s (BA/BS) or master's degree in a related field. While an undergraduate major in psychology is not required, we suggest that you present a broad background in the applied social sciences including anthropology, psychology and sociology. 

Submit your completed online application, which includes:

• Application fee:  A $50 non-refundable application fee, submitted electronically through UB's ePayment system.
• Contact information for at least three individuals  who will each be asked to provide an electronic recommendation letter.
• Unofficial transcripts  from all colleges attended. (UB transcripts are automatically submitted for current UB students and alumni.)
• Statement of interest: Statement of your career goals and objectives.
• Diverse backgrounds statement: On the application, you will be directed to submit a 300-400 word response to the following: Describe any interests and experiences you have had working with individuals from different backgrounds than yourself (e.g., ethnic/racial, cultural, socio-economic, religious, ability status, sexual orientation). How have these experiences influenced you?

Personal Interview Upon University Request:  Applicants must make themselves available for interviews with faculty on campus. In most cases there will be one current doctoral student interviewing as well.

Former/Maiden Name:  Please provide us with your former/maiden name if you have one. When requesting transcripts, please ask the sending institution to indicate your current name and former/maiden name.

Admission Decision:  The admission decision will be communicated to you as soon as review is complete. The decision is based on a number of factors and is the result of a thorough and deliberate process. All decisions are final and cannot be appealed.

In-State Residency Tuition

In order to qualify for the in-state residency tuition rate, you must provide residency documentation indicating you have lived in New York State (NYS) 12 months before your semester start date.

If accepted, you will need to upload three documents to qualify for the in-state tuition rate. See  Required Documents for Residency Application  for more information. 

International Applicant Additional Requirements

• Official original proof of your degree
• A copy of your passport biographical page
• TOEFL minimum score is 250 for computer-based test, 600 for paper-based test and 79 for internet-based test
• IELTS Academic Test minimum score is 6.5 overall
• PTE minimum score is 55 overall
• DET minimum score is 120 overall
• Financial documentation:   International graduate applicants must document their ability to pay for all costs incurred while studying in the U.S.
• An official bank statement

All financial forms and supporting documentation with required signatures must be uploaded with your application and dated within one year of your intended enrollment date.

Program Faculty

Catherine P. Cook-Cottone

Professor Counseling, School And Educational Psychology

424 Baldy Hall North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-1128

Email: [email protected]

Myles S. Faith

420 Baldy Hall North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-1124

Email: [email protected]

Stephanie S. Fredrick

Associate Professor Counseling, School And Educational Psychology

409 Baldy Hall North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-1141

Email: [email protected]

Wendy M. Guyker

Clinical Associate Professor Counseling, School And Educational Psychology

Phone: 716-645-1105

Email: [email protected]

Amanda B. Nickerson

Distinguished Professor Counseling, School And Educational Psychology

428 Baldy Hall North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-3448

Email: [email protected]

Amy L. Reynolds

422 Baldy Hall North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-1112

Email: [email protected]

Tangela Roberts

Assistant Professor Counseling, School And Educational Psychology

North Campus 410 Baldy Hall Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-2484

Email: [email protected]

Sandro M. Sodano

427 Baldy Hall North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-1131

Email: [email protected]

Rebecca K. Vujnovic

421 Baldy Hall North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: 716-645-1125

Email: [email protected]

• 4/25/22 Program Philosophy, Aims and Competencies
• 10/14/20 Student Research
• 11/30/23 Student Admission, Outcomes and Other Data

We have a collection of frequently asked questions that may help you. If your questions are still unanswered, we are glad to help! Contact our admission office .

Questions About the Admission Process?

Office of Graduate Admission Graduate School of Education 366 Baldy Hall, North Campus 716-645-2110 [email protected]

Counseling Psychology, PhD

• Program description
• At a glance
• Degree requirements
• Admission requirements
• Tuition information
• Application deadlines
• Career opportunities
• Professional licensure
• Contact information

Diversity, Health, Mental Health, Psychology, School, Scientist, Wellness, clinical, counseling, helping

Prepare to be part of the next generation of psychologists. Train to serve diverse communities in clinical settings in the U.S. Southwest and beyond. You can also use this degree to pursue an academic career.

This American Psychological Association-accredited PhD program in counseling psychology adheres closely to the scientist-practitioner training model in preparing graduates for employment in academic and clinical settings.

Although faculty interests are diverse, there is a common emphasis on using empirical data as the basis for culturally-responsive professional practice. The program boasts a strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion as evidenced in course offerings, clinical training, professional development activities and research foci.

Faculty research foci include the following:

• acculturative stress
• cultural socialization
• LGBTQ+ mental health
• mental health disparities
• microaggressions
• psychotherapy process and outcome
• retention in graduate education
• social and personal relationships
• socioeconomic status and financial stress
• trans and nonbinary minority stress and resilience

Students enjoy exceptional clinical opportunities including placement in local hospitals, university and college counseling centers, community agencies and assessment sites. The program's state-of-the-art Counselor Training Center provides practicum experiences with campus and community clients as well as clinical supervision experiences. The center supports three complementary functions: clinical service provision, high-quality training, and innovative process and outcome research.

• College/school: College of Integrative Sciences and Arts
• Location: Tempe
• STEM-OPT extension eligible: No

115 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation

Counseling Essentials Core Area (27 credit hours) CED522 Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy (3) CED523 Psychological Tests (3) CED534 Occupations and Careers (3) CED545 Assessment and Diagnosis (3) CED567 Group Dynamics and Counseling (3) CED 576 Foundations of Counseling (3) CED577 Counseling Pre-practicum (3) CPY645 Professional Issues and Ethics (3) CPY671 Multicultural Counseling (3)

General Psychology Core Area (15 credit hours) CPY679 History and Systems (3) CPY654 Biological Bases (3) CPY676 Social Bases of Behavior (3) CED529 Lifespan Human Development (3) CPY691 Advanced Aspects of Cognitive and Affective Psychology (3)

Empirical Foundations Core Area (15 credit hours) CPY701 Science and Practice of Counseling Psychology (3) CPY702 Research Methods in Counseling Psychology (3) CED502 Counseling Data Analysis (3) EDP552 Multiple Regression and Correlation Methods (3) COE503 Intro to Qualitative Research (3)

Clinical Sequencing (21 credit hours) CED680 Beginning Practicum (3) CPY780 Advanced Practicum (3) CPY783 Fieldwork (12) CPY784 Pre-doctoral Internship (3) CPY691 Advanced Aspects of Cognitive and Affective Psychology (3)

Professional Development (4) CPY635 Professional Development (1)

Counseling Theory and Method (18 credit hours) CPY 677 Advanced Counseling (3) CPY 678 Supervision Theory (3) CPY 651 Personality Assessment (3) CPY 644 Psychology of Career (3) CPY 660 Prevention and Consultation (3) Diversity Course elective (3)

Research (3 or 6 credit hours) CPY592 Research Topic: Pre-Dissertation Research Paper (3) CPY 792 Research (3)

Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) CPY 799 Dissertation (12)

Additional Curriculum Information Students will take four semesters of CPY635 at one credit hour per semester. For the diversity course elective in the Counseling Theory and Method coursework, students will select from a list of electives in Area 5 as provided in the Graduate Student Handbook. Research courses should be selected in consultation with your program advisor.

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited institution.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or they must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

All applicants must submit:

• graduate admission application and application fee
• official transcripts
• personal statement
• a completed biographical information form
• writing sample
• three letters of recommendation
• proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.

The personal statement should be single-spaced, roughly 600--800 words, and it should describe the applicant's history, academic and professional goals, and reasons for selecting the counseling psychology program at ASU.

Applicants must submit a sample of their expository writing (e.g., taken from a paper prepared for a course or a report on a project the applicant has completed in this field) not to exceed 1MB.

At least two of the recommendation letters must be from persons familiar with the applicant's academic work.

Graduates provide clinical services in a variety of settings, such as community agencies, hospitals, private practice and university counseling centers. They also are employed in academic positions in universities across the country.

ASU programs that may lead to professional licensure or certification are intended to prepare students for potential licensure or certification in Arizona. Completion of an ASU program may not meet educational requirements for licensure or certification in another state. For more information, students should visit the ASU professional licensure webpage.

Graduates of the counseling psychology doctoral program meet the licensure requirements of most states. Because requirements vary by state, it is recommend that students consult the licensing requirements for the state in which they intend to reside.

School of Counseling and Counseling Psychology | EDB 446 [email protected] 480-965-8733

The PhD in Counseling Psychology program at Northeastern is designed to train the next generation of mental health professionals.

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The PhD Program in Counseling Psychology offers doctoral education and training in psychology and prepares students for entry-level practice in counseling psychology. Doctoral level counseling psychologists conduct research, teach at the university level, supervise students and professionals, consult with community agencies, and provide clinical services to people across the developmental lifespan. Counseling psychologists also enhance the science of health promotion and health psychology and emphasize community-based interventions.

Mission:  It is the mission of the PhD in Counseling Psychology program to train multiculturally competent counseling psychologists who are: (1) clinically adept in multiple settings with a variety of psychological and health-related issues; (2) able to conceptualize, conduct, and evaluate research across biological, cultural, and relational systems in numerous social contexts, such as families, schools, neighborhoods, and communities.

Our clinical training prepares counseling psychologists to work in various settings with individuals presenting with a variety of psychological and health-related issues. We emphasize an ecological model which encourages the conceptualization of relationships and research across multiple systems: biological, cultural, and relational. These relationships occur in various social contexts, including families, schools, neighborhoods and communities.

• Translational research related to health promotion of individuals, groups, families, and communities
• Empirically-based practice in urban community centers, agencies, schools, and hospitals
• Merging of science and practice within multicultural and urban contexts
• Development of consultation and leadership skills in researchers and practitioners
• To prepare graduates for the role of professional psychologists, to include advanced skill development in behavioral observations, interviewing, psychological assessment, counseling and treatment planning and practice, consultation, effective use of supervision and an understanding of and commitment to the profession’s ethical codes.
• To foster understanding and application of the scientific basis of clinical practice in psychotherapy and clinical assessment.
• To produce graduates who possess advanced and applied research skills within an ecological perspective.
• To produce graduates who are committed to and demonstrate ethical practice as counseling psychologists.
• To produce graduates who are multiculturally competent across sources of difference, including race, ethnicity, gender, class, religion/spirituality, disability, and sexual orientation, in both clinical and research settings.
• To advance the field of counseling psychology using program strengths: (a) an interdisciplinary and interprofessional approach to clinical services provision and enhancement of the science of health promotion and health psychology; (b) stress on urban, community-based interventions using an ecological approach.

Northeastern’s Counseling Psychology Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (APA) The next APA accreditation site visit will be held in 2024.

At least two years of intensive clinical training is required. This preparation includes advanced fieldwork at various mental health settings in the Boston area. Students are expected to be at their site for 20 hours each week. Approximately half of their time is direct service delivery. Training goals include advanced skill development in behavioral observations, interviewing, psychological assessment, counseling and treatment planning and practice, consultation, effective use of supervision, and an understanding of and commitment to the profession’s ethical codes. Students must complete a one year, full-time pre-doctoral internship that has been approved by the program.

Where They Work

• McLean Hospital
• Boston Children’s Hospital
• Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
• Arbor Counseling Services

What They Do

• Healthcare Services
• Community and Social Services
• Business Development
• Entrepreneurship

What They’re Skilled At

• Mental Health
• Psychotherapy
• Public Speaking

Application Materials

Application.

• Application fee – US $100
• Three letters of recommendation
• Masters degree in psychology or related field
• Transcripts from all institutions attended (All international applicants will need to provide a transcript evaluation from WES, ECE, or Scholaro.)
• Personal Statement (The applicant may wish to highlight: Specific research and clinical interests, long-term career goals, current and past clinical and research experiences, fit with program emphasis)
• TOEFL or IELTS for applicants who do not hold a degree from a U.S. institution and whose native language is not English
• Strong academic record (3.5 GPA and above preferred)
• Demonstrated interest in and commitment to counseling psychology
• Official GRE General is optional

Application Deadline: December 6th

• Program Website

Request Information for PhD in Counseling Psychology

Counseling Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Advance Your Career

The Counseling Psychology program is committed to the scientist-practitioner model of training wherein professional psychologists are prepared to integrate theory, research, and practice in their practice as agents of knowledge development and change in a diverse society. The program prioritizes research, with students obtaining research, presentation, and publication experiences. The program incorporates diversity, focusing on contextually relevant skills in assessment and intervention with multicultural populations. The program also emphasizes an energetic and collaborative learning atmosphere.

Applications must be fully complete and submitted (including all required materials) and all application fees paid prior to the deadline in order for applications to be considered and reviewed. For a list of all required materials for this program application, please see the “ Admissions ” tab.

December 1 is the deadline for admission consideration.

*Those applicants interested in being considered for any available PhD funding should submit completed applications by December 1 for the following Fall semester.

Program at a Glance

• Major/Department: Educational Studies
• Research Area: Counseling Psychology
• Degree Objective: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• Program Delivery: Residential
• Licensure: *Read Disclosure
• Application Deadline: December 1

Start Your Giant Leap with One Small Step

Request Information

The counseling psychology program offers ONLY the Ph.D. as a terminal degree. A master’s degree is awarded en route to the Ph.D. for students entering the program with a bachelor’s degree, but this degree does not prepare graduates for licensure as a practicing counselor. Students who are unsure that they can or will complete a doctoral program should apply to a master’s program or to a doctoral program that awards a master’s degree as a part of the doctoral requirements.

Tentative Plan of Study

• EDPS 50500: Career Development and Assessment
• EDPS 53100: Introduction to Measurement and Evaluation
• EDPS 60000: Counseling Theory and Techniques
• EDPS 60100: Counseling Theory and Techniques Lab
• EDPS 60400: Advanced Counseling Theory and Intervention
• EDPS 61400: Advanced Counseling Practicum (On-site)
• EDPS 61700: Professional Issues, Ethics, and History of CPSY
• EDPS 61801: Intellectual & Neuropsychological Assessment
• EDPS 62200: Systems Concepts in Counseling and Development
• EDPS 62400: Advanced Counseling Practicum and Supervision (Off-site)
• PSY 64000: Survey of Social Psychology
• PSY 67300: Psychology of Behavior Disorders
• Required elective course in research methods
• EDPS 69600: Internship in CPSY
• EDPS 69900: Research PhD Thesis
• EDPS 50000: Group Counseling Theories and Techniques
• EDPS 50700: Counseling Multicultural & Diverse Populations
• EDPS 53300: Instructional Educational Research I Method
• EDPS 61900: Counseling Psychology Research Practicum
• EDPS 62100: Advanced Multicultural Counseling Theory and Practice
• EDPS 62300: Personality Assessment
• EDPS 63000: Research Procedures in Education
• PSY 69200: Affective/Cognitive Bases of Behavior
• PSY 69200: Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience
• EDPS 55600: Introduction to Quantitative Data Analysis Methods in Education I
• EDPS 55700: Introduction to Quantitative Data Analysis Methods in Education II

Supplemental Information

Practicum Placements

Students begin the application process to off-site practicum sites following consultation with their advisor the academic year prior to starting off-site. Often this is during student’s 2nd and 3rd years. In the spring semester, the program’s Off-Site Practicum Coordinator hosts a practicum fair for students to learn more about practicum partnerships in the community. After the attending the practicum fair, students contact practicum sites they are most interested in to set up an interview. Students should not contact sites directly before the practicum fair. Below are select examples of off-site practicum locations where our students receive training.

University Counseling Centers

• Purdue University, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) – West Lafayette, IN
• Indiana State University Student Counseling Services – Terre Haute, IN
• IUPUI Counseling & Psychological Services – Indianapolis, IN
• Butler University – Indianapolis, IN
• DePauw University – Greencastle, IN

Veteran’s Hospitals

• VA Illiana Health Care System – Danville, IL
• Richard L Roudebush VA Medical Center – Indianapolis, IN

Community Mental Health Centers

• Indiana Women’s Prison – Indianapolis, IN
• Willowstone Family Services, Inc – Lafayette, IN
• Wabash Valley Hospital, Inc., Outpatient – Lafayette, IN
• Four County Counseling Center – Logansport, IN
• Wabash Valley / River Bend Hospital – West Lafayette, IN
• Logansport State Hospital – Logansport, IN

Please note: students may need to satisfy certain eligibility requirements (e.g., background check, drug screening) for some site placements. The placements change regularly as the program adds new sites and other sites become unavailable. Some sites accept only advanced students.

Funding Opportunities

Funding for Counseling Psychology doctoral students is complex and comes from multiple sources. First, students find assistantships in offices across campus, including the Academic Success Center, the Military Family Research Institute, and the Center for Career Opportunities. Students must apply and interview for these positions. Faculty and peers are supportive in filtering assistantship information to students, and faculty assist students in preparing their application materials. Nonetheless, the student is responsible for following up with the information and securing the assistantship. Although our students are very competitive for these positions, the process can be stressful.

Second, students may have opportunities to teach sections of undergraduate courses. These include EPDS 105: Academic and Career Planning, EPDS 315: Collaborative Leadership – Listening, EPDS 316: Collaborative Leadership – Cross-Cultural Settings, and EPDS 317: Collaborative Leadership – Mentoring. Students have also secured teaching assistantships in the Department of Psychological Sciences.

Finally, some students obtain faculty-nominated fellowships, which guarantee funding but require 20 hours per week of work for our home department, Educational Studies. Only a few fellowships are available each year, and they are competitive.

Although funding can be stressful, all current students in the program who want funding have at least a .25 FTE appointment. Regardless, some students obtain federal or private loans to supplement their income.

Additional funding information can be found on through College of Education graduate funding .

In addition to a submitted application (and any applicable application fees paid), the following materials are required for admission consideration, and all completed materials must be submitted by the application deadline in order for an application to be considered complete and forwarded on to faculty and the Purdue Graduate School for review.

A completed master’s degree is not required for admission to this program.

Application Requirements

Here are the materials required for this application

• Transcripts (from all universities attended)
• Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• 3 Recommendations
• Academic Statement of Purpose
• Personal History Statement
• International Applicants must meet English Proficiency Requirements set by the Purdue Graduate School

We encourage prospective students to submit an application early, even if not all required materials are uploaded. Applications are not forwarded on for faculty review until all required materials are uploaded.

How to Apply

When submitting your application for this program, please select the following options:

• Select a Campus: Purdue West Lafayette (PWL)
• Select your proposed graduate major: Educational Studies
• Please select an Area of Interest: Counseling Psychology
• Please select a Degree Objective: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• Primary Course Delivery: Residential

The Ph.D. program in Counseling Psychology at Purdue prepares students for professional licensure as a psychologist in the state of Indiana. Contact Eric Deemer at [email protected] before continuing with program application if you have questions regarding licensure or contact your state psychology licensure board about how this program may translate to licensure in your state of residence.

This program does not lead to licensure in the state of Indiana or elsewhere.

Professional Licensure Disclosure Statement

The U.S. Department of Education requires institutions to publicly disclose to prospective and currently enrolled students whether certain programs meet the education requirements for licensure or certification in the state or territory in which they reside. “Programs Leading to Professional Licensure” is defined as programs represented to prepare students for an occupation for which, at completion of the program, a local, state or federal license, or nongovernmental certification is required (i) as a precondition for employment, (ii) to perform certain functions, or (iii) to meet additional conditions that are generally needed to secure employment.

The Ph.D. program in counseling psychology at Purdue prepares students for professional licensure as a psychologist in the state of Indiana. However, the program has not made a determination as to whether its training requirements meet licensure standards in the remaining 49 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and other specified territories. Current and prospective students are advised to contact the psychology licensure board in the jurisdiction in which they expect to practice to determine whether the program meets its licensure standards.

State by state psychology licensure requirements.

Currently Accepting Students: David Stanley, Eric Deemer, and Xiang Zhou.

• Ackerman Center
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• Education for Work and Community
• Elementary Education
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• Literacy and Language Education
• Mathematics Education
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• Gifted Education
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Emily Boswell

Eric deemer, heather servaty-seib, david c. stanley , jr..

We embrace values of equity, social justice, and inclusiveness in all aspects of our training in the Counseling Psychology PhD program. These ideals are also reflected in the diverse backgrounds and cultural identities of faculty and students, which broadly reflect race, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, physical ability, age, national origin, and religion. Consistent with the values of the field of counseling psychology, we strive to train students to advocate with and on behalf of people with marginalized identities to address sociocultural, political, and institutional factors that serve to perpetuate systems of oppression that undermine well-being. To this end, we believe that it is necessary for us all, faculty and students, to explore and reflect upon our own biases, privileges, and blind spots in all aspects of our roles in this program. This ongoing process of critical self-examination and self-awareness can often be an uncomfortable one, particularly as other program members may hold beliefs and values that differ from one’s own. However, we strive to navigate diverse individual and cultural perspectives together in a climate of trust, safety, and support.

Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge the traditional homelands of the Indigenous People which Purdue University is built upon. We honor and appreciate the Bodéwadmik (Potawatomi), Lenape (Delaware), Myaamia (Miami), and Shawnee People who are the original Indigenous caretakers. See: https://www.purdue.edu/naecc/

Questions? Contact the Office of Graduate Studies at [email protected] .

Department of Psychology

College of humanities and sciences, ph.d. in counseling psychology.

The Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling Psychology offered by VCU is accredited by the American Psychological Association.

The program seeks to advance the field of counseling psychology through innovative and interdisciplinary approaches to science and service provision. 

We offer generalist training and exposure to multiple theoretical models; however we also have a distinctive slant toward counseling health psychology. Specifically, students will be well-prepared to engage in:

• Applied research
• Evidence-based clinical practice
• The integration of research and practice

Students are trained for a variety of career paths, including working as faculty in academia or medical schools, and implementing and evaluating interventions in hospital, community, university or other clinical settings. 

Upon graduation, students are both competent scientists, and ready for licensure as doctoral-level psychologists with the knowledge and skills needed to engage in evidence-based practice consistent with the highest ethical and professional standards.

Please see the VCU Bulletin for additional degree information.

Practicum and Internship

All students complete practicum positions at VCU in their second and third year. Second-year students work at VCU's University Counseling Services . Third-year students work at the Center for Psychological Development's Multicultural Clinic .

In their fourth year, students complete an external practicum in the greater Richmond community.

Counseling Psychology doctoral students are also required to complete an APA-accredited internship that must be one calendar year of full-time supervised counseling experience.

APA Accreditation

Our program has been accredited by the American Psychological Association since 1984. Our last APA site visit was in fall 2018. Our next APA site visit is scheduled for 2028. 

Our program upholds the  Counseling Psychology Model Training Values Statement Addressing Diversity  put forth by the   Council of Counseling Psychology Programs . 

Commission on Accreditation 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Phone: (202) 336-5979

Counseling Psychology, Ph.D.

110 credits

American Psychological Association

November 15, 2024

June 30, 2025

• In-State - $12,540
• Out-of-State - $26,490

Tradition meets innovation in Counseling Psychology, Ph.D., a collaborative program that is jointly housed in the Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education and the Department of Psychology. This unique partnership offers students a diverse and interdisciplinary learning environment. You will receive rigorous training through a variety of modalities, including general psychology courses, small counseling psychology seminars, research, and applied counseling experiences with intensive personalized supervision.

Counseling Psychology, Ph.D. is recognized as one of the oldest programs in the nation, having been continuously accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) since 1953.

Ideal candidates possess a blend of academic excellence, a passion for psychological research and practice, and a commitment to multicultural competence and social justice.

Are you ready to become a well-rounded psychologist equipped to make a real-world impact?

Key Features

• Scientist-Practitioner Model : Integrates rigorous research training with advanced clinical practice, preparing students for careers in academia, research, and clinical settings.
• Comprehensive Curriculum : Includes general psychology courses, small-group counseling seminars, research methods, and supervised counseling experiences tailored to individual career goals.
• Proximity to Resources : Located near Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, students benefit from access to major research institutions and cultural diversity.
• Departmental Collaboration : Enjoy a supportive cohort environment, with tailored experiences and funding opportunities.
• Develop skills in conducting independent scholarly research that advances psychological and professional knowledge.
• Establish effective therapeutic relationships and demonstrate competence in delivering psychological services.
• Apply the scientist-practitioner model to integrate empirical research with clinical practice in counseling psychology.
• Demonstrate awareness and proficiency in working with diverse populations, integrating individual and cultural differences into therapeutic approaches.
• Gain multicultural and social justice advocacy tools to be able to provide culturally competent individual therapy, group therapy, and systems-levels interventions to diverse populations.

Information on admissions and application to this program can be found on the University Graduate Admissions website. We admit 3-6 students per year. 

Admission Requirements           Guide to Applying  

Our program is a big commitment. If your answers to the following questions are "yes," then our program may be a good fit for you.

Are you interested in developing your research skills?  Research is a part of everyday life in our program. Students are expected to be active in research throughout their doctoral program, and coursework is designed to encourage students to discover connections between research and practice. Students whose research interests match one or more of our faculty members may find our training program particularly rewarding. Conversely, our program probably would not be a good fit for people who have little interest in conducting research and building their research skills.   Are you most interested in counseling adult populations? Our courses on counseling and assessment focus on working with clients who are young adults or older. Most of our practicum courses involve working with clients in the University of Maryland Counseling Center, all of whom are university students. For these reasons, our program is not a good choice for people who wish to focus their training on children and adolescents.  Are you more interested in counseling than assessment and testing? Our training program emphasizes counseling over assessment and testing. We do offer a solid introduction to assessment and testing; however, our two course assessment sequence is designed only to help students achieve basic competence in cognitive, personality, and career assessment. In contrast, our curriculum gives students intensive training in counseling over their first three years of the program; students gain additional counseling experience in externship placements (typically starting in their third year). Students with a strong interest in assessment can seek outside training experiences in psychiatric settings, such as the Veterans Affairs hospitals and state psychiatric hospitals. Do you resonate with the values and traditions of counseling psychology? Our curriculum, training model, and research all reflect a strong connection to the main unifying themes of counseling psychology: focus on assets and strengths, person–environment interactions, educational and career development, social justice and diversity, and a focus on intact personalities. As a result, little class time is spent studying severe psychopathology and the medical model of assessment and treatment. Our students with a strong interest in psychopathology can seek outside training experiences in psychiatric settings, such as the Veterans Affairs hospitals and state psychiatric hospitals.   Do you want to be part of a multicultural training environment? We strive to create an inclusive training environment that promotes multicultural self-awareness, knowledge, skills, and experiences that enable our graduates to develop and share knowledge regarding multicultural issues as well as to provide culturally sensitive services to a variety of individuals in our society and abroad. The process of deepening one’s awareness and understanding of multicultural diversity is inherently challenging. Our program is a good match for students who wish to embrace this challenge. Are you ready for at least 5 years of graduate training? Most of our students complete their doctorate in 6 years, though a minority earn their degree in 5 years (< 10% in recent years). Our program fits best for people who enjoy being in school. People who prefer a briefer graduate school experience might be more satisfied in a master's program in counseling or related fields, which are typically designed to be completed in two years. Links to directories of master's programs are available on our FAQ page . 

Sharon Fries-Britt, Distinguished University Professor

Courses, research and practical elements in this program are carefully selected to give you a well-rounded education, preparing you to excel in your career and make meaningful contributions to your field. 

For full details on curriculum and program requirements, view the handbook.

Counseling Psychology Handbook

Our distinguished faculty bring expertise in areas such as psychotherapy outcomes, multicultural psychology, vocational psychology and interpersonal relationships.

View Faculty List

Sep 17 Graduate Fair Expo Sep 17, 2024 4:00 – 6:00 pm

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Counseling Psychology, PhD

The PhD in Counseling Psychology at Ohio State University has been designed to train future counseling psychologists, following the competencies of American Psychological Association’s Council on Accreditation. Furthermore, you will be trained to use a health equity lens, to develop excellent advocacy skills, to understand the impact of change through policy making and to develop outstanding leadership skills. All of these skills will require taking an evidence-based approach. Thus, there will be ample opportunities in working closely with faculty to hone research skills to make an impact on scholarship, practice, policy and practice.

Career Paths

Funding Options

Key to teaching, research and learning in the college, associateships provide students with professional experience and financial support. 

These financial awards are made by Ohio State to students based on academic merit through a university-wide competition. 

The college annually awards scholarships to its students to support their academic goals.

Counseling Psychology Faculty

Degree Requirements

Prerequisites

Please email  [email protected] for the Counseling Psychology PhD Program Eligibility Guidelines

Program start

Autumn Semester

Deadline to apply

Minimum program hours

61 (post-master’s)

Statement of Purpose (up to 1500 words, 12-point font, double spaced)

• Describe your interests in the program, why you want to become a counseling psychologist, and your professional goals?
• Describe your interests, experiences, and perspectives regarding working with individuals and groups to address mental health disparities.
• Briefly summarize your experiences providing therapy (total intervention hours accumulated, total intervention hours expected to accumulate by enrollment, modalities, and populations served).

Accreditation Information

The Counseling Psychology Doctoral Program at the Ohio State University in the College of Education and Human Ecology is not currently accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). However, the program is pursuing accreditation through APA Commission on Accreditation ( APA-CoA ), the primary programmatic accreditor in the US for professional education and training in psychology.

More information and accreditation status is available on the program website .

Counselor Psychology Website

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Application Checklist

View Application Checklist

Detailed Admissions Guidelines

View guidelines

Curriculum and Course Requirements

View requirements

Boston University Academics

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• PhD in Counseling Psychology & Applied Human Development

Students in our doctoral program in Counseling Psychology & Applied Human Development (CPAHD) receive training in two core areas of study: 1) psychological foundations of behavior and 2) research methods and data analysis. Students identify the specialization area to which they are applying: Counseling Psychology or Applied Human Development. Further, students in both specialization areas will follow one of our two program tracks (Child/Adolescent Mental Health and Development or Sport/Performance Psychology) and receive additional training in the track area they choose. All students receive training in a specialization-specific applied experience or practice opportunities; Counseling Psychology students are also trained in counseling psychology foundations.

Graduates of our program use their specialized knowledge, research skills, and counseling competencies in a wide variety of postdoctoral career choices, including the following: faculty positions in colleges and universities; clinical or consulting positions in K–12 schools, government, industry, or human service agencies; and work with individuals, teams, or organizations dedicated to superior performance in sport and other performance realms.

Based in the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, we are particularly focused on children and youth, and on educational and sport/performance settings, including elementary, middle, and high schools, college counseling centers, and college athletic teams. As an integral part of Boston University’s community engagement, we have a long-standing tradition of promoting social justice through our research, teaching, and collaborations with schools, community agencies, and other partners. We are dedicated to working in school settings because education provides a crucial contribution to the formation and maintenance of free and just societies by helping students to reach their fullest potential. The Counseling Psychology PhD Program is accredited by the American Psychological Association.

Learning Outcomes

• Students will acquire an advanced understanding of the role and function of the culturally responsive professional psychologist in a wide range of clinical, training, and research settings.
• Students will acquire an advanced knowledge of the theories and evidence-based scientific findings of psychology, broadly, and counseling psychology, specifically.
• Students will demonstrate the practical skills and abilities to work in culturally affirming ways with children through emerging adult populations in the role of a counseling psychologist.
• Students will understand the evidence-base for various interventions and demonstrate the ability to develop, implement, and disseminate research protocols for evaluating professional counseling and educational activities within school and/or community settings.
• Students will demonstrate the ability to critique and advance extant research to improve practice.
• Students will demonstrate an awareness of and sensitivity to diversity and individual differences.
• Students will demonstrate effectiveness working as a professional psychologist with diverse groups in the roles of clinician, educator, researcher, and advocate.

The CPAHD program has a core set of courses required of students in both specialization areas, as well as specialization-specific courses, as noted below. Note that the Doctoral Training Committee must approve other courses as substitutes for the courses listed below.

Total Minimum Units for Counseling Psychology: 97

Total Units for Applied Human Development: 81–90

Research Methods (CP: 5 courses, plus dissertation; AHD: 7 courses, plus dissertation)

• WED LC 999 Dissertation Advisement (6 units)
• WED RS 755 Measurement and Psychometrics Theory (4 units)
• One quantitative research methods course (e.g., WED RS 653 Quantitative Research Methods)
• One qualitative research methods course (e.g., WED RS 652 Qualitative Research Methods)
• Two additional research methods/advanced statistics courses for CP students; four additional research methods/advanced statistics courses for AHD students

Psychological Foundations (CP: 22 units; AHD: 22 units)

• WED CE 801 Cognitive Affective Bases of Behavior (4 units)
• WED CE 802 Social Bases of Behavior (4 units)
• WED CE 809 History & Systems of Psychology (4 units)
• WED DS 600 Culture, Ethnicity & Race: A Developmental Perspective (4 units)
• SSW HB 751 Human Neuropsychology (3 units)
• One human development course (CP must take WED CE 705 Lifespan Development (3 units) if not already taken)

Counseling Psychology Core (Required for CP; Elective for AHD) (CP: 16 units)

• WED CE 826 Intellectual & Behavioral Assessment (Child—2 units) or CAS PS 772 Clinical Psychological Assessment (Adult—4 units)
• WED CE 848 Effective Interventions—Child (2 units)
• WED CE 849 Effective Interventions—Adult (2 units)
• WED CE 850 Theories & Models of Consultation & Supervision (2 units)
• WED CE 851 Vocational Psychology (2 units)
• WED CE 852 Prevention in Counseling Psychology (2 units)
• WED CE 853 Counseling Health Psychology (2 units)
• WED CE 854 Adv Research in Counseling Psychology (2 units)

Clinical Core (CP only; minimum 22 units)

• WED CE 846 Foundational Clinical Practicum—2 terms x 4 units (8 units)
• WED CE 926 Assessment Practicum (Child—2 units) or CAS PS 774 Clinical Psychological Assessment (Adult—4 units)
• WED CE 946 Advanced Clinical Practicum—2 terms x 4 units (8 units)
• WED CE 947 Externship Practicum Placement—2 terms (variable units) (optional course)
• WED CE 948 Supervision and Consultation Practicum—1 term (2 units)
• WED CE 949 APPIC Internship in Counseling Psychology—2 terms (2 units)

Specialization-Specific Research/Applied Experience (AHD only—8–16 units)

• WED CE 821 Sport/Performance—4 terms x 2 units (8 units)
• WED LC 500/900 Directed/Independent Study (8–16 units)

Elective Courses

Students will take 12 (CP) to 16 (AHD) elective units chosen to enhance their professional development.

Qualifying Tasks and Dissertation

Students must pass two qualifying tasks, the first of which must be completed before proceeding to the dissertation. The dissertation, written under the supervision of a faculty committee, must be based upon original research about a significant topic in the field.

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• PhD in Counseling Psychology & Applied Human Development
• Minor in Applied Human Development
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Boston University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

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Counseling Psychology Doctoral Degree

• Overview of the Program
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Aim 1: develop a professional identity as a culturally-competent health service counseling psychologist.

Aim 2: demonstrate clinical competencies for ethical interventions and culturally-sensitive evidence based psychological practice.

Aim 3: engage in original and empirical investigations of psychological phenomena and apply current scientific knowledge and methods to professional practice.

Aim 4: be sensitive and responsive to the complexity and intersectional nature of individual and cultural diversity, understanding how they affect psychological well-being and clinical practice, and working toward diversity, inclusion, and social justice.

Aim 5: develop knowledge in the foundational areas of general psychology and in counseling psychology theory, research, and practice.

Program Faculty

Click here to see the descriptions of all Counseling Psychology faculty on one page

Values, Principles, and Emphases

The Counseling Psychology Program faculty is committed to the core values, perspectives, and emphases that maintain our uniqueness as a specialty. Please see more information regarding the core values, perspectives, and emphases of Counseling Psychology as a specialty at APA Division 17 Society of Counseling Psychology webpage. We hold a positive developmental perspective that views human problems as occurring within a complex interaction of an individual's native endowments, contextual factors (e.g., culture, environment, relationships), and developmental changes the person experiences across their life. From birth to death, the process of living involves change and, at times, crises. Although personal crises can befall anyone at any time, counseling psychologists realize that economic, legal, educational, and other systems disadvantage some people more than others, increasing risk for psychological distress for the former and possibly creating protective factors for the latter. Thus, although we believe the psychological well-being of individuals depends upon the degree to which they can successfully adapt to the challenges they face, counseling psychologists recognize that the adaptability to, and severity of, challenges often are influenced by societal, environmental, and situational factors that are outside of individuals' direct control.

Counseling Psychology has also been unique in applied psychology because of its strong interest in the preventive aspects of mental health and the greater concern of the Counseling Psychologist with the nonpathological aspects of a client's condition (e.g., Counseling Psychology's emphasis on the client's strengths and the procedures that might be used to help the client recognize and optimize them; its attention to basic interpersonal processes). The faculty of the Counseling Psychology Program at the University of North Texas has maintained these emphases while recognizing that Counseling Psychologists today must also be able to assess, diagnose, and treat individuals who have more severe problems in functioning and/or meet criteria for a variety of psychiatric diagnoses. When working with these individuals, however, we assess how individual and cultural diversity, strengths, and developmental issues may affect their presentation, counseling process, etc.

In particular, the Counseling Psychology Program faculty recognizes and values the role that all forms of diversity have in shaping our clients and ourselves, our subjective experiences, perceptions, values, and the contexts in which we are embedded. Our educational activities and everyday interactions are enriched by a sense of humility and acceptance of one another; as members of the Counseling Psychology community, we aspire to learn from each other in an atmosphere of positive engagement and mutual respect. The program expects that students will be respectful and supportive of all individuals, including, but not limited to clients, staff, peers, and faculty who are different from themselves in racial, ethnic, and class backgrounds; national origins; religious, spiritual, and political beliefs; physical abilities; ages; gender identities; sexual orientations; and physical appearance, as well as other aspects of diversity. By valuing diversity in all its forms, we hope to promote thoughtful discussion, research, and intervention related to social justice issues. At the same time, we understand that growth and development of multicultural awareness, knowledge, and skills is a vital and ongoing process for everyone, including all faculty and students, that unfolds over time and through education, training, and self-reflection. Students enter the program with varying experiences of cultural diversity and are expected to take on the challenge of examining their own cultural identity and understanding ways in which their cultural context interacts with the experience of clients and others with whom they work. Continuing enhancement of multicultural competence is a necessary and personal journey in our community requiring openness to learning about each other as well as accepting others' individual processes.

The scope of developmental life issues that engage the interest and practice of counseling psychologists leads them to develop research interests of a very broad nature. In addition to developmental studies and studies of a social-psychological nature, counseling psychologists engage in process research, prevention and resilience research, studies of the profession and training, measurement issues, career development, family systems and relationships, performance enhancement, health and wellness outcomes of underserved communities, and the psychology of spirituality. We are fortunate at UNT to have such broad research interests well represented across the research programs of our faculty. The Counseling Psychology Program faculty believes that a strong foundation based on empirically derived knowledge is essential to expand the discipline of psychology, promote valid techniques in applied settings, and foster students' ability to think critically as they apply the perspectives of counseling psychology.

PhD Degree Requirements

The Ph.D. degree in counseling psychology requires a minimum of 99 semester hours beyond the bachelor's degree, including a one-year, full-time paid pre-doctoral internship. Students who are admitted with a master's degree in a closely related field and able to devote themselves full time to their studies may complete the program in five years. Most students take about six years.

General Core Studies

Doctoral students are required to demonstrate competency (grade of B or better) in all course work:

PSYC 5090 Social Psychology

PSYC 5640 Cognitive and Affective Bases of Behavior

PSYC 5700 Quantitative Methods I (including a lab)

PSYC 5710 Quantitative Methods II (including a lab)

PSYC 6030 Biological Bases of Behavior

Counseling Core Requirements

PSYC 5010 Human Development

PSYC 5420 Assessment I (including a lab)

PSYC 5430 Assessment II (including a lab)

PSYC 5470 Vocational Psychology: Developmental Aspects

PSYC 5680 Foundation of Counseling Psychology

PSYC 5690 Legal and Ethical Issues in Professional Practice

PSYC 5780 Psychopathology

PSYC 6022 Application of Counseling Methods

PSYC 6060 Group Psychotherapy

PSYC 6300 Theory and Application of Multicultural Counseling

PSYC 6620 Supervision

PSYC 6630 Series on Psychotherapy

Counseling Practicum

The applied training experience in Counseling Psychology begins on campus in the first semester. The bulk of applied training occurs at the Psychology Clinic and the University Counseling and Testing Services. The Psychology Clinic practicum team is composed of first, second, and third year students and the supervising psychologist. In the second and third year of the required practicum sequence, students divide their training between the Psychology Clinic and the University Counseling and Testing Services. After successfully completing the required on-campus practica, students are required to do at least two semesters of external practicum at a site of their choosing.

Elective Cluster

Doctoral counseling psychology students are admitted to one of the following 3 elective clusters: child and adolescent therapy , sport psychology , and minority wellness . It is critical to note that although clusters provide students more training opportunities to develop knowledge and competencies in particular areas, they only affect a small portion of the doctoral curriculum. All students in the program are trained by the program's faculty to be a counseling psychologist.

During their first year, doctoral students formulate a thesis research project to complete during their second year. Students are also encouraged to involve themselves in faculty members' research. Second- and third-year counseling psychology students take on increasing responsibility in research projects that will culminate in the student's completion of a dissertation.

A full-time, calendar-year internship is required. Internships are independent of academic training programs. Students bear the responsibility for applying for and gaining acceptance to internships. View the sites where UNT Counseling Psychology students have obtained internships in recent years.

Evaluation of Knowledge and Skills

Throughout training, the counseling program faculty members assess each student's progress. Evaluation focuses on development of general knowledge in the field of psychology and the specialty area of counseling psychology, competence in the delivery of applied services, skill in scientific investigation, and appropriate interpersonal and ethical functioning. Students who do not demonstrate satisfactory and continuous progress in these regards may be terminated from the counseling psychology program.

Financial assistance

The Department of Psychology and the Counseling Psychology Program strive to support our doctoral students. Generally speaking, we are able to provide a financial support package to all of our students for at least 4 years which includes 20-hour assistantships and partial (usually 50% or more) tuition waivers in each long semester. Additionally, competitive scholarships and fellowships are available in the department and from the graduate school on campus.

The Psychology Clinic is used for practicum training. The clinic includes psychotherapy and assessment rooms and rooms with one-way mirrors for live observation of individual and group sessions. The counseling psychology program also uses training resources at the University Counseling and Testing Services. Both practicum sites are equipped with state-of-the-art digital video equipment to facilitate supervision and training.

Student Body and Program Statistics

The rate of attrition from the counseling psychology Ph.D. program has been very low in recent years. At this time the program has a larger percentage of women than men. Our students are diverse in age, geographical locations of home, undergraduate/master training programs, cultural & ethnic backgrounds, and interests. Most facilities on campus, including the Department of Psychology, are accessible to students with disabilities. The Ph.D. program usually admits 8 students annually and has about 45-50 students at any given time. The internship placement rate in the counseling psychology program has been 100% in recent years.

The Doctoral Program in Counseling Psychology at the University of North Texas provides student, education and training outcome data, and financial information in response to directives from the APA Office of Accreditation. The information provided includes data concerning applicants, admitted students, internship acceptance rates, time to program completion, licensure, student attrition rates, and financial costs.

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Ph.D. Graduate Program in Psychological Sciences and Human Development

Introduction.

The Graduate Field of Psychological Sciences and Human Development (PSYHD)  includes faculty members from departments across the university including Psychology, Neurobiology and Behavior, Communication, and Philosophy.  See below for more on the Cornell Field System. The dominant strengths of the PSYHD Field lie in four broadly defined areas: Cognition , Development ,  Neuroscience , and Social and Personality . The goal of the Field is to educate students to become researchers, scholars, and teachers who will contribute to the future of psychology as a scientific discipline in academic or other research-oriented settings.

Our program prepares students for research and teaching careers in academic life, work in government agencies, and careers in industry or other public and private sectors.  We encourage you to explore the history of our M.A. and Ph.D. theses through the  Cornell University Theses/Dissertations guide .

Please note that we do not offer training in clinical psychology, counseling, school psychology, community psychology, industrial psychology, or clinical neuropsychology.  Applicants with primary interests in these subjects are not admitted.

To enter the PSYHD Doctoral (Ph.D.) program, you must  apply directly  to the Cornell University Graduate School. You may also want to investigate the  Cornell Graduate School  site for additional information about applying.

Application portal opens on September 1   Application portal closes on December 1 (11:59 pm)

Ph.D. Program

We offer three Ph.D. Degrees:

•Ph.D. in Psychology  •Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology  •Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies

The Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook (Quick Guide) can be found here.

The Ph.D. program in PSYHD is a research focused, apprentice-styled (mentor-mentee) graduate program.  The curriculum and requirements are designed for a 5 year program; the median time to complete the Ph.D. is 5.5 years.

Student progress is supervised by a Primary Advisor who serves as the Chair of a Special Committee comprised of two faculty members, typically within the Psychological Sciences and Human Development graduate field . Prospective students should investigate the faculty members within the PSYHD field, and particularly within the Department of Psychology, whose research interests are compatible with the students' interests.  Prospective students for the Ph.D. program should then contact those faculty directly before applying.

Application requirements

• Unofficial transcript of the undergraduate record
• Three letters of recommendation , with a fourth letter optional, which your recommenders will upload to the application.

Academic Statement of Purpose

Describe (within 1000 words) the substantive research questions you are interested in pursuing during your graduate studies, and explain how our program would help you achieve your intellectual goals. Additionally, detail your academic background, intellectual interests and any training or research experience you have received that you believe has prepared you for our program. Within your statement, please also identify specific faculty members whose research interests align with your own interests.

Personal statement of interest

Please describe (within 1000 words) how your personal background and experiences influenced your decision to pursue a graduate degree. Additionally, provide insight on your potential to contribute to a community of inclusion, belonging, and respect where scholars representing diverse backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn and work productively and positively together. We also encourage you to include information on any of the following areas:

• How your personal, academic, and/or professional experiences demonstrate your ability to be both persistent and resilient especially when navigating challenging circumstances.
• How you engage with others and have facilitated and/or participated in productive teams.
• How you have experienced or come to understand the barriers faced by others whose experiences and backgrounds may differ from your own.
• If relevant, how your research interests focus on issues related to diversity, inclusion, access, inequality, and/or equity.
• Your service and/or leadership in efforts to advance diversity, inclusion, access, and equity especially by those from backgrounds historically underrepresented and/or marginalized.
• Additional context around any perceived gaps or weaknesses in your academic record (including, but not limited to, personal and family struggles with unemployment and health as a result of the pandemic, systemic discrimination and the fight for civil rights, and any other situational factors that may have impacted achievements throughout your life).

Applicants are not required to submit scores on the GRE; the GRE subject test in psychology, or to have had an undergraduate major in psychology. 

Prior research experience is highly desirable; applicants may submit research reports or work.

Additional requirements for International applicants:

• English Language Proficiency requirement (TOEFL or IELTS)
• International Degree Equivalencies

The Field Structure

At Cornell, graduate study is organized using a field structure.   Fields are composed of faculty members from a number of departments who come together around a shared intellectual interest, and may draw from different campuses or colleges.  Graduate students are admitted to fields of study.  Within each field, they select major and minor subjects, which are research interests or concentrations.

Fields span departments and even disciplines.  It’s possible for a student in the field of economics to include faculty on his or her special committee from industrial labor and economics, civil and environmental engineering, and sociology, along with the more traditional economics and management.

Click here for the complete "Fields of Study, Subjects, and Concentrations" in PDF form .

Student Life

Alexander G. Ophir, Director of Graduate Studies Uris Hall, Room 218 E-mail:  [email protected] Phone:  607-255-3714

Pamela A. Cunningham, Graduate Field Assistant   •  Psychology Ph.D. Uris Hall, Room 211A E-mail:  [email protected] Phone:  607-255-3834 Fax: 607-255-8433

Marianne Arcangeli, Graduate Field Assistant   •  Developmental Psychology Ph.D.   •  Human Development and Family Studies Ph.D. Martha Van Rensselaer Hall, Room G201B E-mail:  [email protected] Phone:  607-255-4661

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Ms in psychology: professional counseling psychology.

Our Master of Science in Psychology with a major in Professional Counseling Psychology prepares research-informed future therapists, counselors and consultants for the independent and licensed professional practice of counseling, psychotherapy and program evaluation. Our program offers students a solid foundation in psychology and opportunities for specializing in a range of clinical problems and diverse populations, with learning through faculty-guided mentorship and supervised clinical training.

The program is designed to provide instruction and training for advanced study in psychology and prepare students to become professional Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHCs) in Florida. Students are trained to use scientific and applied behavioral science theories, methods, techniques, and evidence-based treatments for the purpose of describing, preventing, and treating psychological problems, enhancing mental health and human development. 

Students may pursue this program in a hybrid or fully online format. 

Applicants must apply to either the hybrid OR the fully online program. Only Florida residents are eligible for admission to the online program. See program structure or contact [email protected] for more information.

Our courses and clinical training are aligned to the current training requirements needed for licensure as a Mental health Counselor in the State of Florida. Beginning July 1, 2025, an applicant must have a master’s degree from a program that is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), the Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC), or an equivalent accrediting body which consists of at least 60 semester hours to apply for licensure. Our program is currently under review for accreditation by the Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC).

Most admissions questions are answered on our Admissions page and the associated FAQs. Our program holds two types of group pre-admissions advising sessions monthly to provide assistance and answer applicant questions.

1. Virtual Information Sessions with program faculty and the Office of Graduate Admissions.

2. Virtual Applicant Office Hours with program faculty.

Please use the link below to sign up for one of our monthly virtual information sessions: https://s.visitdays.com/fiu/ci/txgtxfnnvp

Individualized pre-admissions advising sessions are not available. Please send admissions and application questions to [email protected] .

Getting Licensed

Program Contact

Please send admissions questions to   [email protected] . 

Department of Psychology [email protected]

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Counseling (M.A.)

This 48-credit program is designed for individuals with a bachelor ’ s degree seeking foundational courses for understanding individual and systems behavior.   Student s interested in pursuing  professional  licensure are required to complete the  supplemental  Ed.S.  program  which is comp rised of an additional 12 credits of advanced-level practice and knowledge courses.  The total credits for the combined M.A./Ed.S. degree programs is 60, which meets the academic requirements for licensure as a Professional Counselor in New Jersey.  A capstone project or the equivalent is required of all students prior to program completion.  

Note:  The Ed.S. degree  requires separate  application and   is  currently  available only to students who have completed the M.A.  in Counseling  requirements from Seton Hall University.  

Admission Requirements  

The  priority dead l ine to   submit  application materials for admission delivery is May 1 for fall admission and November 1 for spring admission. Applicants must  submit  the following:   

A completed graduate application and  fee;  

Two letters of recommendation. Recommendations must  be from person(s) who can attest to your relational abilities, fit with the counseling profession, and  capacity  for graduate study (e.g., prior clinical supervisor );  

Personal Statement, which includes a description of prior related work experience, qualifications, goals for self in the program, and professional  goals;  

Official copies of all  previous  graduate transcript; and   

Data obtained from these sources provide information regarding student diversity, interests, and prior academic accomplishments in relation to program goals.  

Course List

Prerequisites required. See program handbook and adviser for more information.  

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Undergraduate 2023-2024 Catalog

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Psychology and Counseling

Learn to help others.

Columbia International University’s Psychology and Counseling degree programs provide a personalized experience tailored to your professional goals. You will gain a deeper understanding in the core areas of psychology that allows you to learn special instruction for theory, human lifespan development, vocational psychology, psychotherapy and more.

You will develop the necessary set of skills to handle the emotional and mental needs of your clients. Through guidance, compassion and diligence, you will be able to lead others to the path of healing.

Psychology and Counseling Degree Programs

Undergraduate.

• Bachelor of Science in Psychology
• Master of Arts in Care and Counseling
• Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling
• Postgraduate Certificate in Mission Care and Counseling
• PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision

Benefits of a CIU Psychology Degree

• Practicum Experiences in research or clinical work to give each student real world exposure relevant to their career goals.
• Senior Capstone Project integrating Psychology and Christianity.
• Accelerated Program available combining the Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling, allowing students to complete both in 5 years.
• Flexibility in Classes: Work your job and attend classes with ease.
• Committed Professors: Committed professors will ensure that all information being shared is relevant, applicable and useful.

Are you ready to transform your life?

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