Best Doctoral Programs in Counseling Psychology

Located in Boston, Massachusetts, Northeastern features a counseling psychology doctorate opportunity for graduate students. The program trains counseling psychologists with multicultural competencies, preparing them to conduct, conceptualize, and evaluate research across cultural, biological, and relational systems.

The program provides learners with clinical training, preparing them to assist with health-related and psychological issues. During the curriculum, students focus on an ecological model, connecting science and practice within urban and multicultural contexts.

Featuring programmatic accreditation from the American Psychological Association, the doctoral program requires enrollees to complete at least two years of intensive clinical training and a one-year, full-time pre-doctoral internship.

During the admissions process, each applicant must provide a completed application, three letters of recommendation, official transcripts, a personal statement, a current resume, and GRE scores. A candidate must hold a master's degree in psychology or a related field, along with a 3.5 minimum GPA.

NU offers a counseling psychology doctorate to prepare learners for professional licensure as psychologists. Graduates pursue careers as evaluators, therapists, and diagnosticians. The program also prepares aspiring psychologists for teaching and research positions at the college or university level.

Boasting specialized accreditation from the American Psychological Association, the doctoral program follows the practitioner-scholar model, training students to become skilled practitioners who embrace evidence-based and theory-focused practice. The curriculum follows a Christian worldview, with a dedication to social justice and a focus on the global community.

During the program, learners can develop their skills and competencies by participating in international and local immersion experiences, preparing them for their postgraduate careers. The unique program follows a cohort format, allowing degree-seekers to begin and end their program with the same students, which cultivates a supportive learning environment and a solid professional network.

As one of the best counseling psychology doctorate opportunities, Springfield's Psy.D. in counseling psychology boasts programmatic accreditation from the American Psychological Association. The program follows the practitioner-scholar model, emphasizing the application of research to practice and clinical training.

In addition to the required coursework, each doctoral student must complete a dissertation research project and a full-time internship. Learners also receive ongoing faculty mentoring and graduate with research experience on their resume. The unique curriculum allows learners to focus on social justice and service as they build upon their advanced knowledge of the counseling psychology discipline.

Degree-seekers at the doctoral level typically complete their program in 4-6 years of full-time study to graduate with a strong understanding of research, theory, and practice. During the advanced curriculum, students explore counseling diverse populations, foundations and methodology of social inquiry, and ethical, legal, and professional issues in psychology.

Texas A&M offers one of the best counseling psychology Ph.D. programs in the nation. This doctoral degree provides learners with the skills and knowledge they need to conduct independent research grounded in the scientist-practitioner model. The program encompasses coursework along with residency and technical requirements.

A student who holds a master's degree, doctorate of veterinary medicine, doctor of dental surgery, doctor of dental medicine, or medical doctor degree from an accredited U.S. institution must complete a minimum of 64 credit hours. A candidate who holds a bachelor's degree, but not a graduate degree, must satisfy 96 credit hours of coursework to earn their Ph.D.

The counseling psychology program features specialized accreditation from the American Psychological Association. During the program, enrollees develop ethical and clinical competencies, exploring concepts of multiculturalism, community engagement, and interdisciplinary collaboration. In addition to the required coursework, each student must complete a field practicum requirement.

UB offers one of the top counseling psychology doctoral programs in the nation. Boasting accreditation from the American Psychological Association, the program prepares students to provide, evaluate, and enhance human services through scientific practice and inquiry.

This doctoral program follows a scientist-practitioner model for training to provide learners with the chance to take advantage of concentration opportunities in either school psychology or counseling psychology. The counseling psychology concentration focuses on older adolescent and adult populations, while learners in the school psychology concentration focus on child and adolescent populations.

Each student must satisfy 96 credits of coursework. Full-time enrollees typically take at least five years to complete their program. During the admissions process, each candidate must provide a completed application, GRE scores, three letters of recommendation, transcripts, and a statement of purpose.

The Ph.D. counseling psychology program at DU prepares learners to pursue licensure and subsequent careers as counseling psychologists. Through rigorous coursework and hands-on experience, this program provides students with the tools they need to evaluate theories and perform critical research.

Degree-seekers develop their skills and become more equipped to provide solutions to the interpersonal and societal challenges faced by patients of diverse populations. Research areas include multicultural counseling, vocational psychology, health psychology, and health disparities.

To complete the program, each doctoral student must complete at least 90 quarter credit hours. In addition to their required coursework, an enrollee must complete two supervised practicum components; a supervised, year-long, full-time internship; comprehensive exams; a pre-dissertation research project, and a dissertation.

Promoting a scientist-practitioner training model emphasizing the most important elements of counseling psychology, the counseling psychology doctorate program at UGA equips students with the skills they need to pursue successful careers as health service psychologists. During the curriculum, learners focus on aspects of social justice and multiculturalism to meet the needs of diverse cultural communities.

The rigorous program prepares students to pursue licensure as psychologists in all states by providing them with training in advanced assessment, supervision, and health psychology. The curriculum emphasizes a strength-based approach to understanding social and human experiences. Coursework explores the core discipline of psychology, along with the applied discipline of counseling psychology.

In addition to the required courses, this counseling psychology program features training in psychological assessment, psychotherapy, and multiculturalism, along with a year-long internship, a publishable paper project, and a dissertation.

UH offers one of the best counseling psychology doctoral programs. The program provides students with the tools, knowledge, and skills they need to contribute to research in multiculturalism, social justice, and behavioral health. The program trains psychologists to become psychological researchers and health service psychologists.

Counseling psychology doctoral students can add a health psychologist emphasis to their doctoral training, which requires additional coursework. The emphasis includes three courses and two semesters of a clinical health psychology practicum, which can satisfy one of the practicum placements already required in the doctoral program.

Boasting programmatic accreditation from the American Psychological Association, the doctoral program typically takes students 5-6 years to complete. The intensive program develops students' professional leadership abilities through coursework, a residency, an internship, a practicum, a research project, comprehensive examinations, and a dissertation.

UI offers one of the best counseling psychology doctoral programs in the nation, which prepares counseling psychologists to promote psychology as a science and advance the profession. Each enrollee must complete at least 103 semester hours, including a dissertation requirement.

Following a scientist-practitioner model of training, the curriculum prepares students to become proficient practitioners and competent researchers. Doctoral learners complete coursework in basic psychology core competencies, college-wide research requirements, counseling psychology core competencies, and electives.

Most students complete their program requirements within 5-6 years of study. The program does not allow learners to enroll part-time. During the rigorous curriculum, students focus on courses in psychotherapy of change, multicultural counseling, and issues and ethics in professional psychology.

Along with the required coursework, each degree-seeker must complete a practicum component of at least 18 semester hours, an internship, comprehensive exams, and a dissertation.

KU offers one of the best Ph.D. counseling psychology programs in the nation. The program provides training to generalists, preparing them to engage in clinical treatment and academic research. The curriculum follows a scientist-practitioner model for clinicians to apply current research and theory to their practice.

Students evaluate, conduct, and design research to critically evaluate major approaches, emphasizing diversity and multicultural understanding. Along with the required coursework, each degree-seeker must complete an internship in professional psychology. Intended for full-time students, the doctoral program typically takes learners 5-6 years to complete.

Boasting specialized accreditation from the American Psychological Association, the program allows students to explore cultural and individual differences in professional psychology, diagnosis and psychopathology, and ethical and legal issues in psychology.

UK features one of the best Ph.D. counseling psychology programs in the United States. The program boasts accreditation from the American Psychological Association and follows a scientist-practitioner model, emphasizing issues in social justice.

Learners must pursue full-time study, enrolling in 9-12 credits each semester. In addition to the required coursework, each enrollee must participate in a year-long, full-time internship. The program's philosophy remains rooted in the goals and values of a socially just society, promoting the health and well-being of all people.

The competency-based approach to training within the program emphasizes multicultural psychology, cultivating a program focused on diverse populations. Each candidate must provide a completed application, official transcripts, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, and a statement of purpose. Most admitted students hold a master's degree in psychology or related field, but strong applicants who hold an undergraduate degree in psychology also receive consideration.

Offering a counseling psychology doctorate program, UM promotes multicultural competencies for learners. Boasting accreditation from the American Psychological Association, the doctoral program prepares students to understand the promotion of individual, community, and family well-being, along with prevention and optimal human development.

The curriculum focuses on the scientist-practitioner model of training, providing learners with the skills and knowledge needed to pursue licensure after graduation. The unique program emphasizes and embraces diversity to promote the development of multicultural competencies.

The counseling psychology program usually receives around 100 applications every year to admit a class of only five doctoral students. Each candidate must submit a completed application, GRE scores, official transcripts demonstrating a 3.5 or higher GPA, a personal statement, and three letters of recommendation. Prospective students should demonstrate previous experience in research and counseling.

Students at USD can pursue one of the best counseling psychology programs in the country. The rigorous program prepares learners to pursue lucrative career opportunities as counseling psychologists. The contemporary, comprehensive program allows students to engage with a state-of-the-art training clinic and expert faculty members.

Counseling students can take advantage of the counseling and school psychological services center for clinical training and other relevant resources. Qualified students can also consider applying for graduate assistantships to receive financial assistance and additional experience. The program features specialized accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs.

In addition to their practical coursework, learners take part in research activities with faculty members. During the curriculum, students focus on preventative, therapeutic, and developmental counseling. Enrollees explore many advanced topics, including diagnostic methods, supervision, and case management.

The Graduate School of Professional Psychology at UST offers one of the best counseling psychology Ph.D. programs in the United States. Degree-seekers enrolled in the doctoral program build upon their previous training in psychology to pursue psychology licensure and work in clinical settings. During the program, learners cultivate advanced skills in psychotherapy, counseling, supervision, assessment, and evaluation.

Boasting specialized accreditation from the American Psychological Association, the doctoral program exposes students to coursework in contemporary approaches to psychotherapy, advanced group and social behavior, and diversity issues in counseling psychology.

Each applicant must hold a master's degree in counseling psychology from a regionally accredited college or university. During the admissions process, every candidate must submit a completed application, official transcripts, two letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, a writing sample, and GRE test scores.

UW features a Ph.D. counseling psychology program with specialized accreditation from the American Psychological Association. Centered around a scientific basis for practice, a social justice orientation, and a multicultural competence, the doctoral program requires learners to complete coursework and supervised clinical training experiences.

A degree-seeker with a master's degree in counseling can complete their program in about five years, satisfying 63 credits of coursework. Full-time students typically focus on coursework for three years, followed by one year for an internship and one year to complete their dissertation. A student enrolling in the program without a master's degree should anticipate a minimum of six years to earn their doctoral degree.

Each candidate must complete an application and provide official transcripts, three letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, and a current resume. Learners also submit their GRE scores and undergo criminal background checks.