Best Counseling Psychology Ph.D. Programs

A comprehensive research institution, the University of Florida comprises 16 colleges and various research centers and institutes. The Ph.D. in counseling psychology was one of the first programs to earn accreditation from the American Psychological Association. The psychology department highlights the program's stellar outcomes in areas, such as research productivity and job placement. 

The program uses a generalist, scientist-practitioner training model that integrates theory, research, and practice. All first-year students receive funding that can continue through to year five, depending on the student's performance. Paid assistantships provide funding that includes in-state and out-of-state tuition waivers. The psychology department can provide more information on how to get into UF's grad school for counseling psychology.

Applicants generally need a bachelor's degree, a minimum 3.8 GPA, and GRE scores to apply. The program also admits students with a master's degree, though master's-level coursework does not automatically apply to the Ph.D. in counseling psychology.

At FSU, about 45,000 students pursue 283 undergraduate and graduate programs. FSU offers Florida's only American Psychological Association-approved combined Ph.D. in counseling and school psychology. The degree prepares enrollees who can provide psychological assessment, diagnosis, and treatment services. Graduates can pursue a Florida license as a psychologist. 

The program uses a scientist-practitioner training model in health service psychology. Students complete a common curriculum that explores topics, such as cognitive and psychoeducational assessment, evidence-based counseling/psychotherapy, and theories of social psychology. 

Enrollees receive specialized training through a concentration in counseling psychology, school psychology, or dual concentration. Participants complete four semesters of field practicum. Students receive mentorship from faculty with expertise in areas, such as ADHD, addiction, and career counseling.

The program's website provides more information on how to get into FSU's grad school for counseling psychology. Applicants typically need a bachelor's or a master's degree, a minimum 3.0-3.5 GPA, GRE scores, and school transcripts.

One of the nation's oldest colleges, the University of Georgia administers degrees through 18 schools and colleges. The Ph.D. in clinical psychology trains clinical scientists using a "learning by doing" approach. Graduates can pursue roles in research-oriented and applied settings. Students complete coursework and mentored research projects and also engage in teaching experiences.

The program's teaching clinic provides outpatient services to adults and children. It also gives enrollees facilities to observe experts at work and engage in their own supervised training. Enrollees have access to several on-campus research centers focused on fields, such as gerontology and biomedical and health sciences. 

Admitted students can receive financial aid in the form of teaching, research, or clinical assistantships. The funding typically includes a full tuition waiver funded for a minimum of four years. Admission requires a bachelor's or master's degree, a minimum 3.00-3.5 GPA, and GRE scores. Visit the psychology department for more information about how to get into grad school for counseling psychology at UGA.

Located in the heart of Boston, Northeastern University is a comprehensive research college with more than 270 majors. The Ph.D. in counseling psychology prepares mental health professionals who can practice in a variety of settings. The 62-credit program emphasizes an ecological model, diverse faculty, and student research teams. 

Enrollees move through the program as part of a supportive cohort. Faculty teach concepts, such as advanced multicultural psychology, personality assessment, and the cognitive and affective bases of behavior. Students learn how to provide clinical interventions to individuals and others. Research courses prepare enrollees to develop a dissertation.

Participants complete at least two years of clinical training that includes advanced fieldwork in the Boston area. During a one-year internship, students receive site supervision and complete case assignments. 

Enrollees may receive a stipended graduate assistantship or scholarship. Admission requires a master's degree in psychology, or a related field, and a preferred 3.5 GPA. Applicants do not need to submit GRE scores.

Founded in 1848, the University of Wisconsin-Madison enrolls about 48,000 students. The school's catalog includes 250 graduate and professional programs. The Ph.D. in counseling psychology enrolls students with a bachelor's or a master's degree. Program graduates qualify to seek licensure in Wisconsin. Enrollees complete 75-87 credits, depending on their academic background.

Coursework explores topics, such as abnormal behavior and psychopathology and research methods in counseling psychology. All enrollees learn data analytic methods, such as structural equations and hierarchical linear modeling. Participants receive hands-on experience during a clinical training sequence of practicums. An internship in health service psychology further enhances students' clinical expertise.

Incoming Ph.D. students receive guaranteed funding for 4-5 years based on their educational background. The funding comes through fellowships and graduate assistantships that provide tuition waivers and health benefits. Admission requires a bachelor's or master's degree, school transcripts, and GRE scores. The program admits students in the fall term.

The University of Maryland-College Park enrolls about 40,000 students on a campus located just outside the nation's capital. The Ph.D. in counseling psychology uses a scientist-practitioner model. The curriculum includes general psychology courses, research, and applied counseling experiences.

Enrollees explore concepts, such as the biological bases of behavior, research in counseling psychology, and assessment in counseling psychology. The program's practicums include hands-on experience in group interventions and counseling psychology. Participants conduct research for the dissertation. 

Enrollees complete an internship once they finish coursework, pass comprehensive exams, and complete a dissertation proposal. The supervised internship requires a full-time, one-year or half-time, two-year commitment at a service agency. Most students complete their internships at VA hospitals or counseling centers.

Students can pay for their education with graduate school fellowships, assistantships, and scholarships. Admission requires at least a bachelor's degree and all school transcripts.

Texas A & M University is the state's first institution of higher learning. About 69,000 students study on the main campus in College Station. The Ph.D. in counseling psychology enrolls students with a bachelor's or a master's degree. Enrollees complete a minimum of 64-96 credits, depending on their educational background. 

The program uses a scientist-practitioner model and focuses on three themes: multiculturalism, interdisciplinary collaboration, and community engagement. The curriculum includes classroom instruction and field experiences. Enrollees receive training in areas, such as group process, personality assessment, and counseling and psychotherapy techniques. They develop proficiency in research methods, statistical analysis, and psychometrics. 

Students complete practicums and advance to an internship in year five. All enrollees must complete a dissertation. Participants may receive funding through graduate assistant teaching and non-teaching positions, lecturer positions, and fellowships. Admission requires a bachelor's or a master's degree, 3.0 undergraduate GPA (recommended), and school transcripts.

Columbia University is one of the nation's Ivy League colleges. Columbia's Teachers college offers a Ph.D. in counseling psychology. Students complete a 90-point sequence of study beyond the bachelor's degree. 

The curriculum includes coursework in research design and methodology, intervention strategies and methods of inquiry, and scientific and professional ethics and standards. Students can choose a bilingual Latinx mental health concentration. Participants can also take courses in specialized areas of counseling psychology and from other departments.

Students complete a research practicum as part of their faculty mentor's research team. Enrollees must also complete a one-year internship that provides supervised experience in an approved setting. A research project and seminar help prepare participants to produce a dissertation.

Though students can complete some courses on a part-time basis, the Ph.D. in counseling psychology is a full-time program. Students can finish the APA-accredited degree in about five years. Admission requires a bachelor's degree, school transcripts, and GRE scores.

The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities is the flagship college of the five-campus U of M system. The Ph.D. in counseling psychology's scientist-practitioner model emphasizes broad training in practice and research. 

The curriculum requires coursework in areas, such as interviewing and intervention, assessment in counseling psychology, and cognitive and biological development. All students take a statistics course, such as applied multivariate analysis or hierarchical linear modeling.

Students begin research in the first year and culminate the program with a dissertation. Enrollees complete a 510-hour beginning practicum on campus and an additional 600-800-hour advanced practicum in the Twin Cities area. The predoctoral internship requires a full-time, one-year commitment at sites like VA medical centers and university medical centers.

The program guarantees five years of full financial support to admitted students. This includes tuition, a nine-month stipend, and health insurance. Admission requires a bachelor's or a master's degree, prerequisite psychology coursework, and school transcripts.

Students at Boston University can choose from 300 programs delivered on three campuses. The Wheelock school of education and human development administers the Ph.D. in counseling psychology and applied human development. Enrollees choose one of two specializations, completing 97 credits in counseling psychology or 81-90 credits in applied human development.

Students receive training in the psychological foundations of behavior and research methods and data analysis. All enrollees complete core courses exploring issues, such as effective intervention, vocational psychology, and prevention in counseling psychology. Counseling psychology students complete several practicums and a two-semester internship.

Enrollees in the applied human development specialization complete independent study and a four-semester sport/performance psychology practicum. All students pursuing the Ph.D. complete 5-7 research methods courses and a dissertation. Admission requires a bachelor's or a master's degree (preferred). Applicants do not need to submit GRE or MAT scores.