Mar 28, 2024  
2019-2020 Graduate Catalog 
    
2019-2020 Graduate Catalog [Not Current Academic Year. Consult with Your Academic Advisor for Your Catalog Year]

Counseling Psychology, PhD


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College of Education  > Department of Psychological, Health, and Learning Sciences  > Counseling Psychology, PhD

Accredited by the American Psychological Association since 1987, the Counseling Psychology doctoral program trains psychologists to become health service psychologists and psychological researchers. Through our challenging curriculum and supportive student environment, it is our goal to develop psychologists who are skilled in the practical practice of psychology, produce graduates who have a solid foundation of psychological science, and produce graduates who display ethical behavior and professionalism.

The program offers the preparation necessary for students to apply for licensure as psychologists in Texas and other states and provinces. Our graduates are employed in settings such as hospitals, colleges and university psychology departments, university and college counseling centers, community agencies, clinics, private practice, and K-12 schools.

For more information, please see http://uh.edu/education/degree-programs/counseling-psyc-phd/.

Admission Requirements


The College of Education takes into consideration a number of criteria when determining admission, including prior college or university performance, letters of recommendation, standardized test scores, and statement of intent. All applicants must abide by the minimum qualifications for admissions to a master’s or doctoral program.

All graduate applicants (regardless of citizenship status) must demonstrate proficiency in English to obtain admission to the University. For more information, visit http://www.uh.edu/graduate-school/admissions/international-students/english-proficiency/.

An applicant is responsible for ensuring that all required materials for the evaluation of admissions are received by the College before the program’s deadline. If the application is not complete by the program’s deadline, it will not be evaluated for the admissions.

Full details of the online application process can be found at www.uh.edu/graduate-school/admissions/how-to-apply.

Applicant checklist:

  1. Complete online graduate application including statement of interest, resume/CV, writing sample, letters of recommendation, and application fee payment.
  2. Official transcripts from all previous college/university work sent to the UH Graduate School.
  3. Official reporting of GRE scores taken in the last five years.
  4. International students have additional documentation requirements that can be found at www.uh.edu/graduate-school/admissions/international-students/.

Grade Point Average Requirements: Admission requirements for the College of Education require a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.6 for undergraduate coursework or over the last 60 credit hours of coursework. The College requires a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 for graduate coursework. Typical students admitted to the Counseling Psychology doctoral program usually have higher GPAs than the College minimums. The College’s admission committees evaluate all credentials submitted by applicants to determine a student’s ability and potential to succeed in graduate study. In addition, the committee is interested in applicants’ potential to contribute to their program of study and the University community as a whole.

Degree Requirements


Program Total Credit Hours Required: Minimum 89.0 (Minimum 104.0 with Emphasis)

The PhD in Counseling Psychology requires no less than four years of full time study and the completion of all required coursework, candidacy research project, comprehensive examination, practicum, dissertation, and pre-doctoral internship. Beyond the required curriculum, students may pursue additional coursework within the Department of Psychological, Health, and Learning Sciences and the Department of Psychology with the consent of their advisor/faculty related to their individual research interests and career goals.

Foundational Courses


18.0 Credit Hours

Select from the Following:


(3.0 Credit Hours)

Select from the Following:


(3.0 Credit Hours)

Research Design, Statistics, and Measurement Courses


Minimum 24.0 Credit Hours

Statistics and Measurement


Candidacy Research


Minimum 3.0 Credit Hours

Doctoral Dissertation


Minimum 6.0 Credit Hours

Students must enroll in at least three hours of dissertation credits the term they defend their dissertation proposal. Once students enroll in dissertation credits, they must continuously enroll for a minimum of three credits of dissertation every subsequent Fall and Spring term, until the dissertation is completed (final defense). Summer enrollment in dissertation credits is required only if during the summer months the student conducts the dissertation’s proposal or final defense or actively engages in dissertation work involving the use of universities facilities.

Counseling Psychology Specialty Courses


Minimum 41.0 Credit Hours

The Program’s curriculum includes a series of courses developmentally sequenced to help students gain knowledge in the core foundations of psychology as well as in the specialty discipline of Counseling Psychology. Some students need to complete master’s-level prerequisite courses (i.e., “leveling” courses). Prior to their first term in the Program, advisors notify students with a master’s degree of any prerequisite “leveling” courses they need to complete, based on a review of their degree transcript. All students accepted directly from the Bachelor’s degree need to complete the leveling master’s-level courses described below. Even though students do not need to complete all leveling courses prior to taking doctoral-level courses, students are expected to complete master’s-level coursework prior to enrolling in doctoral-level coursework in the same area.

Master’s-Level Courses (Leveling Courses)


Credit Hours Requirement Varies

Clinical Training


14.0 Credit Hours

Counseling Psychology doctoral students receive clinical training primarily through practicum experiences and a pre-doctoral internship. Students are required to enroll in PHLS 8393  every term (Fall, Spring, and Summer) they participate in practicum. During the internship year, enrollment in PHLS 8193  is mandatory during the Fall and Spring terms only.

Counseling Psychology: Health Psychology Emphasis/Minor


15.0 Credit Hours

Students may choose to add an optional Health Psychology Emphasis/Minor to their coursework. Eligibility to add this emphasis/minor includes the completion of nine (9.0) credit hours of didactic coursework as well as two (2) terms of practicum (i.e., 6.0 credit hours) in the area of health psychology. 

Health Psychology Required Courses


6.0 Credit Hours

Practicum Experiences in the area of Health Psychology


6.0 Credit Hours

Eligibility to add the Health Psychology Emphasis includes the completion of two (2) semesters of practicum in the area of health psychology, in addition to the coursework described above. Please note, no additional practica above and beyond the existing requirements are required for the Health Psychology Emphasis (i.e., it is only necessary that the student pursuing this option demonstrate completion of two semesters of practicum in a health-related setting among the 12 credit hours of practicum required for the degree). To clarify further, these two semesters are not included in the 12-credit hour requirement for completion of the track, since students are required to complete practicum experiences as part of their doctoral training. 

Counseling Psychology Practicum


Enrollment in several terms of practicum and the year of pre-doctoral internship constitute the formally organized clinical training experiences in the Counseling Psychology Program. Students are typically required to complete a minimum of 2 years of practicum (12.0 Credit Hours of PHLS 8393 ). However, students who enter the program with a master’s degree may choose to complete only 1 year of practicum (6.0 Credit Hours), although many students choose to go beyond this requirement because of the competitiveness of internship.

Annual Review


The program’s faculty conducts an annual review of the student’s progress and provides the student with written feedback regarding this evaluation. With the exception of students whose graduation is imminent, all currently enrolled students (including those who are on internship) are required to participate in the annual review.

Program Completion Time Limits


Students must complete their programs within 10 years of their term of first enrollment. Students who are beyond their 7th year in the program are considered to be making unsatisfactory progress; therefore, as part of the annual review process, students in the seventh year or beyond must provide their advisors and the Director of Training a detailed timeline for completing their remaining work.

Counseling Psychology Pre-Doctoral Internship


The pre-doctoral internship year in counseling psychology represents the capstone clinical experience for students in the Program. During this year, students work full time (2,000 hours) as paid psychology interns in an approved professional setting where they receive regular supervision. Students are required to apply to APA-accredited internship sites as these programs regularly engage in the pre-doctoral training of counseling psychologists and meet all expected standards of training quality.

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