Counseling Psychology, Ph.D.

Program Overview

The APA-accredited doctoral program in counseling psychology at UW-Madison emphasizes multicultural competence, social justice, and research integration. Students engage in faculty research, complete a one-year pre-doctoral internship, and are prepared for diverse professional roles, including direct service, research, teaching, and program design. The program offers both post-M.A. and post-B.A. tracks, with a duration of five to six years.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The APA-accredited doctoral program in counseling psychology is grounded in 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 assist others in enhancing their well-being, alleviating their distress, resolving crises, and boosting their capacity to solve problems and make decisions. Counseling psychologists employ systematic, research-based approaches to facilitate understanding and development of solutions to educational, vocational, emotional, social, cultural, health-related, or developmental issues. The UW–Madison program places particular 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 program's theoretical orientation is best characterized as eclectic. Coursework emphasizes the research foundation of counseling psychology, and students are expected to engage in faculty research. All students complete a one-year, full-time pre-doctoral internship as a culminating training experience. The program's duration for students entering with a master's degree (post-M.A. track) is five years, although students may opt to take additional time based on academic background and career goals. The department also admits a limited number of students to a post–B.A. track. These students apply to the Ph.D. program upon completion of their undergraduate studies and must integrate coursework and professional practice training at the master's level, along with introductory doctoral coursework, during the initial two years of study. Students admitted to the post–B.A. track typically possess outstanding academic records and experiences that demonstrate high levels of both helping skills and research skills prior to admission. The planned duration of the post–B.A. track is six years, although actual completion times will vary depending on student needs and career goals. The mission of the counseling psychology Ph.D. program is to train health service psychologists who are proficient 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 comprehensively prepared for various professional roles, including direct service, research, teaching, clinical supervision, and program design and evaluation.

Outline:

Pathway

• Course List:
• Discipline-Specific Knowledge Courses
• History and Systems of Psychology (3 credits)
• Basic Psychology Content Areas (12 credits)
• Affective Aspects of Behavior
• Biological Aspects of Behavior
• Cognitive Aspects of Behavior
• Developmental Aspects of Behavior
• Social Aspects of Behavior
• Advanced Integrative Knowledge in Scientific Psychology (6-9 credits)
• Seminar in Psychology of Individual Differences
• Abnormal Behavior and Psychopathology (if not taken in previous coursework)
• Seminar in Ethical and Professional Issues in Counseling Psychology
• Research, Quantitative Methods, and Psychometrics (12 credits)
• Research Practicum in Counseling Psychology (2 semesters)
• Research Methods in Counseling Psychology
• Research Methods in Counseling Psychology, II
• Profession-Wide Competencies-Related Required Coursework
• Core Courses (9 credits)
• Counseling Psychology Research in Individual Intervention
• Seminar: Research in Vocational Psychology and Career Development
• Mental Health Consultation in Health Service Psychology
• Clinical Training Sequence
• Professional Development and Clinical Practice (2 semesters) (2-12 credits)
• Counseling Psychology Practicum--Foundational (2 semesters) (6 credits)
• Counseling Psychology Practicum--Advanced (2 semesters) (6 credits)
• Counseling Psychology Practicum in Supervision (4 credits)
• Advanced Assessment Techniques in Counseling Psychology (3 credits)
• Other Courses
• Research or Thesis (2 semesters) (36 credits)
• Counseling Psychology Externship (optional) (4 credits)
• Pre-Doctoral Internship in Health Service Psychology Preparation Seminar (2 credits)
• Data Analytic Methods - 2 additional courses; at least one must address quantitative data analysis.
(6 credits)
• Introduction to Qualitative Research
• Seminar on Meta-Analysis
• Test Construction
• Structural Equation Modeling
• Hierarchical Linear Modeling
• Design & Analysis of Quasi-Experiments for Causal Inference
• Total Credits: 77-87

Pathway

• Course List:
• All courses listed for the Post–M.A.
pathway
• Additional Courses
• Theories of Counseling (3 credits)
• Group Dynamics Processing and Counseling (3 credits)
• Helping Relationships and Techniques (3 credits)
• Supervised Practicum in Counseling (3 credits)

Total Credits:

89

Assessment:

Students are evaluated based on a combination of criteria, including:

• Coursework: Students are required to maintain a minimum 3.00 GPA.
• Research: Students are expected to engage in faculty research and present their findings at conferences and/or publish in peer-reviewed journals.
• Clinical Training: Students complete a one-year, full-time pre-doctoral internship as a culminating training experience.
• Doctoral Preliminary Examination: Students must pass a comprehensive doctoral preliminary examination that includes both written and oral components.

Teaching:

The program is taught by a faculty of experienced researchers and clinicians. Faculty members employ a variety of teaching methods, including lectures, discussions, experiential exercises, and role-playing. Students also have the opportunity to gain teaching experience by serving as teaching assistants in undergraduate courses.

Careers:

Graduates of the counseling psychology Ph.D. program are prepared for a wide range of professional roles, including:

• Direct service: Providing counseling and psychotherapy services to individuals, families, and groups.
• Research: Conducting research on psychological issues and developing new interventions.
• Teaching: Teaching psychology at the university level.
• Clinical supervision: Supervising the work of other psychologists.
• Program design and evaluation: Designing and evaluating mental health programs.