Program Overview

Overview

The Counselling Psychology Program at the University of British Columbia creates, advances, and critically examines knowledge in counselling psychology. The program follows the scientist-practitioner model, providing students with a substantial education as both researchers and professional psychologists. It is designed for those with relevant experience who want to gain doctoral-level competence, enhancing research, counselling theory, and counselling skills.

Program Details

• Faculty: Faculty of Education
• Academic Unit: Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology, and Special Education
• Specialization: Counselling Psychology
• Mode of Delivery: In person at UBC Vancouver
• Program Components: Dissertation
• Tuition (First Year):
  • Domestic: $5,626.02
  • International: $9,883.98
• Median Funding: 50% of students receive $25,633 or more funding per year in the first 4 years, before tuition and fees

Admission Information & Requirements

Check Eligibility

• Minimum Academic Requirements: A minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC)
• English Language Test: Required for applicants from universities outside Canada where English is not the primary language of instruction
  • TOEFL: Overall score requirement of 90, with minimum scores of 22 in Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening
  • IELTS: Overall score requirement of 6.5, with minimum scores of 6.0 in Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening
• Other Test Scores: The GRE is required by all applicants

Meet Deadlines

• Program Name: Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (PhD)
• Intake: September 2026
• Canadian Applicant Deadline: 1 December 2025
• International Applicant Deadline: 1 December 2025

Prepare Application

• Transcripts: Required from all past post-secondary study
• Letters of Reference: 3 references are required
• Statement of Interest: Many programs require a statement of interest
• Supervision: Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor

Tuition & Financial Support

Tuition

Financial Support

• Program Funding Packages: From September 2024, all full-time students in UBC-Vancouver PhD programs will be provided with a funding package of at least $24,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD
• Funding Statistics: Based on the criteria outlined, 10 students within this program were included in this study, with a mean funding of $30,351 and a median of $25,633

Career Outcomes

• Career Options: Students will be prepared for careers as researchers, practitioners, and educators in a wide variety of settings
• Sample Employers: University of British Columbia, Adler University, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Trinity Western University, Douglas College, Simon Fraser University
• Sample Job Titles: Psychologist, Registered Psychologist, Senior Clinical Practice Manager, Clinical Psychologist, Counselling Psychologist

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

• Enrolment Data:
  • Applications: 13 (2023), 21 (2022), 17 (2021), 19 (2020), 25 (2019)
  • Offers: 3 (2023), 2 (2022), 3 (2021), 4 (2020), 6 (2019)
  • New Enrolment: 2 (2023), 2 (2022), 3 (2021), 4 (2020), 5 (2019)
  • Total Enrolment: 31 (2023), 32 (2022), 32 (2021), 35 (2020), 37 (2019)
• Completion Rates & Times: This program has a graduation rate of 82% based on 22 students admitted between 2011-2014, with an average time to completion of 6.17 years

Research Supervisors

• Supervision: Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor
• Faculty Members:
  • Bedi, Robinder
  • Cox, Dan
  • Hubley, Anita
  • Park, CJ
  • Tomfohr-Madsen, Lianne

Sample Thesis Submissions

• Thesis Titles:
  • Career development in recovery from problematic substance use: a randomized controlled trial of a hope-action theory group program
  • An examination of the multicultural orientation framework with sexual and gender minority clients
  • The influence of intergenerational knowledge and connections on adult adoptee sense of self
  • Exploring Indigenous concepts of well-being with Indigenous knowledge keepers
  • The help-seeking process for parents of children with anxiety: a grounded theory

Related Programs

• Same Specialization:
  • Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (MA)
  • Master of Education in Counselling Psychology (MEd)
• Same Academic Unit:
  • Doctor of Philosophy in Human Development, Learning, and Culture (PhD)
  • Doctor of Philosophy in Measurement, Evaluation and Research Methodology (PhD)
  • Doctor of Philosophy in School and Applied Child Psychology (PhD)
  • Doctor of Philosophy in Special Education (PhD)

Further Information

• Specialization: Counselling Psychology
• Program Website:
• Faculty: Faculty of Education
• Academic Unit: Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology, and Special Education
• Program Identifier: VGDPHD-EW
• Classification: Social sciences » Psychology and cognitive sciences » Psychology, social and behavioral aspects » Counselling psychology