Counseling and Personnel Services (PhD)
Admission Requirements
Prospective students must submit an online application for admission to the Graduate School. Additional requirements are listed below:
- A master's degree, or its equivalent in a related field, is typically required. However, highly motivated applicants with a strong undergraduate record and a Bachelors degree may also be considered for admission. Applicants are required to submit official transcripts from all higher education institutions attended.
- Three letters of recommendation from individuals who can speak to the applicant's academic and/or professional capabilities and potential.
- Test scores from the Graduate Record Exam General Test -- Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical Writing -- are required.
Please note: When submitting GRE scores through ETS, have scores sent to the general University of Louisville code, 1838. - The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo) is required of all students who completed a degree outside the United States from countries in which English is not the native language. Students holding a baccalaureate or advanced degree from an accredited institution in the United States are exempt from this requirement.
- A statement of professional goals appropriate to pursuing a PhD in the specific area of specialization is required. Applicants should submit a personal statement of approximately 1,500 words outlining their professional goals and how their research and professional interests might align with those of faculty in the department.
- An updated curriculum vitae (CV) or resume
Each application will be evaluated to determine the strength of all components (GRE, undergraduate and graduate GPAs, letters of recommendation, professional goal statement, and work experience) as predictors of successful completion of the program. Applicants are encouraged to visit the website of the specialization area of interest for further information about suggested GPA and GRE score requirements, application deadlines, and other specific information related to that specialization area
Program Requirements
The Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling and Personnel Services encompasses four specialization areas. For specific coursework, see Specialization Requirements section.
- College Student Personnel
- Counseling Psychology
- Counselor Education and Supervision
- Educational Psychology, Measurement, and Evaluation
All ECPY doctoral programs require courses in the following areas:
Specialty -- Specialty courses are designed to prepare the student for work within their selected professional field.
Research Methodology -- The research component prepares students to examine research within the professional area as well as contribute to the existing research.
Electives -- Elective courses are selected in concert with advisor and program committee with consideration to the student's background, interests, and professional goals.
Each doctoral program will have additional requirements related to their program of study.
All candidates for a doctoral degree must successfully complete qualifying exams and a dissertation/professional portfolio that clearly indicates the candidate has mastered and can exhibit/articulate the content knowledge, skills and dispositions specific to their discipline, and can utilize appropriate research methodologies to contribute to the body of knowledge in their field.
Specialization Requirements
Specialization in Counselor Education and Supervision
Academic Plan Code(s): CPS_PHDCES
Master's Degree prerequisite + 60 credit hours minimum: The Student and Committee must develop courses, programs and experiences that clearly identify and address the specific themes of Leadership, Scholarship, Social Justice and Equity. These areas of emphasis must have descriptive competencies that the student should attain and the Committee can assess.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Specialty Components 1 | 33 | |
| Generally includes: | ||
| Advanced Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy | ||
| Counselor Education Seminar: Teaching and Ethics in Counselor Education | ||
| Counselor Supervision | ||
| Advanced Practicum in Counseling | ||
| Doctoral Internship | ||
| Doctoral Seminar in Educational and Counseling Psychology (Advanced Counseling and Consultation) | ||
Specialty Electives | ||
| Research Methodology 2 | 27 | |
| Applied Statistics (or equivalent required) | ||
| Intermediate Applied Statistics | ||
| Multivariate Educational Statistics | ||
Research Electives (e.g., Field Survey Research, additional qualitative methodologies and /or quantitative methodologies) 3 | ||
Dissertation/Portfolio Research (twelve (12) credit hours) | ||
| Minimum Total Hours | 60 | |
- 1
33 credit hours minimum, Required Courses and Specialty Electives selected with Program Committee approval.
- 2
27 credit hours minimum, selected with Program Committee approval
- 3
Selected with Program Committee approval within program guidelines/framework. LEAD 600 may not be used for this requireme nt.
Specialization in Counseling Psychology
Academic Plan Code(s): CPS_PHDCPS
NOTE: Professional Licensure/Certification is available for this specialization.
The Student and Committee must develop courses, programs and experiences that clearly identify and address the specific themes of Leadership, Scholarship, Social Justice and Equity. These areas of emphasis must have descriptive competencies that the student should attain and the Committee can assess.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Specialty Components * | 60 | |
Counseling Core (twelve (12) credit hours) | ||
Foundations (18 Credit hours) | ||
Clinical Field Experience (30 credit hours) | ||
| Research Methodology | 27 | |
| Intermediate Applied Statistics (or equivalent) | ||
| Applied Multiple Regression (or equivalent) | ||
| Multivariate Educational Statistics (or equivalent) | ||
| Evaluation and Measurement in Education (or equivalent) | ||
| Supervised Research in Educational and Counseling Psychology | ||
| Advanced Research Design (or equivalent) | ||
| Doctoral Seminar in Educational and Counseling Psychology (Advanced Psychotherapy Research and Practice, or equivalent) | ||
Dissertation Research | ||
| Elective Component * | 21 | |
Counseling Psychology Specialty | ||
| Minimum Total Hours | 108 | |
- *
Specific coursework selected with Program Committee approval within program guidelines and framework.
- **
Or the following offerings of ECPY 793: Structural Equation Modeling; Multilevel Modeling; or Meta-analysis and Systemic Review (or equivalents).
Specialization in College Student Personnel
Academic Plan Code(s): CPS_PHDSTP
The Student and Committee must develop courses, programs, and experiences that clearly identify and address the specific themes of Leadership, Scholarship, Social Justice and Equity. These areas of emphasis must have descriptive competencies that the student should attain and the Committee can assess.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Specialty Components | 39 | |
| Selected with Program Committee approval | ||
| Introduction to Student Personnel Work | ||
| Student Affairs Programs, Policies, and Practices | ||
| College Student Sub-Cultures | ||
| Program Development & Evaluation in Student Affairs | ||
| Doctoral Seminar in Educational and Counseling Psychology | ||
| Counseling Core (six (6) hours) | ||
| Helping Skills for Student Affairs Professionals | ||
| Career Counseling | ||
| Foundations (nine (9) hours) | ||
| Theories of College Student Development | ||
| Multicultural and Diversity Issues | ||
| The Organization and Administration of Higher Educational Institutions | ||
| Internship/Practicum/Field Experience (nine (9) hours) | ||
| Internship in College Student Personnel Services | ||
| Doctoral Internship | ||
| Research Methodology | 30 | |
| Selected with Program Committee Approval | ||
| Applied Statistics | ||
One additional advisor-approved statistical analysis course | ||
One additional advisor-approved research methods course | ||
Two additional advisor-approved research courses | ||
| Advanced Research Design | ||
| Doctoral Research | ||
| Elective Component | 24 | |
Chosen in concert with advisor and Program Committee with consideration to the student's background, interests, and professional goals | ||
| Minimum Total Hours | 93 | |
Specialization in Educational Psychology, Measurement, and Evaluation
Academic Plan Code(s): CPS_PHDPME
The Educational Psychology, Measurement, and Evaluation specialization requires a minimum of 90 graduate credit hours distributed in the following areas of study: specialty components , research methodology, and electives. Equivalent courses taken in a master's program may be substituted for required courses with advisor and program committee approval.
At least 45 of the 90 credit hours must be earned at UofL. These 45 credit hours include 18 credit hours fulfilling residency and twelve (12) credit hours required for dissertation research.
The Student and Committee must develop courses, programs and experiences that clearly identify and address the specific themes of Leadership, Scholarship, Social Justice and Equity. These areas of emphasis must have descriptive competencies that the student should attain and the Committee can assess.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Specialty Components | 15 | |
| EPME Core (all required) | ||
| Human Development | ||
| Doctoral Professional Seminar in Educational Psychology, Measurement, and Evaluation | ||
| Social Ecology & Social Behavior | ||
| Advanced Issues in Human Development | ||
| Biological Bases of Behavior | ||
| Research Methodology | 36-42 | |
| Selected with Program Committee Approval (36 credit hours minimum, 42 credit hours maximum) | ||
| Intermediate Applied Statistics | ||
| Applied Multiple Regression | ||
| Multivariate Educational Statistics | ||
| Qualitative Field Research Methods | ||
| Psychometrics and Affective Instrument Development | ||
| Systematic Reviewing and Meta-Analysis | ||
| Secondary Data Analysis | ||
| Structural Equation Modeling | ||
| Hierarchical Linear Modeling | ||
| Advanced Research Design | ||
| Doctoral Research | ||
| Electives | 39 | |
| Selected with Program Committee Approval | ||
| Advanced Databases | ||
| Data Mining | ||
| Evaluation and Measurement in Education | ||
| Learning Systems: Theory and Practice | ||
| Adolescence | ||
| Single Case Research Methods and Designs | ||
| Doctoral Seminar in Educational and Counseling Psychology 1 | ||
| Internship in Educational Psychology, Measurement, and Evaluation 2 | ||
| Inquiry into Early Childhood Education and Child Development | ||
| Survey Research and Attitude Measurement | ||
| Program Evaluation | ||
| Qualitative Data Analysis and Representation | ||
| Doctoral Seminar in Educational Evaluation | ||
| Problems in Urban Education and Society | ||
| Introduction to Statistical Computing | ||
| Survival Analysis | ||
| Advanced Statistical Computing I | ||
| Cognitive Processes | ||
| Human Memory | ||
| Statistics II | ||
| Minimum Total Hours | 90 | |
- 1
May be taken up to three times for a maximum of nine (9) credit hours.
- 2
May be taken for a maximum of three (3) credit hours.
The Doctorate in Counseling and Personnel Services - Specialization in Counseling Psychology program prepares students to meet the requirements for certification and/or licensure. If you plan to pursue professional licensure or certification, you should first determine your state’s criteria for examination and licensure to see how/if our program meets those requirements prior to enrollment. We recommend that you also contact your state’s licensing board directly to verify that the requirements have not changed recently and to answer any questions especially those regarding additional requirements beyond the degree.
More information about certification or licensure is available at the following website: https://louisville.edu/oapa/licensure-information (you may search by school or by the name of the program then click on 'View Details' to display the information).
For programs with an online option, more information about certification or licensure is available here: http://louisville.edu/online/About-Us (please scroll down near the bottom of the page and click on the licensing disclosures tab).
