Counseling Psychology—Doctoral Program

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Curriculum

The curriculum was developed by the counseling psychology faculty and is based on guidelines and principles of the American Psychological Association for accreditation of professional psychology programs.

Basic Scientific Core of Psychology

• Research design and statistics
• Biological bases of behavior
• Cognitive-affective bases of behavior
• Social bases of behavior
• Individual behavior and human development
• History and systems of psychology

Specialization in Counseling Psychology

• Professional issues and ethics in counseling psychology
• Counseling theory and practice
• Consultation
• Intellectual and personality assessment
• Vocational psychology
• Supervised practica
• Supervision of counseling and therapy
• Multicultural counseling psychology

Students are able to pursue specialty interests in counseling psychology through elective courses and other adjunctive experiences such as involvement in faculty research, individual or group clinical supervision. The student's doctoral chair and committee, along with the Counseling Psychology Training Committee, are responsible for helping the student develop a program of study and for monitoring the student's progress through the program.

Comprehensive exams

Students are expected to demonstrate attainment of core knowledge and competencies by successfully passing a series of examinations in the following areas:

1. Counseling psychology information and knowledge, and
2. Professional work sample.

Pre-Doctoral internship

A 2000-hour pre-doctoral internship in an APA and APPIC setting is required.

Dissertation

A dissertation that is psychological in nature is required.

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This option is specifically designed to meet the educational curricular requirements as a State of Michigan Licensed Psychologist. Because the program is accredited by APA, students are typically in a good position to meet curricular requirements for licensure in other states.

The program emphasizes the importance of addressing the needs of an increasingly diverse society. To that end the program strives to increase the educational opportunities of racial minorities and diverse student populations. The program creates an atmosphere where unique values and concerns receive attention and respect. Racial minority and other diversity concerns are integrated into coursework, practica and supervision. Three courses in multicultural counseling are required: two of which have a focus on race and ethnicity and one in an elective area such as further racial minority studies, psychology of women, and lesbian and gay issues in counseling and development. Many faculty and students maintain active professional and research interests concerning various aspects of multicultural and diversity studies.

The program is also committed to recruiting and supporting diverse faculty and students. Among the students who are currently most active in coursework and department life (the last four admissions classes 2016 through 2019):

• 46 percent are African or African American
• 35 percent are White or Caucasian (non-Hispanic or Latinx)
• 11 percent are Hispanic or Latinx
• 4 percent are Asian
• 4 percent are multiracial

Of the students admitted into the program since 2016, about 65 percent of the students are U.S. racial or ethnic minorities and approximately 73% are female. Also since 2016, prior degrees of students at admission vary with:

• 61 percent of students hold Master's degrees
• 39 percent of students hold Bachelor's degrees

Students are also diverse in a number of other ways—there are openly lesbian and gay students, students with disabilities, etc. There is also diversity among the faculty in regard to gender, age, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity, and other considerations.