Ph.D. Program in Counseling Psychology
Recommended Course Sequence
The program offers a recommended course sequence for students who proceed through the program on a full-time basis, taking 12 credits per semester for most of the first three years. If done using this schedule, the entire Program, including the dissertation and the one-year predoctoral internship, can be completed within five years (four years of coursework and the dissertation followed by one year of internship). This requires a high course load while also completing practicum, preparing for the master's comprehensive and doctoral qualifying exams, completing the Collaborative Research Project, and writing the dissertation proposal. Note also that the portfolio doctoral qualifying exam and dissertation proposal need to be completed before applying for the internship. We find that students vary greatly with regard to staying on this schedule. There obviously are also advantages to taking a slower pace and ensuring that the dissertation is completed before the internship.
Though course schedules are not entirely controllable for upcoming years, the department makes every effort to offer nearly all of the required courses on an annual basis in the semesters that are indicated so that students and faculty can plan their schedules well in advance. A small number of courses are being offered every other year, however.
Petitions for Exceptions to Program Requirements
The department is not flexible with regard to many of the program requirements which are described in the handbook, but exceptions to some requirements are granted if a compelling rationale is provided. Students should begin the process of submitting a petition by consulting with their academic advisors. Students can then initiate a petition for an exception to Program requirements by submitting a written request to the department chair. Most of these petitions will be decided by a vote of the department faculty at their next regularly scheduled meeting, though the Graduate School will decide issues related to their requirements.
