Counseling Psychology PhD
The UMass Boston PhD in counseling psychology prepares doctoral-level professional counseling psychologists for careers as scholars, university faculty, and practitioners. Our scientist-practitioner training model prepares students to:
- deliver high quality, evidence-based psychological services and interventions;
- employ skilled applied research skills to improve practice and explore social and psychological issues;
- serve as effective instructors and faculty members;
- use innovative approaches to solve problems related to educational and mental health care disparities, improve services for underrepresented populations, and employ systems-level change strategies to advance local and global social justice.
Why Apply to UMass Boston's Counseling Psychology PhD Program?
The UMass Boston Counseling Psychology program is all about preparing the next generation of counseling psychology scholars, teachers, and social justice advocates. We believe in the benefits of working with a variety of research methods and theoretical approaches, learning with multiple mentors, and knowing how to think about human rights and social justice as they apply to local and transnational contexts.
Note: For this admissions cycle, we are accepting applications only from candidates who are in process or who have completed an applied master's program (e.g., Mental Health Counseling, School Psychology, School Counseling, Social Work, and other programs) with supervised clinical experience.
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Application Deadline
December 1
Due to COVID-related testing site closures and disruptions, the Counseling Psychology Program will not be requiring GRE scores for Fall 2023 applications. Applicants should not submit their GRE scores through ETS nor report their scores in the application portal or on their CVs or personal statements. If they are submitted, they will not be considered with the applicant file.
Student Admissions Outcomes and Other Data
Licensure
Graduate training at the University of Massachusetts Boston Counseling Psychology Program will prepare students for taking the EPPP (Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology); however, requirements for sitting for the EPPP vary by state licensing boards. The Counseling Psychology Program has reviewed the licensing requirements for all U.S. jurisdictions to determine eligibility (see below). Please note that not all graduates choose to take the EPPP.
U.S. Boards of Psychology in Which Graduates Would Be Eligible to Sit for the EPPP Upon Completion of the Doctoral Program
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia (DC), Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming
U.S. Boards of Psychology in Which Graduates Would NOT Be Eligible to Sit for the EPPP Upon Completion of the Doctoral Program Without Additional Coursework
- California: additional coursework in human sexuality; alcohol/chemical dependency detection and treatment; child abuse assessment; spousal/partner abuse assessment, detection, and intervention strategies; aging and long-term care; and suicide risk assessment and intervention is needed.
- Maine: additional coursework in family or intimate partner violence screening and referral and intervention strategies, including knowledge of community resources, cultural factors, evidence-based risk assessment, and same-gender abuse dynamics is needed.
- New York: Unable to determine if a graduate is eligible. The doctoral program must be registered by the New York Licensing Department as licensure qualifying or determined by the department to be the substantial equivalent in accordance with the Regulations of the Commissioner. Please contact the New York Office of the Professions for specific details on the licensure requirements.
The faculty members below represent the core Counseling Psychology PhD faculty.