Program Overview
College of Education and Behavioral Sciences
Chair: Heather Helm, Ph.D.
Location: McKee 248
Telephone: 970-351-2731
Website: www.unco.edu/cebs/applied-psychology-counselor-education/counseling-psychology/
The Counseling Psychology program at UNC has been in existence since 1984. It became accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1995 as a PsyD program. The curriculum was modified to offer only the PhD in Counseling Psychology and has been accredited by APA since January 15, 2010. For more information about APA accreditation, contact the American Psychological Association's Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation at 750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242, by phone at 202-336-5979, or on the web at http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/.
In our doctoral program at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC), we offer a Major Area of Study in Counseling Psychology with a minimum of 3 full-time academic years of graduate study in didactic course work and supervised clinical training in that Major Area of Study, which includes completing a dissertation that is consistent with the field of Counseling Psychology; students also complete 1 additional year of pre-doctoral internship. Students must complete at least 2 of the 3 academic training years as a full-time resident at UNC. Students that complete our program are appropriately trained in the area of health service psychology to be eligible for licensure as doctoral level psychologists. We offer students experience in being trained in treatment interventions from multiple modalities by completing: two individual practica courses, one couples and family practicum course, and a group practicum course. Live supervision is provided for these practica courses at our on-site training clinic that provides psychological services to community members and university students. Students are also exposed to psychological assessment by completing a cognitive assessment course and a personality assessment course, as well as the option of completing additional assessment courses. Furthermore, our students are trained to create, disseminate, and utilize scholarly research to engage in evidence-based practice. Our program places relatively greater concentration on training related to research. Students take six courses in the area of research and have the option of completing one additional research course in order to receive a doctoral minor in applied statistics and research methods.
Admission
Location: Greeley
Start Term: Fall
General Doctoral Degree Admission Requirements
Counseling Psychology Ph.D.
Admission Deadline
Fall Admissions: Dec. 1
Admission Requirements
Applicants must apply to the Graduate School at the University of Northern Colorado before the program area reviews the applicant’s request for admission. Failure to submit all required materials will delay the evaluation and screening of your application.
Each applicant must:
Take the following steps to be considered for admission:
Step 1: Complete the Application
Complete the online application.
- Answer the application questions.
- Send your requests for letters of recommendation.
- Request three (3) academic or professional letters of recommendation from those who can attest to your academic potential and abilities. You will be asked to supply information for your recommenders in the application.
- Submit the application and pay the non-refundable application fee.
- Domestic Students: $50 non-refundable application fee
- International Students: $50 non-refundable application fee
- The Graduate School is waiving application fees for all current UNC students and alumni! (The waiver applies only to the UNC Graduate School application.) Click for details.
Once you submit your application you will be assigned an Admissions Portal, allowing you to upload supplemental items, as listed below, and track your application through the admissions process.
Step 2: Request Transcripts
Request one official transcript from any Institutionally Accredited college or university where a bachelor’s degree or higher was earned or is in progress (if you have earned multiple degrees, bachelor’s level or higher, an official transcript is required from each college or university where a degree was conferred). If you received a degree from UNC, you do not need to request a transcript from UNC. The Office of Admissions reserves the right to request that applicants provide official transcripts from other colleges or universities as needed. Applicants who have earned or are directly pursuing a higher degree from a regionally accredited institution without receiving a bachelor’s degree (e.g., PharmD) may be eligible to apply to the Graduate School without the conferral of a bachelor’s degree.
Exceptions: If an applicant intends to use Veteran’s Education Benefits, an official transcript from all colleges or universities attended will be required in order to maintain compliance with Veteran’s Affairs policies.
Official transcripts from U.S. institutions should be sent via mail directly from the educational institution in an unopened, sealed envelope or through an electronically secure digital program from the issuing institution.
Mailed transcripts should be sent to:
University of Northern Colorado
Office of Admissions
Campus Box 10
501 20th St
Greeley, CO 80639
Electronic transcripts from U.S. institutions should be sent directly from the educational institution to: grad.admissions@unco.edu.
The Office of Admissions does not accept email, scanned or PDF transcripts directly from applicants. All official transcripts, submitted as part of the application process, are retained by UNC and not returned to applicants or admitted students.
UNC retains submitted transcripts, from institutions other than UNC, for admitted students for up to five years after graduation or date of last attendance at UNC. Transcripts provided by applicants who were not admitted, denied admissions or did not complete their application are destroyed after one (1) year. The Office of Admissions will make every attempt to use previously submitted transcripts if they are within these timeframes. However, if the Office of Admissions cannot locate previously submitted transcripts, the transcripts fall outside the timeframes listed above or they are considered illegible, applicants must provide new transcripts.
Applicants with academic credentials from outside the U.S. will need to follow the requirements for submission of foreign transcripts. Click on the Transcripts tab for information about international transcripts.
Scores on the Graduate Record Examination. GRE scores are required from ALL applicants to the doctoral (PhD) program. The GRE must have been taken within the last five years.
Request to have GRE test scores sent electronically to UNC (UNC's institutional code is 4074).
Required minimum scores:
- 140 Quantitative;
- 146 Verbal Reasoning;
- Combined score of at least 297;
- Analytical Writing 3.5
Please note, UNC does not accept GRE Subject Test scores.
Step 4: Supplemental Items
Log back into the Admissions Portal to submit the following:
Current Vita: Be sure your vita lists mental health related work experiences you have had. This can include either paid or volunteer experiences such as research assistantships, teaching assistantships and applied clinical experiences. Please list paid and volunteer experiences separately and list your most recent positions first. Your listing should include the name of each employer/supervisor, location (city/state), the dates of employment/involvement, and a brief statement describing your major responsibilities. Also be sure your vita lists any professional activities you have had. Please list any professional presentations and/or publications in APA format. This can also include works in progress. Finally, if you have any special recognitions or awards, be sure they are included in your vita.
Statement of Career Goals: Please respond to the following two questions in a maximum of two single spaced typed pages.
- Professional Aspirations:
- Comment on why you want a doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology.
- What are your major professional goals (independent practice, research, teaching, administration).
- How did you select the University of Northern Colorado?
- Professional Background and Interests:
- What are your three most significant professional experiences?
- What are your major professional interests?
Counseling Psychology Survey
Submit the Counseling Psychology Survey by clicking on the "Counseling Psychology Survey" link in your Admissions Portal.
Additional Information
- Students must hold a bachelor's or master's degree in psychology/counseling or a related field.
- Admission decisions are based on the professional judgment of the Counseling Psychology faculty, considering the above data, including personal characteristics and interpersonal communication style as assessed in the pre-admission workshop.
- Applications are evaluated on a competitive basis; positions are limited.
Once you apply to the UNC Graduate School and your application packet is complete, your application will be reviewed by the Graduate School and then sent to the faculty/program for an admission recommendation. The timing of the admission decision depends on each individual program’s deadline and review process.
International applicants (non-U.S. citizen/non-U.S. Permanent Resident) please refer to the International Admissions Requirements page for further information about submitting transcripts, English proficiency scores, passport copy and financial documentation.
For More Information
For more information about the admission process, please email the Office of Admissions at grad.admissions@unco.edu or call 970-351-2881.
Degree Requirements — 121-133 Credits*
Introductory Core Required — 14 credits
| APCE 612 | Practicum in Individual Counseling | 5 |
| APCE 669 | Advanced Methods: Couples and Family Therapy | 3 |
| SRM 600 | Introduction to Graduate Research | 3 |
| APCE 658 | Diagnosis and Treatment Planning | 3 |
Counseling Psychology Core — 7 credits
| APCE 616 | Career Theory, Counseling and Assessment | 3 |
| APCE 701 | Professional Development Seminar in Counseling Psychology | 1 |
| PSY 530 | Life Span Developmental Psychology | 3 |
Research Core — 18 credits
| APCE 733 | Seminar in Research Methods in Counseling Psychology | 3 |
| SRM 602 | Statistical Methods I | 3 |
| SRM 603 | Statistical Methods II | 3 |
| SRM 610 | Statistical Methods III | 3 |
| SRM 680 | Introduction to Qualitative Research | 3 |
| SRM 700 | Advanced Research Methods | 3 |
Practica Required — 29-41 credits
| APCE 694 | Practicum in Couples and Family Therapy | 4 |
| APCE 702 | Practicum in Counseling | 4 |
| APCE 712 | Advanced Practicum in Individual Counseling | 4 |
| APCE 714 | Practicum in Supervision of Counseling | 3- 6 |
| APCE 715 | Seminar in Counselor Supervision and Theory | 2 |
| APCE 793 | Practicum in Clinic Services and Consultation | 3 |
| APCE 794 | Advanced Practicum in Clinic Services and Consultation | 2 |
| APCE 762 | Practicum in Group Facilitation | 4 |
| APCE 795 | External Practicum in Counseling Psychology | 3 |
Assessment Core Required — 9 credits
| APCE 674 | Assessment for Intervention: Cognitive and Academic | 4 |
| APCE 677 | Psychometrics in Counseling Psychology | 1 |
| APCE 678 | Assessment for Intervention: Personality and Behavior | 4 |
Licensing Core — 25 credits
| APCE 623 | Understanding and Counseling Diverse Populations | 3 |
| APCE 657 | Legal and Ethical Aspects of Counseling and Psychology | 3 |
| APCE 682 | Biological Aspects of Behavior | 3 |
| APCE 683 | Affective Aspects of Behavior | 1 |
| APCE 707 | Seminar in Personality and Counseling Theories | 3 |
| PSY 540 | Theories and Principles of Learning | 3 |
| PSY 587 | Social Cognitive Neuroscience | 3 |
| PSY 590 | Seminar in History of Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 664 | Advanced Social Psychology | 3 |
Internship — 3 credits
| APCE 791 | Internship in Counseling Psychology | 1- 5 |
Research Proposal/Dissertation — 16 credits
General Electives
Electives, with the approval of advisor, to complete credits required for the program.
Suggested Electives for Students Completing Quantitative Dissertations:
| SRM 607 | Non-Parametric Statistics | 3 |
| or | |
| SRM 609 | Sampling Methods | 3 |
| or | |
| SRM 625 | Applied Multiple Regression Analysis | 3 |
| and | |
| SRM 627 | Survey Research Methods | 3 |
Suggested Electives for Students Completing Qualitative Dissertations:
| SRM 685 | Educational Ethnography | 3 |
| or | |
| SRM 686 | Qualitative Case Study Research | 3 |
| or | |
| SRM 687 | Narrative Inquiry | 3 |
| or | |
| SRM 688 | Writing Qualitative Research | 3 |
Suggested Practica Electives:
| APCE 617 | Play Therapy: Theory and Practicum | 3 |
| APCE 713 | Practicum in Supervision of Play Therapy | 3 |
| APCE 714 | Practicum in Supervision of Counseling | 3- 6 |
| APCE 785 | Advanced Practicum in Community Engagement: Campus Connections | 1 |
Suggested Assessment Elective:
| APCE 782 | Introduction to Rorschach Administration and Scoring | 3 |
Program Notes
*A student entering with previously completed graduate coursework equivalent to coursework required for the Ph.D. degree may have course(s) waived with advisor consent and may significantly reduce the total number of hours required to complete the program. A plan of study for the degree must contain a minimum of 72 hours of coursework in addition to doctoral research (16) and internship hours (3-18).
In addition to formal course requirements, students are required to successfully complete a doctoral comprehensive examination, a dissertation, and a one-year, 2,000-hour internship.