Ph.D. Counseling Psychology

Overview

The Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology program, which is accredited as a scientist-practitioner program by the American Psychological Association, provides training to students to become effective counseling psychologists with  the knowledge and skills in research and clinical practice necessary to help people from diverse, multicultural backgrounds in a variety of settings. 

Doctoral students work closely with innovative faculty to conduct and publish significant peer-reviewed research on mental health issues, in addition to gaining extensive clinical experience that culminates with a one-year full-time internship at an approved site.

Lehigh’s Counseling Psychology faculty have significant research expertise in such areas as socio-emotional development of young children, attachment and family relationships, process and outcomes of interventions, liberation psychology career development interventions, undocumented and documented migration, gerontology, sexual assault prevention, LGBTQ issues, intimate partner violence, trauma-informed schools, experiences of racism, masculinity, Asian American concerns, and the intersection of identities. 

The doctoral program embraces multiculturalism and social justice, preparing students to conduct research and to work with people of different races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, disabilities, religions, ages and socioeconomic statuses. 

Alumni have gone on to become members of university faculties or staff psychologists at counseling centers. Many work in hospitals or in policy fields, while others become psychologists in private practice.  

Students are highly involved in research, teaching apprenticeships, and clinical practica. As part of a research apprenticeship with a faculty member, students are immersed in the advisor’s lab early in the program. Students go on to complete an empirical qualifying project that is the equivalent of a master’s thesis. Later, they research and write their doctoral dissertation with supervision from a faculty mentor. They typically conduct additional research with their faculty mentor and other members of the faculty. Faculty mentor students in presenting their research and scholarship at national and international conferences, as well as in publication. Among the requirements, doctoral candidates complete a college teaching apprenticeship where they work closely with a faculty member to develop effective pedagogy. With the support of our clinical faculty, students complete their clinical practica. Students have completed their practica at University counseling centers, hospital settings, VAs, and community clinics. 

The full-time program requires 102 credits, which includes 30 master’s level credits plus 72 doctoral level credits. A student who enters the Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program already holding a master’s degree in the field may be exempted from taking up to a total of 30 credits of required master’s level coursework if the student’s advisor approves, based on a review of the student’s transcript and course syllabi. 

Students entering with a bachelor’s degree have 10 years to complete all the doctoral degree requirements while those entering with a master’s degree have seven years. Typically, most students complete the program in much less time (5-6 years). 

Those seeking to apply for the Ph.D. program should complete the online application and provide official undergraduate and graduate transcripts. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required for undergraduate and/or graduate work.

Prospective students should provide an essay about why they want to become a psychologist and two letters of recommendation with at least one from a faculty member of an accredited academic institution. They must acknowledge they understand the College of Education policy on clearances. 

The deadline to apply is Dec. 1 for a fall start. 

All Counseling Psychology doctoral students are evaluated based on professional competencies expected to be demonstrated by counseling psychologists (see APA Education Directorate, 2013, and Campbell et al., 2013).

Questions regarding APA Accreditation may be addressed to the APA Office of Accreditation at:
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
750 First St, NE Washington, DC 20002-4242
http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/
Telephone: (202) 336-5979
TDD/TTY: (202) 336-6123
Fax: (202) 336-5978
Email (General Questions) (apaaccred@apa.org)
Email (Annual Report Online only)

Curriculum

Currently, the doctoral program requires a total of 100 credits, which are composed of 30 master's level credits plus 72 doctoral level credits. A student who enters the counseling psychology doctoral program already holding a master's degree, regardless of where the degree was obtained, may be exempted by her or his advisor from taking up to a total of the 30 credits of required master's level coursework, with the exemption granted based on a review of the student’s transcript and/or course syllabi to ensure that the course or courses were of similar content to the course offered by Lehigh. These exempted credits do count toward the total needed for the doctoral degree (currently 100), but will not appear on the student’s Lehigh transcript. After conferring with his or her advisor, the student will complete an internal petition to have these credits exempted, and this petition must be approved by the program director.