UMass Boston

Test Scores
Effective 2021, GRE scores are no longer required for admission to the PhD program.

Letters of Recommendation
3

Writing Sample
Yes

Other

1. Applied master's degree required. We are accepting applications from candidates who will have completed an applied master's program with supervised clinical experience (e.g., Mental Health Counseling, School Psychology, School Counseling, Social Work, and other programs) prior to the Fall admission.
2. Minimum of five social science classes (preferably psychology including introduction, human development, and statistics)
3. Completed project or academic paper
4. Statement of purpose: The Statement of Purpose is your opportunity to tell the faculty why you are interested in counseling psychology, why you are applying to UMass Boston in particular, what your training and career goals are, and how our program will support your progress toward those goals. Many people link their interest to specific faculty expertise as that helps us match applicants to specific faculty for interviews on the interview day.
5. Transcripts
6. Résumé/Curriculum Vitae
7. Interview

Application Deadline

December 1

Application Fee: The nonrefundable application fee is $75. UMass Boston alumni and current students that plan to complete degree requirements prior to graduate enrollment can submit the application without paying the application fee.

Program Cost Information: Bursar’s Website

Licensure

Graduate training at the UMass 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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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 program is designed to take five years of full-time study post-bachelor’s degree, including a full-time internship. The program requires a minimum of 73 graduate credits. Those who enter with a master’s degree in counseling or other applied field will have a reduction in required course credits to the extent their master’s level courses match our required courses, however, it is required that students complete a minimum of three years on campus plus internship. The majority of students have completed the program with four years on campus plus one additional year of internship.

Courses address:

• social justice and systems change
• research and statistics
• applied practice
• psychological foundations

Counseling Psychology Track

Program Requirements

Complete 73 credits from 19 courses including six foundational courses; two prevention, assessment, and intervention courses; six research courses; one teaching requirement course; and four social justice and systems change courses.

Capstone: Students starting with a Bachelor’s degree must complete a capstone project based on CSP 704 and 708 consisting of a literature review paper on a topic approved by the faculty advisor.
Doctoral candidacy: Completion of a qualifying paper, a critical and synthetic review of a focused body of literature in the area in which the student plans to complete the dissertation.
Dissertation: Compose and defend a research project (quantitative or qualitative) that makes a substantive contribution to the knowledge base in counseling psychology or school psychology. It is usually completed by the end of the fourth year, although students may choose to complete the dissertation during or following the internship year.
Practicum: Participate in two semesters of practicum.
Internship: Complete one full-year of Internship. During the fourth or fifth year after having met all course requirements.
Teaching: Co-teach at least one semester.
Research Team: Participate on at least one faculty-student research team for five semesters.

Students who enter with a master’s degree in counseling or a related field will have a reduction in required course credits to the extent their master’s level courses match our required courses.

A master’s degree may be granted after the completion of 36 credits of course work and the capstone project.

Statute of limitations: Eight years.

School Psychology Track

Program Requirements

Complete 73 credits from 28 courses including six psychological foundation courses; eight school psychology, systems change, and social justice courses; eight prevention, assessment, and intervention courses, six research courses, and one teaching course.

Doctoral candidacy: Successful completion of a qualifying paper, a critical and synthetic review of a focused body of literature in the area in which each student plans to complete the dissertation.
Dissertation: Compose and defend a dissertation based on original empirical research that makes a substantive contribution to the knowledge base in school psychology. It is usually completed by the end of the fifth or sixth year, although students are strongly encouraged to complete the dissertation prior to the internship year.
Practicum and internship: Participate in at least two semesters of practicum and complete a full year internship. Four semesters of practicum are strongly encouraged.
Research team: Participate in faculty-led research team for five semesters. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in research teams led by multiple faculty members to obtain diverse experiences and hone research skills. Research teams are composed of faculty mentors and other graduate students who collaborate on research projects, presentations, and papers. Through these activities, students are expected to contribute to scholarly presentations and publications.
Teaching: Co-teach at least one semester to build skills in disseminating research and practice and delivering university instruction. To prepare for this experience, students complete the course Teaching in Counseling and School Psychology in addition to an opportunity to serve as a Teaching Assistant and when available a course instructor.

Students who enter with a master’s degree in school psychology or a related field will have a reduction in required course credits to the extent their master’s level courses match required courses.

Statute of limitations: Eight years.

Counseling Psychology PhD Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data

Graduate Program Directors, Sharon Horne and Laura Hayden

csp.admissions@umb.edu