Counseling Psychology - Frequently asked questions

We are seeking applicants with a desire to gain multicultural competencies in counseling psychology and who approach their education and training with cultural humility. CSU’s program focuses on urban issues and working within an urban context. We seek applicants who can contribute to a vibrant, diverse community of scholars, practitioners, learners, and advocates.

The Doctoral Program in Urban Education:

Counseling Psychology seeks applicants who

• have a master’s degree in counseling or a closely related field,
• experience and skills in quantitative research methods/statistics,
• abilities and traits that will ensure success in a doctoral program that requires a minimum of 3 courses in quantitative research methods/statistics,
• experience in an applied setting,
• a strong academic record,
• good communication skills,
• strong letters of recommendation (including letters from graduate faculty).

An undergraduate GPA of 2.85 and a graduate GPA of 3.5 are preferred. Admissions decisions also are influenced by space limitations, students' evidence of commitment and interest in urban multicultural issues, and a match between student interests and faculty expertise. Approximately 4-6 Counseling

Psychology doctoral students are admitted yearly.
The admissions deadline is January 15th.

Application Materials

Graduate application, C.V., personal statement, official copies of all academic transcripts. Three letters of recommendation are required (at least one must be from a faculty member from previous graduate work). Applicants may elect to submit one or two extra letters of recommendation if desired. The GRE is not required, however, students may submit GRE scores if they believe it will be helpful to their applications.

Personal Statement

A 3-page single-spaced personal statement regarding your professional interests and goals should be included with your application. We are interested in knowing what attracted you to the field of counseling psychology and to doctoral program at Cleveland State University. Describe your experiences in applied settings (e.g., hotline experience, residential treatment staff, field placements) and your research experiences and skills (e.g., assisting with a faculty member’s research, professional presentations, publications, or master’s thesis). Specifically, also describe your experiences and skills with quantitative research methods and statistics, as well as personal characteristics that will ensure success in a doctoral program that requires a minimum of 3 courses in quantitative research methods/statistics. Please describe your goals for graduate study, as well as your goals for your professional career. Be specific in describing your interests in research and practice (e.g., specific settings and/or populations). Applicants should especially address the goodness of fit with the specialty of Counseling Psychology (e.g., focus on diversity and social justice, prevention, career development) and the urban focus of CSU’s program.

Answer: Yes, however, students may also take such courses in the summer prior to doctoral study in order to avoid extending the time it takes to graduate.

Research experience is important. It can be obtained through the completion of a Master’s thesis, other collaboration with faculty or community-based psychologists on research projects. In some cases a student may demonstrate this experience based on an exceptional undergraduate thesis.

Answer: Applicants should obtain letters of recommendation from faculty members or professionals who know them well and can write a strong letter. At least one letter must be from a graduate faculty member.

Answer: Between 4 to 9 students are offered admission each year and between 2 to 7 are typically admitted.

Yes. Once all applications are reviewed, the faculty determines the group of applicants whom they wish to interview. Interviews are scheduled in February. If traveling to the University presents a severe hardship, telephone/Skype interviews may be substituted and do not reduce the individual’s likelihood of acceptance.

Answer: After admission to the program, students are assigned an academic advisor based on interests and programmatic considerations. Students with research assistantships will be assigned similarly. Students may change academic advisors and may work with a dissertation chair who is different from their academic advisor.

In addition to being an APA-accredited program that leads to licensure as a psychologist, the placement of the program offers students an interdisciplinary experience. Some of the courses they take in the first two years of doctoral study include students from other specializations in the Urban Education program, including disciplines such as adult development, educational policy, learning and development, and educational leadership. In addition, students enroll in at least one course in the College of Urban Studies to help them understand how the urban context affects the psychosocial functioning of urban populations. In other words, this program is designed for counseling psychology students who seek to learn about other disciplines and interact with professionals and doctoral students in those disciplines while they are developing as competent counseling psychologists.

The faculty discourages outside employment during the first three years of this highly demanding program. Students who have worked even one day per week have found juggling work, classes, practicum, and assistantships exceptionally stressful. It is important to keep in mind that all students are expected to join research teams and engage in scholarly activity beyond their courses and practica. To remain in good standing students must enroll in a full-time load of courses as outlined in the sequence of courses in the Counseling Psychology Student Handbook.

Answer: Four semesters (two academic years) are required. However, students are encouraged to do three years (six semesters) of practicum at the doctoral level in order to be competitive for internship. Internships, especially APA-accredited internships, are challenging to obtain because there are more applicants than internship slots across the country. Doing three years of practicum at the doctoral level increases your chances of obtaining a desirable internship.

A variety of practicum sites are available to CSU students. Settings include community mental health centers, college and university conseling centers, hospitals, Veterans Administration medical centers, and private practice commuity clinics. Students apply for internship in a variety of settings across the country through the APPIC match. Information on internships may be obtained in the APPIC Directory online at https://membership.appic.org/directory/search

Answer: Although it is rare, half-time internships do exist and can be completed over 2 years. Doing so will extend the time to graduation by an additional year.

Dissertation titles from the past five years include:

1. Understanding the Lived Experiences of Sexual Assault Survivors: A Narrative Study of Posttraumatic Growth
2. From Service to Studies: Resilience and College Adjustment in Student Service Members/Veterans
3. The Mediating Effect of Color-Blind Racial Ideology on the Relationship between Multicultural Counseling Competence and Empathy
4. A phenomenological exploration of clinicians’ approaches to working with people with psychosis
5. Identification of Gifted Learners in an Urban Elementary School: What Is "The Gifted Spark"?
6. The Helper and Gatekeeper: Graduate Mental Health Educators and Trainees in Psychological Distress
7. A Grounded Theory Investigation of Supervisors’ Perspectives on Multicultural Strength-Based Supervision
8. Urban Teacher-Student Relationship Quality, Teacher Burnout, and Cultural Competence
9. A phenomenological exploration of clinicians’ approaches to working with people with psychosis
10. Relationship Between Religious Support, Perceived Barriers and Work Volition Among the Orthodox Jewish Population
11. Career Decision-Making Difficulties among Student Veterans
12. Work lives of homeless men
13. Identity and Career Experiences of Muslim Immigrant Women: The United States Context
14. LGBQ Workplace Discrimination, Microaggressions, and Relational Supports: A Work-Life Approach
15. International Students Career Development: Acculturative Stress and Career Outcomes
16. Minority Stress and Career Attitudes of African American Students
17. Employment Barriers and Attitude to Employment for Male Ex-Offenders
18. Childhood Perceptions of Parental Unemployment
19. Exploring the relationship between ego development and mental health
20. Bosnian refugees' understanding of their health and well-being in a U.S. context
21. The Relationship Between Depression and Dyad Relationship Strain in Caregiving Dyads of Veterans with Dementia

Answer: Graduates are working as psychologists in college counseling centres, hospitals, veterans administration medical centers, community mental health centres, and private practice. Graduates are also working as faculty and instuctors in colleges and universities.

Applicants may contact Dr. Julia Phillips at j.c.phillips@csuohio.edu or by phone at 216 875 9869. Graduate Admissions contact information can be found at https://grad.engagecsu.com/

Licensing requirements vary somewhat by state. Ohio is one of the few states that recently changed its regulations to waive the post-doctoral supervision requirement.

Ohio allows new graduates who have completed sufficient pre-doctoral internship and practicum experiences to sit for the licensing examination. However, the clinical experiences that are required during training are extensive and any doctoral students or prospective doctoral students entertaining this option should carefully discuss this matter with an advisor and should consult the details of the regulations.

(See http://www.psychology.ohio.gov/pdfs/HB503%20Summary%20of%20Rules.pdffor a summary of the new rules).

It is also important to note that most states still require at least a year of post-doctoral supervision to qualify for licensing. Any prospective student seeking licensing in a particular jurisdiction after graduation should consult the board of psychology licensing requirements in that state.

The answer is affirmative in Ohio and several other states. Again, a check of board websites is likely to provide that information.