PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Thank you for your interest in our APA-accredited Counseling Psychology training program in the Levin College of Public Affairs and Education at Cleveland State University. We have designed this Website to help you gain an accurate and comprehensive view of our program. Our central mission is to educate counseling psychologists who are competent to work effectively with diverse urban populations – competent in assessment, intervention, research, and supervision tasks. Our program is designed to immerse students in the issues facing urban populations as well as to help students develop the competencies they need to function as professional psychologists. Counseling psychology became a designated specialization in the Urban Education Ph.D. program in 2006 and earned its APA accreditation in 2010. Its graduates have been eligible for psychology licensing in Ohio since 1992.
Counseling Psychology at CSU follows the scientist-practitioner model of training and it has these major goals:
1. Training counseling psychologists who have the requisite knowledge base and therapeutic skills for entry into the practice of professional psychology.
2. Training counseling psychologists who have the necessary knowledge and skills for competent practice and research within a multicultural diverse urban society.
3. Training counseling psychologists who will contribute to and/or apply the scientific knowledge base of psychology using skills in qualitative and quantitative research methods.
NEW DEVELOPMENTS
September 2022 – The GRE is no longer required for admissions. Instead, students should describe their experiences and skills with quantitative research methods and statistics in their personal statements. In addition, students should address the personal characteristics that will enable them to succeed in a doctoral program that requires a minimum of three courses in quantitative research and statistics.
September 2022 – We will be hiring a new Assistant Professor to serve as a core faculty member in the Counseling Psychology program beginning Fall 2023.
October 2021 – We submitted our self-study for re-accreditation by the American Psychological Association and will have a site visit in the 2023-2024 academic year. We remain fully accredited while we await the site visit and subsequent determination by the Commission on Accreditation.
ADMISSION INFORMATION AND REQUIREMENTS
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.
Fall Application Deadline: January 15th for admission the following Fall Semester
Prerequisites: Masters degree in counseling, counseling psychology, clinical psychology or closely related field. Research experience and experience in an applied setting is preferred. Good communication skills.
Minimum G.P.A: Minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.85 and 3.5 graduate GPA.
GRE Requirement: The GRE is no longer required. Students may submit GRE scores if they believe it will be beneficial to their applications.
Letters of Recommendation: Strong three letters of recommendation (including at least one from a graduate faculty member).
Personal Statement: Not exceeding three pages single-spaced. Your statement should include:
- the factors that attracted you to counseling psychology and to Cleveland State’s program,
- your experience and skills with quantitative research methods and statistics,
- the personal characteristics that will enable you to succeed in a doctoral program that requires a minimum of three courses in quantitative research and statistics,
- your goals for doctoral study and for your career,
- interests in research and practice,
- the goodness of fit with the specialty of Counseling Psychology (e.g., its focus on diversity and social justice, prevention, career development) and the urban focus of CSU’s program.
CORE COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY FACULTY
There are four core counseling psychology faculty members along with numerous other faculty who teach research, general psychology courses, urban education, and counseling courses. We will be hiring a new assistant professor to start Fall 2023. All faculty are available to assist students with their development as competent professionals. Faculty profiles are available at http://facultyprofile.csuohio.edu/csufacultyprofile/index.cfm?college=EDU
Graham Stead, Ph.D. Professor
Julia C. Phillips, Ph.D. Associate Professor and Director of Training
Yu-Hsin "Kelly" Liao, Ph.D. Associate Professor
Tawanda Greer-Medley, Ph.D. Associate Professor
Degree Completion Requirements
STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAM:
· Year 1:Full time course enrollment for each semester and 6 credits in summer session
· Year 2:Full time course enrollment for each semester and practicum
· Year 3:Practicum, full-time courses, and comprehensive examinations
· Year 4:Dissertation research, courses, and optional 3rd year of practicum
· Year 5: Doctoral internship*
*Students who elect to do a two-year half time internship will complete the program in at least six years
PRACTICUM:
Students begin a four-semester sequence of enrollment in practicum at the beginning of their second year of enrollment in the program. The first practicum focuses on psychotherapy, the second on assessment and intervention. All practicum placements are community based. All practica must be supervised by licensed psychologists. The following represent the community sites in Northeast Ohio in which counseling psychology students have been placed in the last three years.
Oberlin College Counseling Center
Cleveland State University Counseling Center
OhioGuidestone, Cleveland Ohio
University of Akron Counseling Center
Baldwin Wallace College, Health and Counseling Services
MetroHealth Medical Center
Portage Path Behavioral Health, Akron and Barberton
Applewood, Inc., Cleveland
Bellefaire JCB, Shaker Heights
John Carroll University Counseling Center
Licensure:
The Urban Education, Counseling Psychology doctoral program at Cleveland State University prepares students to sit for the EPPP for licensure. We have reviewed the licensing requirements for all U.S. jurisdictions to determine eligibility (see below) to sit for 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, New York, 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 without additional coursework: California, Maine
U.S. Boards of Psychology in which we have not determined if graduates would be eligible: Puerto Rico
ACCREDITATION:
The University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and by the American Psychological Association.
Contact information for The Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association is as follows:
American Psychological Association
Office of Program Accreditation and Consultation
750 First Street NE
Washington, D.C. 20002-4242
Phone: (202) 336-5979 Fax: (202) 336-5978
Email: apaaccred@apa.org
Website:http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation