M.Ed. in Counseling & Personnel Services (Counseling Psychology)

If you are interested in the Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology please click here/

The Cardinal Success Program at the Nia Center was featured on WDRB news for its work in West Louisville. See the video and read the full story...

The MEd in Counseling and Personnel Services, with a concentration in Counseling Psychology, fulfills the state board of psychology's educational requirements to apply to sit for the exam to become a Psychological Associate.

The program here at UofL is both engaging and motivating. It is a tight-knit community where you learn from your cohort as well as professors who are personable and make it a point for you to succeed. I am glad I chose this program as I feel it has not only fully prepared me for the working world, but I have also made connections that will last a lifetime!

Neftali Hernandez, Counseling Psychology Graduate

Welcome to the Counseling Psychology Master’s program! The Counseling Program is grounded on the beliefs and principles fundamental to empowering and uplifting individuals, couples, families, and communities. Through theoretical and practice-based courses our students learn the foundations to be competent counseling psychological associates.

The program has many opportunities for our students:

• To gain clinical experience almost all our students are placed at our own Cardinal Success Program (http://louisville.edu/education/cardinal-success). Within the Cardinal Success Program our students work with diverse populations across the life span and in multiple setting. Our students currently work with
  • children and adolescents
    • pre-k to middle school students of homeless families
    • students in an ethnically and racially diverse middle and high school
    • multiple pediatric clinics
    • juvenile justice system
  • adults
    • community-based behavioral health clinic in a traditionally underserved part of Louisville
    • adults at risk to drop out of education or attempting to complete their GED
    • general medical settings
  • older adults in a geriatric medical setting
• All students receive supervision from Doctoral level Psychologists, and most of them also serve as a UofL faculty member.
• Many of our students are placed at multiple parts of the Cardinal Success Program so they can gain experiences in diverse settings and with different populations
• Our program fulfills the KY State Board of Psychology’s educational requirements to sit for Psychological Associate exam.
• We have day and evening classes as well as online classes to help meet the needs of working students. Many of our classes take place at our own community-based behavioral health clinic in the NIA Center.
• There are many opportunities to participate in research teams. For students who are looking to go on to a doctoral degree this experience will be invaluable.

The Counseling Psychology Program is committed to social justice and diversity. Click here to learn more.

The Counseling Psychology concentration within the M.Ed. in Counseling and Personnel Services offers flexibility in degree completion timelines. Here are three examples of how students can complete the program. These are only examples, as each plan of study is individually tailored through meetings with faculty advisors to meet the needs of our students.

For more details about program curriculum, visit the Graduate Catalog.

M.Ed. in Counseling and Personnel Services with a Specialty in Counseling Psychology (60 credit hours)

Course Prerequisites
Certain courses in our program have prerequisites. These are:

ECPY 619 → ECPY 629 → ECPY 673 (counseling practicum)

ECPY 540 → ECPY 648 → ECPY 649 → ECPY 680 (assessment practicum)

ECPY 673 (counseling) → ECPY 683 (internship) / ECPY 680 (assessment practicum)

Two-Year Model for Students (Fall Start):

Three-Year Model for Students (Fall Start):

Four-Year Model for Students (Fall Start):

To complete the specialization in Counseling Psychology, you must complete a total of 600 hours of field work and 4 comprehensive psychological assessments over the course of one counseling practicum (ECPY 673), one assessment practicum (ECPY680), and one counseling internship (ECPY 683). Two clinical field experiences cannot be taken in one semester. You must submit an application to be placed in practicum or internship (fall for spring placement, spring for summer or fall placement).

Degree Assessment: All program coursework with a 3.0 cumulative GPA.

For details about program curriculum, visit the Graduate Catalog

Note: Meeting GPA minimums does not guarantee a student will be accepted to the program. No GRE score is required for the master's program in counseling psychology.

Admission Requirements

Prospective students must submit an online application for admission to the Graduate School.

• The minimum requirement for admission is the baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution. Minimum overall GPA of 2.75, or 2.75 on the last 60 undergraduate hours, is required. Applicants are required to submit all official transcripts from all colleges attended as verification of coursework and degree(s).

  Applicants who have attended a college or university outside of the United States are also required to submit an evaluation of their transcript through either WES (World Education Services) or ECE (Educational Credential Evaluators). Please note that transcript evaluations can sometimes take several weeks.

  Please have transcripts sent to:
  Graduate School
  University of Louisville
  Louisville, KY 40292
  
  If transcripts are sent electronically,
  please have them sent to the following e-mail: gradadm @ louisville.edu

• Each applicant is required to submit at least two letters of recommendation from individuals who can speak to the applicant's academic and/or professional capabilities and potential. Please download the Graduate School recommendation form [PDF].
• Prospective students must submit a professional goal statement [PDF] appropriate to their stated area of concentration for admission to the degree program. Please submit the cover sheet (see link) along with your goal statement.
• Students for whom English is not their primary language must show English language proficiency by successfully completing one of the following:
  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination – minimum score: 6.5
  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination – minimum scores: 550 on the paper-based TOEFL, 213 on the computer-based TOEFL or 80 or higher on the internet-based TOEFL
  • Duolingo English Test with Subscores – minimum score of 105 and exam must have been taken after January 1, 2020
  Note: International students who have earned a degree from an accredited college or university in the U.S. are not required to complete the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo.

Faculty may require interviews in addition to written credentials as part of the admission process.

I chose the program at UofL simply because it was more convenient for me and I wanted a program that worked with my schedule. I also like that the program is fairly small, which gives me the opportunity to get to know fellow students and really interact with them.

Karin Klein, Counseling Psychology Student

This program are open to all eligible students regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age.

Application Deadlines

Spring Term Admission: October 1

Fall Term Admission: March 1

If you have questions about applying to the program, please email gradadm@louisville.edu or call the Office of Graduate Student Success at 502-852-7697.

Contact

Learn more about our program faculty.

Dr. Mark Leach
Professor
Coordinator of the MEd Counseling Psychology Program
Department of Counseling and Human Development
University of Louisville
E-mail: m.leach@louisville.edu
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UofLCounselingPsych/

Program Faculty

Our Faculty have years of experience teaching, practicing, and researching. Check out their bios to learn more about the faculty:

• Mark Leach
• Amanda Mitchell
• Patrick Pössel

Careers & Preparing for Doctoral Programs

Graduates of the program find employment in various human service and counseling agencies including mental health agencies; residential treatment centers; family resource and youth service centers; hospitals; employee assistance programs; and career placement centers. Graduates perform a variety of job tasks including individual and group counseling and psychotherapy, psychological assessment, program development and consultation.

Some of our students elect to go onto further education. Doctoral programs in Counseling Psychology are a wonderful way to learn more about psychotherapy, prevention, social justice, supervision, and research. Many doctoral programs expect students to have a master's degree and experience with research. Our faculty are very open to including masters’ students on their research teams and to build the foundations to be a successful doctoral student.

I really have enjoyed my time so far. The professors and advisors are extremely helpful.

Lindsey Felton, Counseling Psychology Student

Financial Aid

In addition to the financial aid opportunities offered by the University, the College of Education & Human Development also has information about financial aid.

Other financial aid opportunities available include graduate assistantships and other employment opportunities.

College of Education & Human Development scholarships

Of particular interest for many of the students in the Counseling Psychology MEd program are the College of Education & Human Development scholarships. While the number of available scholarships is limited, if awarded they may pay for tuition for classes during one semester (If your tuition is covered by other sources [grants, tuition remission, other scholarships] the award may not post to your account due to financial aid limits.). The scholarships are available three-times a year.

Spring Term Deadline: October 15
Fall Term Deadline: June 1
Summer Term Deadline: April 15

Students enrolled in our Counseling Psychology MEd program need to fulfill the following qualifications to be able to apply:

• Be enrolled in 6 credit hours in the Counseling Psychology MEd program during summer
• Have a GPA of 2.75 or higher
• Complete online FAFSA form at www.fafsa.gov. Verification of Expected Family Contribution (EFC) will be obtained from the University of Louisville Financial Aid office.

An endorsement of faculty is not needed and the CEHD Honors and Scholarship Committee will make its decisions based on the provided information.

To apply, please fill out the online form found at https://louisville.edu/education/financialaid/cehd-scholarship/fg_base_view_p3.

I have some credit hours from another program/university. Can the credit be transferred?

Once you are admitted to the program, you may request to transfer up to 6 credit hours if your UofL advisor approves the request. Transfer requests are then submitted to the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies.

What is the difference between Counseling Psychology and Mental Health Counseling?

The masters program in Counseling Psychology prepares a student to engage in the practice of psychology at the master's level. Students who complete the masters program in Counseling Psychology can apply to the Kentucky State Board of Psychology for the psychological associate license (Licensed Psychological Associate-LPA), which allows those credentialed as such to practice under the supervision of a licensed psychologist. The masters program in Counseling Psychology includes coursework and a practicum in psychological assessment that is not included in the masters program in Mental Health Counseling.

The masters program in Mental Health Counseling prepares a student to engage in the practice of professional counseling. Professional counselors typically seek membership in the American Counseling Associaton (ACA) and its state affiliates such as the Kentucky Counselors Association (KCA) and the American Mental Health Counseling Association (AMHCA) and its state affiliates such as the Kentucky Mental Health Counselors Association (KMHCA).