Welcome to the University of Louisville, College of Education and Human Development's (CEHD) Counseling Psychology doctoral program website. We offer opportunities for students to develop skills broadly while also offering opportunities to specialize within specific clinical and research areas. I want to offer a few of our program highlights, though feel free to read our information contained on this website, and contact Dr. Mark Leach if you have additional questions.

Why the CEHD Counseling Psychology Doctoral Program?

• Our APA-accredited program accepts students at both the post-bachelor's and post-master's level.
• Students can gain clinical experiences in a variety of applied settings in metropolitan Louisville (e.g., counseling centers, community mental health centers, private agencies, hospitals).
• Since 2000 our internship placement rate is over 90 percent. Close to all of these interns matched with their top two preferred placement sites.
• We have research-active faculty, with interests in areas such as diversity, microaggressions, prevention of depression in adolescents, interpersonal relationships, forgiveness, suicide, religion and spirituality, vocational issues, international counseling, gender issues, and adolescent development, just to name a few. Many students publish articles and present at national conferences prior to graduation.
• Our stipend is $18,000 per year. Tuition waiver and health insurance included.
• Doctoral students gain valuable experience in supervision.
• Louisville has a lot of activities and is located near other cities such as Chicago, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Lexington, Memphis, and St. Louis.

Admission Requirements

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

Students may enter with a baccalaureate or a master's degree. The Counseling Psychology Program requires four undergraduate or graduate courses (3 semester hours of coursework) in each of the following areas: 1) abnormal psychology, 2) social psychology, 3) human or lifespan development, and 4) statistics or methodology. These courses cannot become part of the doctoral program of study. Students admitted to the doctoral program who are deficient in these prerequisite courses must complete them in the first semester of doctoral study.

Students will also need to submit the following:

• Three letters of recommendation from individuals who can speak to the applicant’s academic and/or professional capabilities and potential.
• Official scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) with a total greater than 1000 in the verbal and quantitative sections (individual verbal and quantitative scores of 450 or greater). Applicants are required to submit the analytical writing scores as well.
• The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of all foreign students from countries in which English is not the native language. Students holding a baccalaureate or advanced degree from an accredited institution in the United States are exempt from this requirement.
• Undergraduate grade point average greater than 3.0 or a graduate grade point average greater than 3.5.
• An updated Curriculum Vitae or resume.
• Professional goals appropriate to pursuing a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Louisville. Applicants should submit a personal statement outlining their professional goals and how their research and professional interests might align with those of faculty in the department.

An applicant who does not meet one of the above criteria and wishes to be considered for admission should include, in his or her application package, a written rationale for why the doctoral admissions committee should consider the application.

Applicants ranked highest by the doctoral admissions committee based on their application packages will be interviewed on campus or by telephone by the Counseling Psychology Program doctoral admissions committee.

Please see the Counseling Psychology Program Doctoral Student Handbook [PDF] to learn more about the program. If you have questions about the program, email ecpy @ louisville.edu.

Application Deadline

Fall Admission Only: December 15.

APA Certification

Inquiries about the accreditation status of our APA-accredited Counseling Psychology Doctoral Program can be obtained from the American Psychological Association's Committee on Accreditation (CoA). The CoA can be reached at: American Psychological Association Office of Program Consultation & Accreditation, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242, Phone: (202) 336-5979, Email: apaaccred@apa.org.