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,, Director of Training, if you have additional questions. If you are interested in the M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology please see http://louisville.edu/education/degrees/med-cps-cp
Many of our students complete clinical work with the Cardinal Success Program. The NIA Center location was featured on WDRB news for its work in West Louisville. See the video and read the full story...
The Counseling Psychology Program at the University of Louisville is designed to train professionals in the science and practice of psychology, while emphasizing counseling psychology approaches to research, practice, consultation, supervision, and training. The program subscribes to a competencies-based model in which practice is grounded in the science of psychology and critical inquiry, and science is often driven by practice. The department has recently opened two clinics in historically underserved parts of Louisville, one at a high school and one as a free-standing clinic. We are very excited about these clinics, as they give students first-hand counseling, research, consultation, and outreach experiences in communities that have significant needs. These clinics are the result of many individuals in the department with strong social justice beliefs, and has the backing of the university as well as local government leaders. We also place students in a variety of counseling agencies, including many types of mental health centers, VA and other hospitals, and counseling centers.
The mission of the Counseling Psychology Program is to prepare students to:
The program produces:
Louisville is a vibrant community that combines Southern comfort with the active and exciting environment of a large city. There is a match for each individual's taste: dine along Bardstown Road's Restaurant Row with cuisine from all over the world, jump on a trolley to a local art gallery or live bluegrass show, explore one of the largest city park systems in the country, or enjoy the night away at 4th Street Live! Each May, the entire city comes alive for an extravagant two-week festival capped off at the famed Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby!
"The program prepares students to be highly competent professionals/psychologists. There are plenty of opportunities to gain experience in research, teaching, and as a clinician. Students can choose to be involved in many different research groups and gain clinical experience in a variety of settings (hospital, prison, college, community mental health, etc.). What has been particularly invaluable for me (as a third-year student) is the guidance and support of the faculty, who are truly vested in the best interests of their students." — Lorna B.
"One of my favorite things about the program here, is that research fields and opportunities are very flexible. If you have an idea that you would like investigate, you're not limited by the identified interests of the professors. You will most likely be able to find someone who will help you work it out." — Ben J.
"Absolutely. In my first year I participated in a research project involving couples' relationship education, where I learned that I enjoy working with couples - before I even started my first practicum! One great thing about this program is that students have the space to develop their professional identity without being pressured to choose one path over another." — Meg M.
"The faculty and my practicum supervisors have established a balanced environment that allows me to find my own therapeutic voice while challenging me to maintain strong and intentional foundations to theory and research." — Jason G.
The PhD in CPS with Counseling Psychology program attempts to match doctoral students with faculty based on mutual research and professional interests. Please be sure to check out our program faculty's current projects.
Inquiries concerning the accreditation status of our APA-accredited PhD CPS with Counseling Psychology can be obtained from the American Psychological Association's Commission 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, E-mail: apaaccred@apa.org.
For information on program accreditation click here.
The Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program accepts students at both the post-bachelor’s and post-master’s levels. The post-bachelor’s students require a minimum of four years of academic study and completion of an internship, while the post-master’s students are required to stay on campus for three years prior to the internship year. Thus, the minimum time to complete the doctorate is four to five years. Students are required to be in full time residence during their programs of study. Full time status is defined as 9 credit hours per semester, though most students take 12 hours for the majority of their training. The Counseling Psychology Program Doctoral Student Handbook lists the courses required to complete the program.
For details about program curriculum, visit the Counseling Psychology Program Doctoral Handbook or the Graduate Catalog.
Additionally, students have the opportunity to conduct research with faculty throughout their experience in the doctoral program. Many faculty members have research teams and/or work independently with students on a variety of projects (see program faculty's bios).
Prospective students must submit an online application for admission to the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies.
Students may enter with a baccalaureate or a master's degree.
This program is open to all eligible students regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age.
An applicant who does not meet one of the above criteria and wishes to be considered for admission should include, in his/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 package will be interviewed on campus or by telephone.
Visit the Doctoral Student Handbook to learn more about the admission process. If you have questions about the program, e-mail ecpyinfo@louisville.edu.
Fall Term Admission: December 1
Dr. Mark Leach, Director of Training
Department of Counseling and Human Development
College of Education & Human Development
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY 40292
502-852-0588
Email: m.leach@louisville.edu
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.
We have been successful in funding our full-time doctoral students for the majority of their time in the doctoral program. However, we cannot guarantee graduate assistantships or fellowships for all students. The faculty are committed to work hard to secure funding.