The Counseling Psychology Program helps students develop expertise in the traditional domains of psychology, in counseling interventions as a helping professional, in the scientific skills that will enable them to create new knowledge and to evaluate their own or others’ psychological work, and in the ethical and professional attitudes that promote excellence and leadership in the field of psychology.
The Program is committed to training students to assume emerging diverse rolse and responsibilities that will advance a social justice agenda. Our goal is to educate professionals who maintain a continuing pursuit of scholarly activities, who promote psychology as a discipline, and who are concerned with facilitating psychosocial development and mental health and well-being in diverse populations and at multiple levels of the ecological system (e.g., individual, family, community, and society).
The University of Kentucky’s Master of Science (M.S.) in Education is a two year, full-time (12 credits per fall/spring semester), 48 credit hour terminal degree program that provides students with comprehensive, foundational training specifically designed to prepare students to successfully apply for Counseling Psychology doctoral programs. Students graduating from our doctoral preparation M.S. program have a strong track record of obtaining offers of admission to counseling psychology PhD and/or PsyD doctoral programs.
The program is also a great fit for those students who want to further explore the field of Counseling Psychology before making the decision about whether to commit to the 5+ years of training that is required to get a PhD in our field. The program is not designed for people who may want to stop their graduate education after getting their master’s degree (i.e., for people who want to get licensed at the master’s level as a mental health counselor or psychological associate to provide psychological health services in the Commonwealth of Kentucky). To ensure the highest-quality training, students complete the program on-site in Lexington, KY, where they work face to face with faculty.
Admission Requirements
Generally, students who enter the master’s program have completed a bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related discipline (e.g., sociology, pre-med). GRE scores are optional. There is no minimum GRE score requirement or cut-off.
Applications for admission are evaluated by the program faculty who carefully review the applicant’s (a) GPA; (b) GRE scores, if provided; (c) letters of recommendation addressing academic, research, and counseling experiences and interpersonal skills; (d) match with the doctoral preparation emphasis of the program; (e) statement of Purpose outlining professional goals (i.e., is it commensurate with our training model and social justice values, and does it demonstrate excellence in written communication); and (f) contribution to diversity, broadly defined to include individual social identities and background experiences. The program faculty holistically considers the entire application of a prospective student and makes decisions based not only on numerical criteria but also on perceived fit with program goals, needs, and values. Therefore, a low score in one area can be off-set by professional strengths in another area. Minimum GPA is >2.75 for undergraduate and >3.00 for graduate. Minimum TOEFL score is 79. It is crucial that students articulate in their Statement of Purpose how their career goals match the doctoral preparation emphasis of the program.
Degree Requirements
See the counseling psychology master’s program website (https://education.uky.edu/edp/counseling-psychology-overview/ms-program-in-counseling-psychology/) for degree requirements.
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