Dean: Heidi Bostic, Ph.D.
Counseling Psychology website

Degree Offered

Doctor of Philosophy

Program Description

The doctoral program in counseling psychology is based on a scientist-practitioner model for training professional psychologists and is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association. Students acquire a solid foundation of knowledge in the biological, cognitive, affective, individual and social bases of human behavior. Through course work in research design, measurement and statistics, students develop the skills needed to critically evaluate psychological research and to conduct their own independent research. Training in diagnosis, assessment, psychotherapy, consultation, practica, internship and ethics provides students with the necessary professional skills to practice as competent and ethical counseling psychologists. Supervised practica experiences are available through local hospitals, private and community agencies, the Veterans Affairs, and university counseling centers. Graduates are prepared to practice as psychologists, professors, consultants, administrators and researchers.

CAREER SKILLS REQUIREMENT FOR PH.D. STUDENTS

Marquette University is committed to preparing our students to become exemplary leaders in their chosen academic and professional fields by preparing them for careers in which they find purpose and value by engaging in Ignatian pedagogical reflection and practice. The purpose of the career skills requirement is to ensure all doctoral students have the opportunity to reflect on their desired career and to acquire essential career-related skills needed for them to pursue their chosen path.

Students enrolled in Ph.D. programs in Fall 2024 and beyond at Marquette must complete three career skills requirements. Requirements are satisfied by one or more of approved courses, workshops, or practical experiences in each category, as approved by the Graduate School. Completion of each skill will be noted on the student’s transcript.

CAREER DISCERNMENT

Students will be able to identify and prepare for career pathways that are consistent with their values.

Objectives:

1. Understand realities of academic job market for your discipline, creating space for career imagination and understand potential career paths.
2. Exploration of, and defining student’s own identity/experiences/values/strengths/gifts and how the career pathway fits with those values.
3. Students will learn to identify and attain the skills and experiences necessary to obtain the career pathway they desire.

COMMUNICATION

Students will be able to communicate their ideas and scholarship effectively to audiences beyond those in their discipline.

Objectives:

1. Demonstrate the ability to communicate (e.g., research, expertise, experiences) effectively and ethically with disciplinary, cross-disciplinary, and nonacademic audiences.
2. Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively and ethically within various contexts, formats, and media.
3. Demonstrate the ability to effectively deliver a presentation and facilitate discussion.

UNDERSTANDING DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

Students will understand the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion and how issues of DEI are relevant to their career pathways.

Objectives:

1. Be aware of and able to identify how explicit and implicit bias impacts work life and understand possible strategies to address this bias.
2. Be able to articulate the value of universal design principles and ethical application to area of study.
3. Be able to work and interact effectively with persons from diverse backgrounds with varied values, ideas, and opinions.

Counseling Psychology Doctorate

The counseling psychology program consists of 27 credits of course work in psychological foundations, 52 credits of course work in the counseling psychology professional core, a minimum of 1000 hours of doctoral practicum, a collaborative research project and a 12-credit dissertation, as well as an approved 2000-hour internship typically completed in one calendar year. Students are required to participate in faculty research teams throughout the program and are also required to participate in department seminars and colloquia. 

Students who have completed relevant graduate course work prior to entry into the program may have some of their requirements waived if the previous course work is equivalent to the courses currently required by the program.

Course Requirements

Examination Requirements

• Master’s Comprehensive Examination: Students who do not enter the program with an appropriate master's degree are required to pass the Counselor Preparation and Comprehensive Examination (CPCE). 
• Doctoral Qualifying Examination (DQE): For students to pass the DQE, they must receive a satisfactory rating on the Comprehensive Integrated Critical Literature Review (CICLR) and the Internship Readiness Exam (IRE). Details for these program requirements may be found in the program handbook. To be advanced to candidacy, students must complete all program course work, pass the DQE, have their dissertation proposal accepted, and have met the Graduate School’s residency requirement.

University Policies

Graduate School Policies