Counseling Psychology Program

Table of Contents ------------------- Program Admissions Program Application Program Requirements Financial Aid Rules Regarding Aid Offers Faculty Student Profiles Program Indicators Program Facilities Housing Current Students Other Psychology Links Program Goals & Objectives

Thank you for your interest in the Counseling Psychology Program at Penn State. The Counseling Psychology Program at The Pennsylvania State University endorses the scientist-practitioner model of training. Psychological training is provided within this scientist-practitioner model with equal emphasis and value placed on both scholarly and clinical work as well as their integration. A primary goal of the program is the preparation of counseling psychologists for professional roles as academics, researchers, or practitioners who are concerned with interventions involving individual behavior and institutional settings which are focused on relational, multicultural, career, and psychosocial issues. More specifically, the primary objective of Penn State's Counseling Psychology Program is to train carefully selected and promising graduate students to function as thoughtful, ethical, caring, and competent counseling psychologists who demonstrate an understanding of how science informs practice and how practice informs science. Further, we strive to engender a multicultural perspective in our students. At Penn State, we do not merely recognize the diversity represented in our faculty, students, and clients, we actively affirm the richness of our cultures and we embrace the continual challenge of examining ourselves to determine how to more effectively serve a pluralistic society. Housed within the College of Education, we aspire to following values espoused by the College: equity and social justice; diversity of ideas and cultures; individual and collective excellence; outstanding teaching and service; and scholarly research and professional collaboration. We strive to accomplish our goals in a learner-centered climate characterized by openness, respect, and appreciation for individuals who are culturally similar as well as different from themselves, in terms of both demographics and values.

The Ph.D. program in Counseling Psychology has been accredited by the American Psychological Association since 1982 (Office of Program Consultation & Accreditation, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242; (202) 336-5979).

While not adhering to a single theoretical orientation, the faculty is perhaps best described as utilizing a humanistic base, coupled with a research-oriented eclecticism which includes cognitive-behavioral, feminist, client-centered, and other models.

Applicants to this doctoral program must possess a master’s degree in counseling or a related field. In addition, successful applicants will have completed the majority, though not necessarily all, of the following courses prior to admission to the doctoral program. Note that these courses are not required for admission but are relevant to preparation for our program.

Theories of counseling/psychotherapy*
Group counseling/psychotherapy
Assessment/Testing
Counselor skills training/pre-practicum
Statistics/Research design*
Individual counseling practicum*
Human development
Career counseling
Multicultural counseling

*These courses are particularly important to preparation for the doctoral program.

We also encourage prospective students to take courses at the master’s level in the foundations of psychology (e.g., learning, social psychology, psychopathology).

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Department of Counselor Education,
Counseling Psychology, and Rehabilitation Services ©2001

Professor-In-Charge
Elizabeth Skowron, Ph.D. [ cppic@psu.edu ]
327 CEDAR Building, University Park, PA 16802
Phone: (814) 863-2416
Fax: (814) 863-7750