Counseling Psychology Master of Science

A Master’s in Counseling Psychology degree (a “master’s-along-the-way”), designed for students entering the PhD program without a master’s degree, is optional. This degree was created to help PhD students who enter the program from their undergraduate studies be more competitive for internships that require applicants to have a master’s degree. While the degree may also help students be eligible for employment settings that require a master’s degree, the degree does not qualify students to apply for licensure as mental health counselors in New York.

All PhD students are eligible to apply for this Master’s degree after they have completed the specific 54 credits of coursework and successfully passed a capstone scientist-practitioner project, described below. Note that this project is not otherwise required for the PhD degree. However, completion of the capstone project helps prepare students for the Doctoral Qualifying Examination and for internship applications.

Program Requirements

No coursework beyond what is required in the PhD program is necessary for this 54-credit master’s degree. All of the following courses must be completed with a grade of “B” or higher (in the case of 700, 805 and 806, the grade must be “S”). (Advanced standing for some of these courses taken at other accredited institutions may be granted if approved by the faculty as comparable, up to a maximum of 14 credits.)

E Cpy 601: Introduction to Counseling Theory and Practice (3 credits)
A Psy 640: Survey of Psychopathology (3 credits)
E Cpy 605: Advanced Career Development (3 credits)
E Psy 630: Statistical Methods II (3 credits)
E Psy 700: History and Systems of Psychology (3 credits)
E Cpy 700: Pre-practicum in Counseling Psychology (3 credits)
E Cpy 702: Ethics and Professional Issues in Counseling Psychology (3 credits)
E Cpy 704: Theory, Research and Practice in Counseling Psychology I (3 credits)
E Cpy 705: Theory, Research and Practice in Counseling Psychology II (3 credits)
E Cpy 706: Assessment in Counseling Psychology I (3 credits)
E Cpy 707: Assessment in Counseling Psychology II (3 credits)
E Cpy 724: Regression Analysis for Counseling Research (3 credits)
E Cpy 750: Multicultural Counseling (3 credits)
E Cpy 767: Research Principles and Methods in Counseling (3 credits)
E Cpy 805: Advanced Practicum I in Counseling Psychology (6 credits)
E Cpy 806: Advanced Practicum II in Counseling Psychology (6 credits)

Capstone Scientist-Practitioner Project

The objective of this project is to demonstrate a high quality integration of knowledge related to clinical work, i.e., the ability to integrate theory on psychotherapy (processes and outcomes), multicultural issues, and assessment/diagnosis and apply this knowledge to practice with a specific case. The student may complete the capstone project at any point in his/her doctoral program, after the above coursework and practica are completed successfully and before the PhD is awarded. It is possible for all coursework and the capstone project to be completed by fall or spring of the third year, depending on when the necessary courses are available and successfully completed by the student. There is no deadline for completion of this optional master’s degree, but interested students should discuss a reasonable timeline with advisors early in the PhD program. The advisor will schedule the oral examination within a month’s time of receiving the document, other than during the summer months.