Counseling Psychology (COCP)

Graduate Degree Program
College: Education

Abstract

The graduate programs in Counseling Psychology, School Psychology, and Counselor Education (CoPE) include several distinct areas of specialization that are designed to provide the knowledge and skills needed for practice and scholarship in counseling and related human service professions. These fields are concerned with assisting people individually, in groups, and in organizations to attain their optimal level of personal, social, educational, and career functioning. Graduates are employed in a variety of settings including schools, colleges and universities, mental health agencies, business and industry, government agencies, and other community service and practice facilities. Depending on the specific area of specialization and level of training, program graduates may serve as researchers, educators, supervisors, psychologists, counselors, or program administrators.
 
Master's level professional entry-level training is offered in the School Counseling program, which prepares students to become school counselors in elementary, middle, and high school settings. School counselors are leaders, advocates, and systemic change agents who provide individual and group counseling to school-aged children, develop and implement comprehensive developmental school counseling programs, and collaborate with all key stakeholders, including classroom teachers, school administrators, parents, and community members, to ensure the academic, personal-social, and college-career development of students.
 
The Ph.D. degree is offered in two areas of specialization:

• Counseling Psychology (in collaboration with the Psychology Department) and
• School Psychology.

Doctoral studies prepare students to achieve exceptional competence in the theory and practice of their field; to develop a high level of skills as researchers, educators and administrators; and to assume positions of leadership in relevant settings. Students in the specialization of Counseling Psychology are prepared to work as researchers, educators, psychologists, and supervisors in such settings as academic departments, college and university counseling centers, and community mental health agencies. Doctoral-level school psychologists serve as researchers, university faculty, supervisors, administrators, and advanced level practitioners. Program accreditation within CoPE includes: The School Psychology and Counseling Psychology doctoral programs are accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). The School Psychology doctoral program is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), and is also approved for certification by the Maryland State Department of Education. The School Counseling masters program is approved by the Maryland State Department of Education.
 
Note that, since 2012, the CoPE graduate programs have been part of a new department, the Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education. The CoPE programs were previously housed in the Department of Counseling and Personnel Services.       
 
The Counseling Psychology program at the University of Maryland is a joint program between the Department of Counseling and Personnel Services and the Department of Psychology. Our Counseling Psychology Program has been continuously accredited by the American Psychological Association since 1953. In ratings evaluating Counseling Psychology over the past three decades, the University of Maryland is always among the very top ranked programs in the United States. Our faculty represent a broad range of research interests, including psychotherapy process and outcome research, multicultural psychology, vocational psychology, and interpersonal relationships.
 
For more information please visit our site at http://www.counselingpsychology.umd.edu/counsel2.html

Financial Assistance

The Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education offers graduate research, teaching, and administrative assistantships on a selective basis to both masters and doctoral students. The Department also assists its students in finding assistantship placements with a variety of on-campus and off-campus units. In addition, a small number of new Ph.D. students are offered highly selective fellowships funded jointly by the Department and the University.

Contact 

For additional information and application procedures, please visit our websites:

• http://www.education.umd.edu/CHSE/academics/specialization/
• http://www.education.umd.edu/CHSE
• https://education.umd.edu/academics/programs/graduate/counseling-psychology-phd

Brianna Ladd, Graduate Assistant
Department  of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education
3214 Benjamin Building
3942 Campus Drive
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone: 301.405.2858
Fax: 301.405.9995
Email: cocp-admissions@umd.edu

Jioni A. Lewis, Ph.D., Area Director
Department  of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education
3214 Benjamin Building
3942 Campus Drive
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone: 301.405.2858
Fax: 301.405.9995
Email: cocp-admissions@umd.edu

Carol Scott, Coordinator of Graduate Studies
Department  of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education
3115 Benjamin Building
3942 Campus Drive
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone: 301.405.8384
Fax: 301.405.9995
Email: cocp-admissions@umd.edu

Website: http://www.education.umd.edu/CHSE/academics/specialization/CounselingPsychology.html

Courses: EDCP

Relationships: Counseling Psychology (COCP),  Higher Education (HIED),  International Education Policy (HIEP), School Counseling (COSC), School Psychology (COSP), Special Education (EDSP), Student Affairs (HISA)

General Requirements

• Statement of Purpose
• Transcript(s)
• TOEFL/IELTS/PTE (international graduate students required)

Program-Specific Requirements

• Letters of Recommendation (3)
• CV/Resume
• Supplementary Application
• Writing Sample
• Description of Research/Work Experience

Applicants for regular admission to master's degree programs must have an undergraduate GPA of at least B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) and must submit their scores on the Graduate Record Examination. Applicants for admission to Ph.D. programs should check specific admissions criteria on the program's website. Applicants' undergraduate programs should ordinarily include at least 15 semester hours of coursework in behavioral science fields (e.g., anthropology, education, psychology, sociology, statistics). Selective screening of qualified applicants is necessary in order to limit enrollments to a size that guarantees high quality professional preparation and a close working, professional relationship between faculty and students.

Application Deadlines

RESOURCES AND LINKS:

Program Website: http://www.education.umd.edu/CHSE/academics/specialization/CounselingPsychology.html
Application Process: gradschool.umd.edu/admissions/application-process/step-step-guide-applying

All master's, A.G.S., and doctoral students are required to include supervised fieldwork experiences in their degree programs. The Counseling Psychology area of concentration has excellent cooperative relationships with on-campus facilities, such as the Counseling Center and Health Center. Fieldwork may also be done at a wide variety of school systems, colleges and universities, and counseling services and mental health agencies in the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area, or nationally.
 
In addition to campus and program resources, students utilize the many major research and professional institutions that are easily accessible to the campus. These include the Library of Congress, the National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, the Institute of Education Sciences, professional associations such as the American Counseling Association, the American Psychological Association, and the National Association of School Psychologists.