Counseling Psychology Programs
Counseling psychology programs help prepare students to interact with patients in both group settings and one-on-one counseling sessions. They are most commonly found at the graduate level, but undergraduate degrees are also offered.
School Overviews
The schools discussed here were highly ranked by U.S. News and World Report for 2017. While the University of Missouri and Boston University offer counseling psychology at two degree levels, New York University offers only a doctoral degree program in the field.
University of Missouri - Columbia
| School Highlight: Faculty at the counseling psychology department at the University of Missouri - Columbia have held 14 editorships at major counseling journals since 1962, held 12 presidencies of national counseling organizations since 1959, and received 16 national service awards since 1948. |
The University of Missouri - Columbia was ranked #111 overall nationwide by U.S. News and World Report in 2017. In the same year, the counseling program offered by the university ranked #4 nationwide, again per U.S. News and World Report.
The counseling psychology degrees available at this school are centered around education and are available at the master's and doctoral degree levels. In addition to the M.A. in counseling psychology, interested students can pursue a Master's of Education in sports psychology, career psychology, and school psychology. Doctoral students can also pursue a specialization in sports psychology.
New York University (NYU) in New York, NY
| School Highlight: Counseling psychology students at New York University (NYU), New York, have access to numerous top research centers and institutes in applied psychology, such as the Child and Family Policy Center; the Institute for Globalization and Education; and the Center for Health, Identity, Behavior, and Prevention Studies. |
U.S. News and World Report ranked New York University #36 on the list of best national universities in 2017. It was also listed as one of the best schools in the region by The Princeton Review.
NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development offers a doctoral degree program in counseling psychology. This program is accredited by the American Psychological Association. The program focuses on developing students' understanding of current theories and practices in counseling psychology. Abnormal psychology, mental health counseling, theories of personality, and women and mental health are all research-intensive courses that make up this program.
Boston University in Boston, MA
| School Highlight: At Boston University in Boston, MA, the Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling Psychology and Human Development program follows a scientist-practioner model of training that emphasizes both research and pedagogy. |
For 2017, U.S. News and World Report ranked Boston University #39 among all national universities. The school's graduate psychology program was tied for #46.
Boston University's School of Education offers a Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling Psychology and Applied Human Development. Students can choose a specialization - either counseling psychology or applied human development - and within each, they can choose the child and adolescent development/mental health track or the sport performance/psychology track. At the master's level, BU students can earn a Master of Education in Counseling with a specialization in school counseling, child and adolescent mental health counseling, or sports psychology.
Top Counseling Psychology Programs
These schools also provide great counseling psychology programs:
| School Name | Location | Distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Nova Southeastern University | Fort Lauderdale, FL | The M.S. in Counseling program offered by the Center for Psychological Services is aimed at working professionals |
| Temple University | Philadelphia, PA | The Counseling Psychology program offers a master's degree program with an agency counseling track and a school counseling track |
| Texas A & M University | College Station, TX | Offers different master's programs targeted at both full-time and part-time students |
| University of Florida | Gainesville, FL | Ranked among the top 40 graduate schools offering psychology programs by U.S. News and World Report for 2017 |
| University of Georgia | Athens, GA | Hosts nine research centers and projects |
| University of Houston | Houston, TX | Accepts applications from bachelor's degree holders seeking direct entry to the Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology program |
| University of Kansas | Lawrence, KS | Offers a generalist-oriented Ph.D. program that received accreditation in 1955, the same year it was created |
Whether students want to conduct academic research or prepare for practice in the field of counseling psychology, there are excellent programs offered at highly ranked universities.
