Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology
Frequently Asked Questions
How many students do you admit annually?
What are the average GRE scores and GPAs of successful applicants?
If I took the GRE many years ago, do I need to retake it?
Do I need to take the new (2011-2012) GRE if I have taken
the old one?
Do I need to take the psychology GRE exam?
If I did not score well on the GRE should I take it again?
Can I apply if I don't have an undergraduate degree in psychology?
What are the characteristics of your doctoral students?
Can I enroll in the doctoral program on a part-time basis?
What kinds of previous experiences are required for admission?
How long does it take to complete the program?
What is the theoretical orientation of your faculty?
What are the strengths of your program?
What is the relationship between your doctoral program and your master’s programs?
How can I find out if a specific professor is taking new students next year?
How successful are students at obtaining internships?
What kinds of jobs do students get?
How many students do you admit annually?
Out of the approximately 100-130 applicants, we accept enough applicants
to form a class of 7-8 students.
What are the average GRE scores and
GPAs of successful applicants?
Between 2005 and 2011, the average GRE score (verbal + quantitative) has
been 1226. Undergraduate and graduate GPAs were 3.52 and 3.895 respectively.
If I took GRE many years ago, do I need to
retake it?
Yes, if your scores are more than 5 years old you will need to retake
the GRE.
Do I need to take the new (2011-2012) GRE if I have
take the old one?
No, the old one is sufficient.
Do I need to take the psychology GRE exam?
The psychology subject test is recommended but not required. Only the verbal and quantitative scores are required. We consider
your best scores, regardless of how many times you take the exam.
If I did not score well on the GRE should I take
it again?
Yes. We look at your best scores, even if you do worse the second time
you take the exam.
Can I apply if I don't have an undergraduate
degree in psychology?
Certainly, as long as you have a minimum of 18 undergraduate credits in
psychology, including statistics and either abnormal or personality psychology,
preferably both. We do not accept students who have not met this minimum
requirement.
What are the characteristics of your
doctoral students?
Our students average 26 years old entering the program. Approximately
70% are female, 23% are of ethnically diverse heritage, and roughly 50%
enter the program with prior graduate study. The focus of previous education
is quite diverse, including counseling, general psychology, linguistics,
biology, philosophy, sociology, business, art, physics, and assorted languages.
Prior to admission, students have had experience in both applied and scholarly
endeavors in psychology.
Can I enroll in the doctoral program
on a part-time basis?
No. At present, the program is designed for at least three years of full-time
study. Most students remain in full-time status throughout their academic
and internship years. Also, applications are accepted only for a fall
matriculation.
What kinds of previous experiences are required
for admission?
We look for undergraduate students who have some practice experience (e.g.
hotline counselor, teacher, residence hall advisor), and master's students
with counseling experience. Research experience is also highly desirable.
If you have not done an independent research project but have helped out
on a research team, include that information in your application. References
from clinical and research supervisors are suggested.
How long will the program take?
If you enter with a bachelor's degree, you should be prepared for a minimum
of five years of academic study, including a year of internship study.
If you are starting with some previous graduate study, the answer to this
question will depend on how closely your prior study matches our requirements
(see Advanced
Standing), and on the sequence of remaining coursework. Experience
with previous students entering with substantial graduate coursework in
counseling suggests that the minimum time necessary to complete the program
is three years of academic study and one year of internship. Students
often take 6 years to complete the program in order to take advantage
of our array of clinical and research opportunities.
What is the theoretical orientation
of your faculty?
We are a very diverse group, with representatives or proponents of cognitive
behavioral, psychodynamic, systems, gestalt, humanistic, developmental,
feminist, and interpersonal points of view.
What are the strengths of your program?
Foremost among our strengths is a faculty that is highly involved in and
committed to training. The program is unusual in the array of opportunities
for clinical and research experiences. We offer a balance of training
opportunities that fit well with the scientist-practitioner model of psychologist
training. With regard to research experiences, our curriculum and assistantship
opportunities provide for early and constant exposure to and experience
in the scientific role of the psychologist. As a result, a healthy portion
of our graduates who have been, and continue to be, involved in empirical
efforts and publications.
With regard to clinical experiences, our primary practicum site is our
community-based clinic devoted
to doctoral training needs that services a wide variety of clients, and
therefore all students obtain the equivalent of a community mental health
setting experience as required practicum experience. Other advanced practicum
sites, and other training opportunities via funded positions, cover those
students desirous of experience in family therapy, public and private
community mental health, neuropsychology, inpatient and day treatment
services, substance abuse services, adolescent residential care, and college
counseling services. In addition, we have a strong assessment element
in our curriculum that attracts positive attention from those sites that
consider our students for internship placement.
What is the relationship between
your doctoral program and your master's programs?
The doctoral and master's programs are separate, both in admissions
and in coursework. In terms of admissions, applicants must specify which
program to direct their application. Students who are not offered admission
to the doctoral program may request that their application be considered
for the master's program, with no extra application fee. Students enrolled
in the doctoral program do not earn a "master's-along-the-way." With
the exception of a few courses, coursework for students in the doctoral
program is separate from that of the master's program.
How can I find out if a specific
professor is taking new students next year?
It is not necessary to contact individual faculty to find out if he/she
is taking new students because we do not admit students to work specifically
with a given faculty member. Rather, we accept students whose current
interests are generally compatible with faculty interests. After a new
doctoral class is admitted, students are sent a questionnaire about
their interests and prior experience in research. Then individuals are
matched with faculty research supervisors based on experience and congruence
of interests. During their time here, we strongly encourage students
to expand their interests and attend research groups and teams with
faculty other than their specific research mentor. In fact, students
often choose dissertation chairs other than their advisors because their
interests have changed since the beginning of their doctoral work. We
consider this process to be a strength of our program.
How successful are students at obtaining
internships?
Our students have been very successful at obtaining offers all over the
country. Most students are matched with one of their top choices. Internship
sites range from university counseling centers, to hospitals, to community
mental health centers, to forensic centers. Some previous sites include:
Albany Medical Psychology Consortium (Albany, NY)
Appalachian State University Counseling Center (Boone, NC)
Arizona State University Counseling Center (Tempe, AZ)
Boston Multicultural Psychology Internship (Boston, MA)
Buffalo VA Medical Center (Buffalo, NY)
California State-Long Beach Counseling Center
Dutchess County Community Mental Health Center (Poughkeepsie, NY)
Edith Nourse VA Medical Center (Bedford, MA)
Geisinger Medical Center (Danville, PA)
Greater Hartford Consortium (Hartford, CT)
Hudson River Psychology Consortium (Poughkeepsie, NY)
Huron Valley Center (forensic facility in Ypsilanti, MI)
Interfaith Medical Center (Brooklyn, NY)
Jewish Child Care Association (Pleasantville, NY)
Maimonides Medical Center, (NYC, NY)
Mt. Sinai Hospital (NYC, NY)
Penn State University Counseling Center (College Park, PA)
Syracuse VA Medical Center (Syracuse, NY)
University of Akron Counseling Center (Akron, OH)
UMass Counseling and Personnel Services (Amherst, MA)
University of Delaware Counseling Center (Newark DE)
University of Minnesota Counseling Center (Minneapolis, MN)
University of Pittsburgh Counseling Center (Pittsburgh, PA)
University of Southern Florida Counseling Center
Utah State University Counseling Center
Washington DC VA Medical Center
What kinds of jobs do graduates get?
Increasingly, students have been taking post-docs after their internship
year. Most of our graduates work in clinical settings, but quite a few
have taken academic positions. In a recent alumni survey, we estimated
that about half of our alums teach either full- or part-time, and about
50% do full- or part-time independent practice. About 60% are regularly
involved in developing innovative programs and services. Some are in nontraditional
jobs, such as consultants to police departments. First jobs of our graduates
include:
Albany Medical Center (Albany, NY)
Ateneo de Manila University (Philippines)
Capital District Psychiatric Center (Albany)
Hampden-Sydney College (Hampden-Sydney, VA)
Harvard University Counseling Center (Cambridge, MA)
Interfaith Medical Center ( Brooklyn, NY)
Los Angeles Sheriff's Department (Los Angeles, CA)
Loyola Marymount College Counseling Center (Los Angeles, CA)
Middle Tennessee Veterans Healthcare (Nashville, TN)
Mt. Sinai Hospital (NYC, NY)
National VA Trauma Center (Honolulu, HI)
Northeast Occupational Exchange (Brewer, ME)
Northwestern University Counseling Center (Evanston, IL)
NYS Psychiatric Institute (NYC, NY)
Pioneer Valley Mental Health Clinic (Northampton, MA)
Schenectady County Child Guidance Center (Schenectady, NY)
Simmons College Counseling Center (Boston, MA)
Southdown Institute (Ontario, Canada)
Stratton VA Medical Center (Albany)
Union College Counseling Center (Schenectady, NY)
US Air Force
US Army School of Aviation Medicine (Enterprise, AL)
University at Albany Counseling Center (Albany, NY)
University of Connecticut (Storrs, CT)
University of Florida
Yale School of Medicine (New Haven, CT)
