Counseling Psychology Program Overview

RESEARCH TRAINING

Counseling psychology students at Maryland receive intensive research training through completion of required projects (thesis and dissertation), courses on research methods and statistics, and participation in additional research projects. Students who aspire to research-oriented careers find ample opportunities to conduct research, present at professional conferences, and publish their work in scholarly journals. The quality of our research training is evident in the scholarly accomplishments of our graduates, many of whom have gone on to become highly regarded scholars and editors of scholarly journals.

At the heart of our research training is the advisee-advisor relationship. Advisees work closely with their advisor on their thesis and dissertation studies, as well as additional research. Typically, the advisory relationship becomes an important source of professional support for students, including support for developing and pursuing one’s career goals, identifying one’s areas of relative strength and weakness, and navigating the inevitable challenges that arise in a rigorous graduate program.

Incoming students are initially assigned an advisor who appears to be a good fit for each student’s interests. However, students may switch advisors if they believe a different faculty member would be a better fit in terms of interests or advising style. Even if students decide to stay with the advisor they are initially assigned, they are encouraged to develop relationships with other counseling psychology faculty. Many of our students graduate having conducted research with multiple faculty members.

Students who enter the program having already completed an empirical thesis or graduate level coursework in research and statistics can sometimes have these requirements waived. Most of our students publish papers in scholarly journals during their time in the program.

CLINICAL TRAINING

Our counseling psychology program offers students intensive and high quality clinical training, with a focus on counseling of older adolescents and adults. Much of the training occurs through a series of seminars called didactic practica, each of which focuses on a different practice area (e.g., individual counseling, career counseling, group counseling, supervision). The structure of these courses reflects our commitment to the scientist-practitioner model by featuring simultaneous instruction in research, theory, and practice. Students attend a weekly seminar and discuss scholarly work related to intervention. At the same time, students work with clients and receive intensive supervision for their clinical work. This clinical work typically takes place in the University Counseling Center, a state-of-the-art training facility that serves the mental health and developmental needs of university students. The diverse student body at University of Maryland enriches the multicultural training environment for our doctoral students.

Students complete a number of additional practice-relevant courses, including a year-long assessment sequence, multicultural issues, and ethics. The final component of the clinical training is the predoctoral internship. Our students are very successful in securing APA accredited internships, as can be seen in our Student Outcomes Page. Most students complete their internships in university counseling centers; however, a sizable minority of students completes internships in Veterans Affairs hospitals, other hospitals, and community health centers. Click here for a listing of many of the sites at which our students have completed their internship.

In the years just before going on internship, students often seek additional training in counseling and assessment through externships in the following settings:

• DC area externships in university counseling centers and hospitals (e.g., University of Maryland Counseling Center, Towson University Counseling Center, American University Counseling Center, Catholic University Counseling Center, Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Howard Community College Counseling Center)
• University Health Center

Click here for more specific information about some of the externship sites at which our students have trained.

The curriculum is a set of courses and experiences oriented toward understanding patterns of human functioning and the development of strategies for fostering human effectiveness. Our curriculum provides an integration of training in general psychology, research, and counseling. In recognition of the diversity of program members, clients, and styles of effective functioning, the curriculum is arranged for students to develop a variety of competencies in scholarship, teaching, research, and counseling services. Below we describe the major components of the curriculum, but, for more detail, click here for examples of typical year-by-year programs of study.

Students are expected to enroll full-time in the program. Most also carry a 10-20 hour per week assistantship during the 9-month academic year. There are usually no summer courses for our graduate students. Formal coursework typically takes three to four years. Students often use their fourth year to complete the comprehensive examination, begin work on their dissertation, and finish any remaining classes. Most students complete their dissertation during the fifth year and go on internship in the sixth year. There is a strong expectation throughout the program for students to be active in research.

General psychology courses include selections from biological, cognitive, social, and individual differences psychology (developmental or personality), as well as the history and systems of psychology. The courses in counseling psychology include theories of counseling, career psychology, assessment, research methods, multicultural psychology, and didactic practica. The professional issues course provides coverage of ethics and legal issues. Finally, all students complete a sequence of research and statistics courses.

During the first two years, all students who have not completed an approved master’s research thesis must complete a thesis to demonstrate their mastery of basic research skills. A previously completed master’s thesis must be reviewed by a committee of three faculty from the Counseling Psychology Program to be approved for research competence. More than half of the empirical master’s theses completed elsewhere have been approved in the past. Students who enter the program having completed graduate coursework elsewhere may petition to waive some course requirements.

Students take comprehensive exams after completing coursework and the required thesis project. The comprehensives are typically taken at least one full year before the internship begins. These exams constitute the major assessment of students' acquisition of the scientific and professional bases of counseling psychology, as well as the integration of these bases.

Following the completion of comprehensive exams and course work, students must complete their dissertation proposal prior to applying for an internship. An internship is typically completed on a full-time one-year basis. At the time the student is eligible for applying for internships, consultation with both an advisor and a program co-director assists the student in identifying qualified internship agencies appropriate to student interests. Our program provides strong preparation for internships in university counseling centers, and a majority of students pursues internship in this setting. However, a sizable minority of students complete internships in other settings, including Veteran’s Affairs hospitals and community mental health centers.

The dissertation represents the student’s major research contribution during the graduate program. It must be a piece of original research pertinent to counseling psychology. Topics of dissertations can be found on the program website. A doctoral degree (Ph.D.) is awarded only upon completion of all of the program requirements including the dissertation and internship.

The Washington, DC metropolitan region provides our students and faculty with a wealth of living and recreational options. Many students live in suburban Maryland, whereas others opt for DC itself. It is impossible to describe the diversity of living opportunities here, but suffice it to say that there are communities for just about every taste in the area—funky, traditional, buzzing with nightlife, peaceful…it’s all here. Having a car can make life easier in ways, but some students prefer to avoid the area’s infamous traffic by taking advantage of the excellent public transportation system (including free University shuttles with wide ranging routes in Maryland).

One of the most noteworthy aspects of our region is the diversity of its residents. The remarkable racial and ethnic diversity creates a cultural richness that is hard to find elsewhere. Among other things, this provides DC area residents with wonderful dining options—from Salvadoran to Ethiopian to Korean to Southern comfort food to regional Chesapeake cuisine and more. Culturally themed street fairs are common in DC in the warmer months, and many embassies open their doors for cultural events. The DC area is rich in virtually all dimensions of diversity. For example, census data suggests that there is an unusually high concentration of same-sex couples in the metropolitan area. This diversity of diversities in the DC area is mirrored in the student body itself at the University of Maryland, and the University supports a wide range of diversity-related organizations through its Multicultural Involvement and Community Advocacy program.

The DC area is also remarkable for the range of recreational options available, including a great number of opportunities for those on a tight budget. The area has a large and vibrant arts scene, with many options for lovers of theater, dance, music, poetry, and the visual arts. DC is home to many national treasures that offer free recreational opportunities for students, including the Smithsonian museums, National Gallery, US Botanic Garden, US National Arboretum, National Zoo, and the many memorials. Nature lovers do not have to go far from the city to enjoy the great outdoors, with ample venues for hiking, kayaking, camping, and fishing. Sports aficionados have many opportunities to get a fix of college or professional sports. DC is one of only a handful of US cities to host five major league teams the Redskins (football), the Wizards (basketball), the Nationals (baseball), the Capitals (hockey), and DC United (soccer).

The University of Maryland itself offers students an array of cultural and sporting activities. The University's Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center hosts an extensive program of theatrical, musical, and dance productions by nationally renowned performers (discounted tickets for students). Thanks to its location near the nation’s capital, the university regularly hosts events involving prominent national political and cultural figures. Maryland's sports teams in football, men's and women's basketball, soccer and lacrosse are very popular. The Campus Recreation Center houses outstanding facilities for competitive and recreational sports, including world-class swimming facilities.

Our location in DC also provides professional benefits, given our proximity to the American Psychological Association, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, the headquarters of many national associations, and other top universities such as Johns Hopkins University, Georgetown University, and Howard University. The annual convention of the American Psychological Association is held in DC every three years, which makes attending the event as simple as hopping on the Metro.

Below are a number of links you may find useful for learning more about living in the DC area:

The Off-Campus Housing Office at the University of Maryland provides information about local communities and offers access to rental listings.

The Office of Graduate Student Life offers a wealth of information relevant to our graduate students, including an online “Student Life Handbook” with sections on social life, family life, academics, and basic needs.

The Counseling Psychology Program at the University of Maryland is committed to creating a multicultural training environment, which is broadly defined as a place where individuals from various cultures and opinions are respected, and the unique gifts of individuals are applied to train exceptional counseling psychologists. We recognize the changing demographics in the United States and the need for both relevant research and mental health services to address the concerns of people around the world. Thus, we strive to create a training environment that promotes multicultural self-awareness, knowledge, skills, and experiences that enable our graduates to develop and share knowledge regarding multicultural issues as well as to provide culturally sensitive services to a variety of individuals in our society and abroad.

Diversity of Faculty and Student Body

 Our view of diversity includes (but is not limited to) the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religious orientation, age, and socioeconomic status. We acknowledge that such diversity alone does not facilitate multiculturalism. However, we believe that a multicultural training environment includes individuals from demographic groups that historically have been underrepresented in counseling psychology training programs and/or marginalized in society. We welcome a diverse student body and faculty (including affiliate and adjunct faculty).

Student Recruitment and Selection

 We are committed to actively recruiting students representing visible racial and ethnic groups that historically have been underrepresented in psychology training programs and/or marginalized in our society. Our selection process reflects this commitment and strives to select exceptional students using evaluative criteria that are relevant for predicting success in graduate school and beyond.

Retention and Graduation

We understand that recruitment and admissions efforts will be compromised by inattention to retention issues. Thus, our program seeks to develop a welcoming environment that embraces differences among individuals and puts these differences to work to improve our understanding of multicultural issues, particularly those related to psychological research and practice. Furthermore, we are committed to retaining the students with whom we work and facilitating their graduation from our program in a timely manner. Advisors are viewed as critical in assisting students to achieve academic and vocational success as well as to welcome new professionals to counseling psychology.

Research

In our program, research related to multicultural issues is respected and encouraged. Several faculty are recognized nationally for their work in related areas, and students often complete theses and dissertations addressing critical questions related to multiculturalism. Faculty and students contribute to advancing knowledge through publication and presentation of their scholarly work.

Climate

Our program strives to promote open discourse on all issues, including those related to multiculturalism. Diversity of opinion is embraced, and discussions regarding multiculturalism are encouraged. People representing marginalized groups are present and represented in leadership positions in our program. Other aspects of our program reflect our commitment to multiculturalism (e.g., written materials, physical environment).

Coursework and Ongoing Training Opportunities

Multiculturalism is addressed in a twofold manner with regard to coursework. Faculty will include multiculturalism in their courses (e.g., clinical examples, research studies, reading materials). Students are encouraged to develop insight into their own culture, values, and biases and the influence of these constructs on research and practice. Also, coursework in multicultural theory is required, and applied multicultural experiences will be encouraged to assist students in developing competence in multicultural research and practice. Students are provided with an opportunity to evaluate the manner in which multiculturalism is integrated in their graduate experience. Speakers are invited to discuss multicultural topics related to research and counseling on a regular basis. Finally, the application of knowledge of multiculturalism in responding to comprehensive examination questions is required.

Clinical Experience

In addition to working with majority clients, we believe that clinical experiences are necessary with clients from diverse populations. Also, supervisors with sensitivity to and knowledge about multiculturalism are utilized to ensure that multicultural issues are processed when working with clients from diverse groups.

Professional Involvement

Many students and faculty are involved in professional organizations reflecting multiculturalism (e.g., including but not limited to APA Divisions 9, 35, 44, 45, and 51). Students are encouraged to attend conferences and share knowledge gained from the conference with other students and the faculty.

Evaluation

Finally, the members of the University of Maryland Counseling Psychology Program are committed to evaluating our efforts at creating a multicultural environment.

Multiculturalism in Coursework

The following statement is included in all counseling psychology course syllabi:

The Counseling Psychology Program is committed to creating a multicultural training environment, which is broadly defined as a place where individuals and opinions are respected. All faculty members strive to integrate multicultural and diversity issues in their courses in ways that are relevant to course content and process. It is hoped that students will contribute their unique perspectives to this effort by considering and raising issues related to multiculturalism and diversity and respecting others’ worldviews throughout this course.

• 2008-2009
• 2009-2010
• 2010-2011
• 2011-2012
• 2012-2013
• 2013-2014
• 2014-2015
• 2015-2016
• 2016-2017
• 2017-2018
• 2018-2019
• 2019-2020