Counseling Psychology, Psy.D.

Degree Requirements

Faculty

The faculty members and advisers for the Doctorate of Psychology program have earned doctorate degrees in the areas they teach. Faculty teaching applied courses are practitioners who have professional experience in their area of expertise.

Admission Requirements

The program admits a new class of students to begin classes each fall. Normally, students will not be admitted to the program in the spring and summer terms. The number of students admitted each year is limited. Admissions decisions are based on the applicant’s ability to meet the expectations for academic performance outlined in the Program Handbook. Meeting the minimum admission requirements does not ensure admission to the program.

A master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, for which applicant maintained at least a 3.4 grade point average on a 4.0 scale, is required for admission. The master’s degree must be in a mental health related area (i.e. psychology, marriage and family therapy, social work, counseling, nursing, or human development). Applicants must have completed a clinical practicum of at least 300 hours. Applicants must demonstrate the language proficiency necessary for successful graduate coursework.

Applicants must have completed the following graduate courses within the last ten years with a grade of “B” or better. Coursework older than ten years may be accepted if the applicant has maintained a professional license to practice in a related field (e.g. LPC, LMFT) which requires documentation of continuing education credits. Applicants may be required to complete missing coursework prior to enrolling in doctoral level coursework:

1. Developmental Psychology
2. Physiological Psychology
3. Counseling Skills
4. Statistics
5. Psychological Assessment
6. Psychopathology
7. Personality Theory and/or Theories of Counseling
8. Clinical Interventions
9. Professional Ethics

Application Process

Applicants must submit:

1.  Completed application form and supplemental application form with the nonrefundable application fee (fee not required for alumni or students seeking readmission or veterans and active military personnel) and,

2.  All transcripts documenting undergraduate and graduate coursework, including an official transcript issued to Saint Mary’s University from the institution granting the applicant’s completed master’s degree. (an official transcript is one that is sent or carried to the university in an envelope sealed by the granting institution and,

3.  A three to five page personal statement which addresses each of the following areas:

a) Provide a brief description of your background, training, and experience. Include work and experiences both within and outside of the health care field.

b) What are your long term career goals? Be as specific as possible. It is understood that these goals may change, and that they may not be clearly formed at this point in time.

c) How does obtaining licensure as a Psychologist fit into your career goals? What is unique about a professional identity as a psychologist in terms of meeting your goals?

d) The doctoral program in counseling psychology is demanding of both time and energy, and sometimes students underestimate the commitment needed to complete the program in a timely manner. How do you plan to integrate your work as a student in the program with the other demands in your life? How do you anticipate making changes in your life so that you can successfully complete a doctoral program?

e) Describe the academic, interpersonal, and/or personal challenges that might hinder your success as a student in a doctoral program in counseling psychology. How do you plan to address these challenges?

f) Describe the academic, interpersonal, and personal strengths you would bring to your work as a student in a doctoral program in counseling psychology.

g) What concerns you the most about the prospect of embarking on graduate study in a doctoral program in counseling psychology?

h) What excites you the most about the prospect of embarking on graduate study in a doctoral program in counseling psychology?

i) How do you anticipate (and perhaps hope) that completing a doctoral program in counseling psychology will change you?

4.  Three letter(s) of recommendation that verify professional and/or volunteer experience and academic ability and,

5.  A current résumé listing educational background and work experience and,

6.  Copies of any professional licenses or certifications obtained.

Application materials should be sent to the attention of the Office of Admission on the Twin Cities campus. Applications are due by March 1 for students who wish to begin the program the following fall. Applications must be complete in order to be considered. After preliminary review of applications by the admission committee, selected applicants will be invited for an admission interview. Applications will be notified of the admission decision no later than April 15. Students admitted to the program will be asked to make a non-refundable deposit to hold their place in the program. Selected applicants may be notified that they have been placed on a waiting list. Applications received after the March 1 deadline will be considered for the following fall only if there is still space available in the program.
 

Accreditation

While not currently APA accredited, the PsyD Program at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota has recently become eligible for consideration for accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association, as our first cohort of students prepare to complete the program. The program submitted its initial self-study in application for APA accreditation in the spring of 2015. We will post information on the status of our application on the program’s website as it becomes available. The program cannot guarantee either the timing or the outcome of the APA accreditation process.

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association, (312) 263-0456 or www.ncahlc.org.

Licensure

The PsyD Program in Counseling Psychology at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota has been granted Designation Status by the ASPPB/National Register Designation Committee effective August 18, 2014. The program is listed with the National Register of Health Service Psychologists in the Minnesota jurisdiction at http://www.nationalregister.org/resources-links/doctoral-programs/approved-doctoral-programs-by-jurisdiction/ .  This means that the program meets the “Guidelines for Defining ‘Doctoral Degree in Psychology’” as implemented by the ASPPB/National Register Designation Project. Therefore, a graduate of this designated program who decides to apply for licensure as a psychologist typically will meet the jurisdictional educational requirements for licensing in Minnesota and most other states.