Do I need to complete the leveling courses?
Once an applicant is accepted into the program, that student’s faculty advisor will give more detail about which leveling courses, if any, will be necessary.  The Program requirements include the completion of any necessary prerequisite courses (i.e., “leveling” courses), the required Program Curriculum, and the required clinical training involving practicum and pre-doctoral internship.  Prior to their first semester in the Program, students are notified by the Director of Training as to which, if any, prerequisite courses need to be completed based upon a formal review of the student’s master’s degree transcript.  Students who enter the Program without a master’s degree are expected to complete all leveling coursework.  A complete listing of leveling courses is provided on the following page 6 and 7 of the Handbook.

Can I enroll in doctoral level courses before completing the leveling courses?
Once an applicant is accepted into the Program, that student’s faculty advisor will give more detail about the sequencing of coursework.  Although not all leveling courses need to be completed prior to taking doctoral-level courses, students are expected to complete master’s-level coursework prior to enrolling in doctoral-level coursework in the same area.  A complete listing of leveling courses is provided on the following page 6 and 7 of the Handbook.

Will leveling courses count in the 130 hour cap?
Completion of leveling courses will not apply toward the credit hours needed for the doctorate.  However, credit hours completed for leveling courses will count towards the 130 hour cap as mandated by the State of Texas.  A complete listing of leveling courses is provided on the following page 6 and 7 of the Handbook.

More information can be found on Page 6, Section D of the Handbook.

How many hours does the program require?
The Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology requires no less than four years of full time study and the completion of at least 90 credit hours including coursework, candidacy research project, comprehensive examination, practicum, dissertation, and pre-doctoral internship.  Students who enter the Program without a master’s degree are expected to complete a minimum of 119 graduate hours.  Beyond the required coursework, students are encouraged to pursue additional coursework within the Department of Educational Psychology and Department of Psychology pertinent to their individual research interests and career goals.  

Is there a cap on the hours?
Students are required to complete all degree requirements within ten (10) years of beginning the Program.  The State of Texas mandates that credit hours cannot be taken at the in-state tuition rate for credits beyond 130 hours.  In addition, the University of Houston allows no more than 30 credit hours of doctoral coursework to be transferred into the Program.  The actual number of transferable credit hours is determined on an individual basis after a formal review by the Counseling Psychology faculty.  Students must complete a Graduate Petition (appendix D in the Handbook or the Office of Student Services in Farish Hall, Room 112 Farish Hall) when requesting a transfer of credit hours. 

More information can be found on Page 3, Section A of the Handbook.

What are the residency requirements?
As a means of building interdisciplinary and interdepartmental relationships among doctoral students in various program areas, Counseling Psychology students move through the Program as part of a cohort.  All doctoral students in the Department enroll in a residency seminar during the fall of their first year.  In addition, the College of Education requires all doctoral students to complete at least one 3 credit hour cultural foundations course from an approved list of courses in the area of social, historical, and philosophical foundations of education (see menu of course options below).  

        1.   Doctoral Residency
                        
EPSY 8382         Residency Seminar                                                3 Hours

The College of Education requires that doctoral students complete a period of full-time residency at the University of Houston.  The policies regarding residency are described in the Doctoral Policies, Procedures, and Program Guide. 

Students in the Program fulfill the residency requirement during the first year of doctoral study.  Completion of the core courses in the Fall and Spring semesters satisfies one component of the doctoral residency requirements.  The departmental core courses, also referred to as the "core block," consist of EPSY 8382, 8351, 8322 and EDRS 8380 and 8381.  Beyond the core block courses, first year students take EPSY 8341, 7330, and 7335 (see the recommended course sequence chart on pages 23 and 24 of the Handbook).

Students are required to complete an Application for Full-Time Doctoral Residency Form (available on My Advisor) and two Residency Forms (appendix C in the Handbook ) (a separate form is completed for the Fall and Spring semesters) listing the residency activities for each semester.  This form is on My Advisor and in the Educational Psychology office.  This form must be approved and signed by the student’s academic advisor, the Chair of the Department, and the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies. The Application for Full-Time Doctoral Residency is kept in the student’s file in the Office of the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies.

        2.   Cultural Foundations

Students choose one course from the following:

              CUST 8360   Comparative Education
              CUST 8370            Origins of Modern Educational Thought
              CUST 8372            History & Philosophy of Modern Education
              CUST 8378            Current Issues in Education
              CUST 8380            Philosophy of Education

How much time do I have to complete the program?

University policy requires that doctoral students complete their programs within 10 years of their semester of first enrollment; however, because the Counseling Psychology Program can readily be completed within five to six calendar years, students who are beyond their 7th year in the Program are considered to be making unsatisfactory progress.  As part of the annual review process described above, students who are at or beyond their 7th Program year will be required to furnish the Director of Training with detailed timelines for completing their remaining work.

More information can be found on Pages 26 and 27 of the Handbook.

How do I apply for practicum?
Students are encouraged to arrange informal visits, and when possible, interview with prospective practicum sites prior to completing the practicum application (see the last page of appendix F in the Handbook).  Students should also view the practicum binder (located in the Educational Psychology office) and attend the annual practicum job fair in February. Examples of more frequently used practicum sites can be found in appendix E in the Handbook. First-time practicum students are strongly encouraged to consider placements at university counseling center sites. 

1. After students identify practicum sites of interest, the Practicum Application Form (appendix F in the Handbook) should be completed and submitted to the Director of Training by the March 1 deadline.  It is important for students to know that a practicum is a planned experience, and that no practica will be approved at the last minute.
2. Shortly after the student submits the practicum application to the Director of Training, the Director will make contact with the practicum agencies.  Following this contact, students will arrange interviews at the sites if interviews have not yet been conducted. 
3. The Director of Training will consult with the practicum sites in making final placement decisions.  Students will be subsequently informed about their placement.  The Director of Training will consider the students’ preferences, their prior clinical experience and academic preparation, and the availability of openings when making the final placement decision.
4. Each semester, students enrolled in practicum will be notified of the date and time of the initial practicum meeting by email. 

More information can be found on Page 8, Section B of the Handbook.

When should I enroll in Candidacy?
The goal of the candidacy research paper is to help doctoral students acquire the necessary skills to conduct research. While research skills are taught in the context of the research methods and statistics courses, the candidacy research allows students to practice research skills under the mentorship of one or more faculty members. Counseling Psychology students must complete the candidacy research paper before they can be advanced to doctoral candidacy, which is an eligibility requirement for taking the Comprehensive Exams.  If approved by the advisor, a student’s master’s thesis may be used to fulfill the candidacy research requirement. Students are advised to start planning their candidacy research paper early in their program of study.  The progress of a student could be delayed significantly if a candidacy paper is not completed by the Summer semester of their third year. 

More information can be found on Page 12, Section F-1 of the Handbook.

What are the prerequisites for Comps?
.  In order to be eligible to take the exam you must have:

1. Completed at least 36 semester hours of course work.
2. Been advanced to candidacy, having successfully defended your candidacy paper at least 10 days prior to the exam date.
3. Must submit an application to the comprehensive examination via MyAdvisor.

When are Comps administered?
The Doctoral Comprehensive Exam consists of three, three-hour writing periods.  The exam is offered twice a year, in the Fall and Spring semesters (the exam is not offered during the Summer months).  Exact dates for the exam and application deadlines are available through the Office of Student Services in 112 FH. 

More information can be found on Page 15, Section 2-A of the Handbook.

What happens if I fail Comps?
A student’s response to the General portion of the Exam will be evaluated anonymously by at least two faculty members in the Counseling Psychology Program.  A student’s responses to the Specialty portion will also be evaluated by at least two faculty in the program area who are most familiar with the student’s research and/or specialty interests.  Students will be evaluated (pass, fail) on the General and Specialty portions independently but must pass both parts in order to pass the examination.  If a student fails one portion of the exam, he/she must retake only that portion (see section e in the Handbook for more information).  The faculty members have the option of giving an oral exam only in cases where they cannot make a clear pass/fail decision on the basis of the student’s written response.

If a doctoral student fails the comprehensive examination, the following steps will be implemented:

1. A remediation committee consisting of two program faculty will be formed.  The student’s advisor will not be a member of this committee.
2. The committee will review both the student’s performance on the comprehensive exam and the student’s academic and professional history (e.g., courses taken, work experience, research and teaching experience).  The committee may consult with the student’s advisor as necessary during this phase.
3. The committee will, within any College or University established limits, draw up an educational plan for the student to pursue.  This plan may include diverse activities such as additional readings or courses.  The committee will present the plan to the student and the student’s advisor.  Any suggested changes to the plan by the student or the advisor must be considered by the committee before a final plan is approved by the committee.
4. The student will not be allowed to retake the comprehensive exam until he or she has satisfied all activities on the plan.  The committee will determine when activities are satisfied.
5. The student who fails the comprehensive examination on the first attempt may take the examination a second time, upon application and with the written recommendation of his/her faculty advisor and department chairperson to the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies. Only one retake of the comprehensive examination is permitted.

More information can be found on Pages 17 and 18, Sections C and E.

What are the prerequisites for internship?
The predoctoral internship year in counseling psychology represents the capstone clinical experience for students in the Program.  During this year, students work full time (2,000 hours) as paid psychology interns in an approved professional setting wherein they receive regular supervision.  Students are strongly encouraged to apply to APA accredited internship programs as these programs regularly engage in the predoctoral training of counseling psychologists and meet all expected standards of training quality.
Alternative internship training programs not accredited by the APA but which are acceptable include those with membership in the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC).  Consideration of any other internship program must be first approved by the counseling psychology faculty.  Students considering application to an alternative internship site must supply the Program Director with a detailed description of the site no later than September 15 of the application year.  Program approval of an alternative site will depend on whether the faculty appraises the site as meeting existing APPIC training requirements. The remainder of this section will discuss eligibility, course enrollment, and other Program requirements concerning internship, the internship application process, and available program supports and resources for helping the student prepare for internship application.

Eligibility:

Beginning in Fall 2004, students must meet the following academic requirements in order to be considered eligible to apply for and accept an internship:

1. Completion of all course work, including practicum and incompletes
2. Successful defense of the candidacy project
3. Passing the comprehensive exam (both general and specialty questions)
4. Successful defense of the dissertation proposal by November 30 of the internship application year

More information can be found on Page 9, Section A of the Handbook.

When should I enroll in Dissertation?
The doctoral dissertation requires frequent communication between the faculty and the students.  It is ideal if students have completed a significant amount of dissertation work before starting their pre-doctoral internship.  Because the internship is a full time commitment, students find it difficult to engage in significant dissertation work during this time.  This sometimes results in a delay of the graduation date after completion of the internship.  Also, having defended the dissertation proposal strengthens internship applications.  Therefore, students are required to have defended their dissertation proposal by November 30th of the year during which they apply for internship. Students are permitted to do formal dissertation work after they have been advanced to doctoral candidacy. 

More information can be found on Pages 18-20, Sections 3 and B in the Handbook.

How may I renew my assistantship? How long am I eligible for the GATF?
Many opportunities for financial support exist for students enrolled in the Program.  Students are encouraged to apply for available fellowship, assistantship, and financial aid by the appropriate deadlines. Incoming students are sent initial information regarding assistantships the summer prior to enrolling and should contact the EPSY office manager for more information.  For students who receive half-time assistantships and maintain good academic standing within the Department, the Graduate Assistant Tuition Fellowship (GATF) is available through the Office of the Dean of Graduate and Professional Studies and provides additional support in the form of tuition credits of 9 hours for each long semester and 6 credits over the summer (students fees are not paid by the GATF).  Eligible doctoral students may receive GATF support for a maximum of three years (if they obtained a master’s degree prior to their entry into the doctoral Program) or five years (if they entered the Program from a bachelor’s program).  Counseling Psychology Doctoral Students are also eligible to compete for several scholarship programs that are available through the Office of Student Services. More information regarding student financial aid is available online through the University of Houston Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid at http://www.uh.edu/enroll/sfa/.

More information can be found on Page 30, Section A.