Admission Requirements

To ensure adequate academic foundation of prospective students, applicants to our program must meet one of the following requirements to be considered for admission to the program (in additional to meeting the UNT TGS's admission requirements):

• 3.0 overall GPA on a bachelor's degree
• 3.5 GPA on the last 60 credits of a bachelor's degree
• 3.5 GPA in undergraduate psychology coursework
• 3.5 GPA on a completed master's degree in related fields
• Completed doctoral degree in another field
• First or 2^nd author of an peer-reviewed professional journal article

Having an undergraduate Psychology major is preferred, but not required, for admission consideration. However, qualified applicants must have 24 semester credits of psychology coursework (broadly defined), including research methods, learning, motivation, abonormal psychology, developmental psychology, physiological psychology, psychological measurement, cognition, perception, multicultural psychology, and history & Systems of Psychology (the listed courses are meant to be examples; you are not required to complete all of them to be qualified). Statistics is required and at least 12 credits of the completed psychology coursework (may include statistics) must be at the advanced level.

Applicants are required to submit the following materials:

1. Official transcript(s) from all universities you have attended
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Goal statements
4. GRE General Test scores (completed within the recent 5 years); GRE Subject Tests are not required
5. Three recommendation letters submitted directly by the letter writers
6. Preferred elective cluster(s)
7. Potential research advisor(s)* (you may select up to 3 program core faculty members) whom you would like to work with.
8. International applicants are also required to submit test score report to demonstrate their English Language Proficiency. Please review UNT International Admissions webpage for more detail.

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Program Core Faculty Who accept New Students

* The following Counseling Psychology core faculty are accepting new advisees during the 2023-2024 admission cycle:

Drs. Hogge, Huynh, Jones, Kaminski, Petrie, & Wang plan to accept new students in this coming year.

Drs. Hook and Watkins do not plan to accept new students in this coming year.

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Goal Statement

In the goal statements, applicants are instructed to address the following topics and other information regarding your qualifications that you feel comfortable to share with program faculty. The length of your goal statement should be between 500-1000 words.

(1) the reasons for seeking a Ph.D. degree in Counseling Psychology at UNT and your career goal(s);

(2) your research experiences/interests and who you would like to request to be your research advisor(s)/supervisor(s) from our core program faculty and why;

(3) your professional and clinical experiences related to counseling psychology;

(4) your previous experiences of working with individual/cultural differences and how your experience/awareness about cultural differences may help you become an effective counseling psychologist.

In addition to the required goal statement, applicants may choose to submit an optional supplementary writings to address any self-identified issues such as low GPA, unsatifactory performance in particular GRE scores, etc. This supplementary writing is limited to 250 words.

The program employs a holistic approach in making admission decisions. That is, admission to the counseling psychology program is not determined by any single criterion or quantitative measure of achievement. Previous accomplishments, motivation, aptitude, self-awareness of personal/cultural biases and previleges, potential contribution to the enrichment of the program/department, unique life experiences with other cultures, commitment to working with underrepresented populations, and interpersonal poise are all highly valued, as are skills in communication, research methods, and professional/scientific writing.

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Online Application Submission

Please note that each applicant is required to submit TWO online Application, one to UNT Graduate School and another to Psychology Department.

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Admission Procedures

Our program only admits new students once a year with December 1^st as the application deadline to be considered for admission to the next academic year. The admission process involves two stages. The first is the application materials reviewing stage. The admission committee consists of four core program faculty on a rotation basis who review the applications received in a particular year. The goal of the first stage of the admission process is to identify those with top qualifications based on submitted application materials. The 2^nd stage is the virtual interview day which is usually scheduled in late January or early February from 8 am to 5 pm on a day selected by the program faculty. The campus interview day activities include introductions of the program faculty & current students, multiple individual and group interviews, group activities, open lab hours, and/or campus tours.

The program faculty evaluate applicants' level of fit with the program's aims. Current students also help with various interview activities and provide their input to the program faculty. Based on the fit to the program aims and other critical factors including mentor-mentee match, cluster balance, and contribution to diversity, the program faculty make the admission decisions collectively. When being admitted into the program, each student is assigned with a particular core faculty member to be their primary advisor (research supervisor) and a particular elective cluster.

Our program strictly abides by the non-discrimination policy of the TGS and UNT, meaning we do not exclude or select any applicants solely based on age, gender, race/ ethnicity, able/disable body, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, etc.

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** Admissions Timeline for 2023-2024 **

Students applying to the Counseling Psychology doctoral program to be admitted in Fall 2024 should adhere to the following dates:

1. Applications (two online applications submitted to separate web-portals) are due on December 1, 2023.

2. Applicants will be notified by January 1, 2024 whether they are invited to the next stage of the admission selection process--virtual interview day.

3. The virtual interview day will be scheduled in late January or early February from 8 am to 5:30 pm CST via a virtual format (exact day will be decided by this October). Applicants who are invited to our campus interview day will be expected to attend all interview day activities.

4. The first round of admission decision will be made by the end of February, 2024.

5. Final acceptance notifications from applicants are due on April 15, 2024.

The virtual interview day is a whole-day event that provides the opportunity for program faculty, current students, and applicants to learn about each other. It plays a critical role in our admission decisions. The program usually does not offer alternate interview days, except for some extremely unusual circumstances (e.g., unexpected severe illness). Please note that we will not be able to offer an laternate inteview day for those having a time conflict with another program's interview day. On the other hand, international applicants currently residing outside of the US may request to attend partial interveiw day due to the time difference. If the Counseling Psychology Program at UNT is your top choice, please reserve the date and make every effort to attend the campus interviews should you be invited.

Student Admissions, Outcomes, and other Data

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. I am interested in pursuing a master's degree in mental health counseling, is this the right place to start?
   1. No. The Counseling Psychology Program at UNT is designed to train future counseling psychologists with a Ph.D. degree, not master's level mental health counselors. If your goal is to earn a master's degree in mental health counseling, you should visit the websites of the Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, housed in the Department of Counseling and Higher Education in College of Education at UNT.
2. I do not have an undergraduate major in Psychology. Can I still apply?
   1. Yes. Having an undergraduate Psychology major is preferred but not required. You are meeting the academic requirement for application if you have completed 24 semester credits of Psychology courses (broadly defined). Among these 24 credits, 12 of them must be at the advanced level and you must have taken statistics.
3. Is the GRE required to apply?
   1. Yes. The GRE General Test scores are required application materials. The GRE Psychology Subject test is not required.
4. Is there a "cut-off" score for GRE scores? Is having research experiences required? How do faculty members evaluate and select applicants?
   1. There is no fixed cut-off score for any part of the GRE scores. Having previous research experiences is highly values but not required either. Our program employs a holistic approach in making admission decisions. That is, admission to the counseling psychology program is not determined by any single criterion or quantitative measure of achievement. Previous acadmeic performances and accomplishments, motivation, aptitude, self-awareness of personal/cultural biases and previleges, potential contribution to the enrichment of the program/department, unique life experiences with other cultures, commitment to working with underrepresented populations, and interpersonal poise are all highly valued, as are skills in communication, previous research experiences, developed research skills, and professional/scientific writing.
5. How do I apply?
   1. In order to apply, applicants must submit TWO applications: one for the UNT Toulouse graduate school and one for the UNT psychology department.
   2. To apply to the UNT Toulouse graduate school, applicants must submit an application to UNT on the ApplyTexas website. Applicants MUST complete an application on ApplyTexas before completing the application for the UNT psychology department. https://www.applytexas.org/
   3. After completing the application on ApplyTexas for the UNT Toulouse graduate school, applicants will complete the application for the UNT psychology department. https://apply.psychology.unt.edu/start-your-application?cta=hero
6. Can I identify more than one potential research advisor in my application?
   1. Yes. In their application submitted to the Department, each applicant may list up to 3 program core faculty members they are interested in working with.
7. When is the application deadline?
   1. The application deadline for the Fall admission of a particular academic year is on December 1^st of the previous year. For instance, if you would like to apply for admissions in Fall 2024, the application deadline is 12/01 of 2023.
8. What does the admission process timeline look like?
   1. Applicants who have submitted all required materials by 12/01 will be notified by January 1 of the next year whether they are invited to the Interview Day. The Interview Day usually takes place sometime in late January or early February on a Friday from 8 am to 5:30 pm CST using the virtual format. The first round of admission decisions will be sent out by late February. The deadline for applicants to accept or decline admission offers is April 15 of each year.
9. Is the interview required?
   1. Yes. Participation in the virtual interview day is required to be considered for admission.
10. Dose the program offer more than one interview day or offer alternate interview days to those who have a time conflict?
    1. No. Our program does not offer alternate interview days. However, international applicants who reside outside of the US are usually permitted to attend partial interview day due to the time difference. Applicants who are experiencing extremely unusual circumstances (e.g., expected severe illness) may request for accommodation. It is important to note that we will not be able to offer an alternate interview day to those having a time conflict with another program's interview day.
11. What can I expect if I am invited to interview?
    1. The interview day activities include introductions of the program faculty & current students, multiple individual and group interviews, group activities, open lab hours, and/or virtual campus tours. Interview day activities will be implemented virtually.
12. How many students are admitted each year?
    1. 8-9 students are admitted each year.
13. I do not have a Master's degree. Can I still apply for the doctoral program?
    1. Yes. Those with a either a Bachelor's degree or a Master's degree will both be considered in the admissions process if they meet the coursework requirements (e.g., completion of 24 semester credits of Psychology courses). Those entering with a Master's degree in a related field may be able to waive some required courses.
14. How should I obtain letters of recommendations and from whom?
    1. It is strongly preferred that letters of recommendations are from professors who know you well in the academic setting. We also accept letters from current or former employers or supervisors who have direct observations on your work performance or in volunteer positions. We do not accept letter s from family, friends, or those who know you in less formal settings.
15. How long does it take to complete the counseling psychology program?
    1. There are two tracks that students may take. The first track is what is referred to as a 5-year, 4+1 track (4 years of coursework +1 year of pre-doctoral internship). This is for those who are coming in with a Master's degree in a related field and are able to waive some courses. The other option is to do a 6-year, 5+1 track (5 years of coursework + 1 year of pre-doctoral internship). This option is more common among those who come in with a Bachelor's degree or a Master's degree that is not closely related to counseling psychology.
16. How many recent graduates completed their degrees in 5 years?
    1. In recent years, approximately 20-30% of students were able to complete their training in 5 years whereas the other 70-80% completed their degrees in 6 years. Students who have completed a Master's degree in a related field may choose to (but are not required) complete the program (including pre-doctoral internship) within 5 years.
17. What are the elective clusters within the program and how does this impact my time in the program?
    1. The counseling psychology program at UNT provide 3 different elective clusters that students will be admitted into. These include child and adolescent, sport psychology, and minority wellness. The cluster differ in that there are several cluster-based required courses (12-14 credits). However, all students, regardless of their clusters are trained as a generalist counseling psychologist.
18. Where can I find information about the faculty and their areas of expertise?
    1. The following link has a list of all faculty within the counseling psychology program and a quick bio that share each faculty's expertise. https://psychology.unt.edu/people/counseling-psychology
19. What is the available financial support for graduate students?
    1. All students admitted to the program are provided with 20-hour assistantships, partial tuition remission (at least 12 credits per academic year), and in-state tuition rate (in applicable) for four years, pending on their good standing in the program. The assistantship positions include the following: Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, Graduate Student Assistant, and Teaching Fellow. Additionally, the pay level will increase as you move through the program and complete various benchmarks within the program. Several competitive fellowships and scholarships are available at the department, college, and university level. Everyone year, a number of our students apply and receive the fellowships and scholarships.
20. I am coming from a different state. Will I be paying for out-of-state tuition?
    1. No. One of the benefits of receiving 20-hr assistantships is "out-of-state-tuition-waiver." That is, once you have begun your program, you will be able to pay the difference in tuition (after the tuition remissions) at the in-state rate.
21. Where do graduates from counseling psychology doctoral program at UNT typically find employment?
    1. Our graduates have been employed in a variety of settings, including but not limited to university counseling centers, community-based mental health centers, university athlete department working with various sports teams, the VA medical centers, private hospitals, faculty members in academic training programs, and private/group practice.
22. Where do students complete their clinical training?
    1. Our graduate students are required to be enrolled in practicum from the very first semester and continuously until they are ready for their pre-doctoral internship training. During the first three years, our students gain clinical experience at UNT Psychology Clinic which is operated by faculty in the department serving as the initial practicum site for graduate students from both the counseling psychology and clinical psychology doctoral program at UNT. Our 3^rd year students will also gain a year of clinical training from the UNT Counseling and Testing Services on campus, working with the college student population. For 4^th and 5^th year students, they will be receiving supervised clinical experiences from various external practicum sites, including UT-Dallas student college center, TWU student counseling center, Dallas VA Medical Center, Children's Health Hospital, Momentous Institute, Great Life Counseling Center, and some private practice located in the DFW area.
23. Can students attend the program as a part-time student?
    1. In order to meet the residential requirement of the program policy, students must attend full-time training (register for at least 9 semester credit in each long semester) until they have completed their comprehensive/qualifying exam which usually happens in the 4th year of their training for most students.