UofC

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Counselling Psychology - on campus

In addition to the Faculty of Graduate Studies requirements, entry requirements for the Counselling Psychology PhD program include:

a) A completed thesis-based master’s degree in Counselling Psychology or equivalent from an approved university, with a minimum grade point average of 3.50 in the master’s program. If coursework from an applicant’s master’s program is not equivalent to courses from the Master of Science in Counselling Psychology at the University of Calgary, the student may be admitted as a qualifying student. A qualifying student is required to take additional courses within the doctoral program to ensure equivalent training. A qualifying student may take up to 12 units (2.0 full-course equivalents) to meet equivalency requirements during the qualifying year. Qualifying status will not be granted for a period exceeding one year.

b) Two senior undergraduate or one graduate course (3 units or 0.5 full-course equivalent each) in (i) biological bases of behaviour, (ii) cognitive-affective bases of behaviour, (iii) social bases of behaviour, and (iv) individual behaviour.

c) One senior undergraduate or one graduate course in the historical and scientific foundations of general psychology.

d) If all of the prerequisite courses for admission to the PhD program in Counselling Psychology have not been completed at the time of application, students who have up to 12 units (2.0 full-course equivalents) in deficiencies may still be admitted, but the prerequisite courses will need to be completed before the doctoral candidacy examination.

e) A curriculum vitae and a concise rationale (500 words or less) for the application.

f) Three references, including two academic references, one of which is normally from the former thesis advisor.

g) For applicants required to provide proof of proficiency in English, a minimum TOEFL score of 97 (Internet-based test), an IELTS score of 7.0, or a MELAB score of 83. The test must have been taken within the last two years. Proficiency may also be met by successful graduation from Level III of the International Foundations Program (IFP).

The deadline for the submission of complete applications to all programs is December 1 for September admission.

The applicant must make advanced credit requests as part of the admission process. Credit will not be given for course work taken as part of another completed degree/diploma or for courses taken to bring grade point average to a required level for admission.

In addition to the Faculty of Graduate Studies requirements, the degree program requires the following:

Students who have completed the pre-requisites in the areas of (a) biological bases of behaviour, (b) cognitive-affective bases of behaviour, (c) social bases of behaviour, (d) individual behaviour, (e) historical and scientific foundations of general psychology, and (f) the courses and thesis, are required to complete:

a) Twelve units (2.0 full-course equivalents) at the doctoral-level normally including three units (0.5 full-course equivalent) in research methods, and Educational Psychology 731 and 742. Note section 6 Police Information Check below. 

b) Candidacy requirements.

c) Dissertation.

d) A twelve-month full-time internship: Educational Psychology 788. Note section 6 Police Information Check below. 

A qualifying student is required to take additional courses within the doctoral program to ensure equivalent training. A qualifying student may take up to 12 units (2.0 full-course equivalents) to meet equivalency requirements during the qualifying year. Qualifying status will not be granted for a period exceeding one year.

Course content addresses theory, research, and practice in the domains identified by the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) for accreditation of doctoral programs in professional psychology.

Detailed information on program and core course requirements can be obtained from the Werklund School of Education's Graduate Programs Office.

Police Information Check

All successful applicants to the Werklund School of Education Counselling Psychology program are required to provide a current Police Information Check which includes a Criminal Record Check and a Vulnerable Sector Search. Students who are not residents of Calgary must arrange for a Police Information Check through their nearest police service or RCMP detachment in the area where they reside. In order to be considered "current", the Police Information Check must be completed no earlier than June 30 and students will be required to request a new Police Information Check every 12 months. The original Police Information Check must be presented in person to the administration in the Graduate Program Office in the Werklund School of Education before the start of classes (September 1) and to the organization hosting the student on or before the first day of the practicum or internship course (Educational Psychology 742, 788).

Students who are concerned about the presence of a criminal record should contact the police department to discuss the process for eliminating or erasing such a record.

A current Police Information Check is required for all third-party and University of Calgary practicum and internship placements. Failure to present a Police Information Check may result in the student being unable to complete their Practicum or Internship. Successful completion of both Practicum and Internship are required for graduation.

Students are obligated to inform the Faculty immediately of any change in the status of their criminal record.

Graduate Programs in Education does not normally accept undergraduate courses for credit toward graduate degrees.

The Doctor of Philosophy degree is designed to be completed in four years. Maximum completion time allowed for the Doctor of Philosophy degree is six years.

An interim advisor is assigned to each first-year student in a thesis-based program. Students are responsible for initiating discussions with potential permanent supervisors and are expected to have finalized supervisory arrangements by their second annual registration.

In addition to the Faculty of Graduate Studies requirements, the program requires:

Candidacy

Admission into Candidacy in the Werklund School of Education Graduate Programs: 1) requires that students have abilities to conceptualize, interpret, critique and synthesize comprehensive, substantive knowledge that is relevant to the discipline and practice of educational research and/or educational psychology; and 2) ensures that students have a well-developed plan for their dissertation research, a sound proposal with a well-developed research question and potential for the ability to pursue and complete original independent research at the doctoral level.

In compliance with the Faculty of Graduate Studies Candidacy Regulations, the requirements for Admission to Candidacy at the Werklund School of Education is a four-stage process:

1. Completion of all course requirements as identified in the calendar;
2. Field of study (FoS) written candidacy examination;
3. A research proposal approved by the Supervisory Committee (recognizing changes may be made after successful completion of exams prior to submission for ethics approval);
4. An oral examination of the research proposal.

All Candidacy requirements must be completed within 28 months of the start of the program.

For further information, please consult the Graduate Programs in Education website, werklund.ucalgary.ca/gpe/student-supervisor-relationships.

Thesis

The doctoral thesis is the focus of the degree program. In consultation with the supervisor, the student should formulate an appropriate thesis topic as early as possible in the program because the thesis proposal affects the choice and number of courses needed in order to complete the program.

Thesis Examination

Scheduling of the Examination

All members of the Supervisory Committee must have reviewed the student’s draft thesis document before an examination can be scheduled.

Composition of the Committee

The Internal Examiner may be internal to the home program.

Information on research proposals is available through the interim advisor/supervisor.

Ethics approval is required for all research projects involving the use of human subjects, before data collection begins. In order to submit an ethics application, students are required to complete the TCPS2 tutorial and upload the certificate of completion into their Researcher Profile in IRISS. Register on the TCPS2 website at tcps2core.ca/register.

To initiate the ethics approval process, the student, in consultation with the supervisor, must submit an application to either the Conjoint Faculties Research Ethics Board or the Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board. Applications to the CFREB or CHREB are created and submitted online using IRISS ucalgary.ca/iriss/.

None.

Financial assistance may be available to qualified students. For information on awards, see the Awards and Financial Assistance section of this Calendar.

Students applying for scholarships for September admission must submit their scholarship applications to the Graduate Programs in Education office by the preceding February 1.

Graduate Programs in Education also provides assistance for students through teaching assistantships, graduate research scholarships and other scholarships. Application forms and deadline information for these awards can be obtained from Graduate Programs in Education.

For further information contact Graduate Programs in Education and go to werklund.ucalgary.ca/gpe/programs/doctor-philosophy-phd-counselling-psychology for more program information.

Research interests of faculty members and adjunct faculty can be found at: werklund.ucalgary.ca/gpe/counselling-psychology-faculty-members.