Program Aim

The aim of the Auburn University counseling psychology PhD program is to facilitate students' development of a high level of competency in the discipline of counseling psychology consistent with the scientist-practitioner model of training in health service psychology. Students gain knowledge and develop skills in research and clinical practice from a social justice-focused lens. Our program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA).

Degree Overview

Our doctoral degree program prepares you for careers in research and instruction in higher education and for leadership roles in administration and policy-making at the state and national levels. The program is currently only admitting and preparing students in special education.

Ph.D. programs are not part of the Auburn University approved Educator Preparation Programs. The state of Alabama does not have certification/license at this level and therefore this degree is not eligible for reciprocity in other states.

Prospective students whose master’s degree is in related human services or other areas must demonstrate basic competency in special education through needed academic coursework and clinical experiences. Students complete a minimum of 81 credit hours.

Competency Expectations Adopted by the Program

The Auburn University Counseling Psychology PhD Program provides training in each of the following Competency area Elements and requires students to obtain minimum competency in each of the Elements. The Program periodically updates competency expectations of students in alignment with accreditation-related changes made by the American Psychological Association Commission on Accreditation. Effective January 1, 2017, the program has adopted the following Profession Wide Competencies (along with the elements described in IR C-8 D) articulated by the American Psychological Association Commission on Accreditation.

We train students in nine competency areas required by the American Psychological Association. We also train students in one competency area (Social Justice) established by this Program.

Competency Area 1: Research
  • Element 1: Demonstrate the substantially independent ability to formulate research or other scholarly activities (e.g., critical literature reviews, dissertation, efficacy studies, clinical case studies, theoretical papers, program evaluation projects, program development projects) that are of sufficient quality and rigor to have the potential to contribute to the scientific, psychological, or professional knowledge base.
  • Element 2: Conduct research or other scholarly activities.
  • Element 3: Critically evaluate and disseminate research or other scholarly activity via professional publication and presentation at the local (including the host institution), regional, or national level.
Competency Area 2: Ethical and Legal Standards
  • Element 1: Be knowledgeable of and act in accordance with each of the following:
    • The current version of the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct;
    • Relevant laws, regulations, rules, and policies governing health service psychology at the organizational, local, state, regional, and federal levels; and
    • Relevant professional standards and guidelines.
  • Element 2: Recognize ethical dilemmas as they arise and apply ethical decision- making processes in order to resolve the dilemmas.
  • Element 3: Conduct self in an ethical manner in all professional activities.
Competency Area 3: Individual and Cultural Diversity
  • Element 1: An understanding of how their own personal/cultural history, attitudes, and biases may affect how they understand and interact with people different from themselves.
  • Element 2: Knowledge of the current theoretical and empirical knowledge base as it relates to addressing diversity in all professional activities including research, training, supervision/consultation, and service.
  • Element 3: The ability to integrate awareness and knowledge of individual and cultural differences in the conduct of professional roles (e.g., research, services, and other professional activities). This includes the ability apply a framework for working effectively with areas of individual and cultural diversity not previously encountered over the course of their careers. Also included is the ability to work effectively with individuals whose group membership, demographic characteristics, or worldviews create conflict with their own.
  • Element 4: Demonstrate the requisite knowledge base, ability to articulate an approach to working effectively with diverse individuals and groups, and apply this approach effectively in their professional work.
Competency Area 4: Professional Values, Attitudes, and Behaviors
  • Element 1: Behave in ways that reflect the values and attitudes of psychology, including integrity, deportment, professional identity, accountability, lifelong learning, and concern for the welfare of others
  • Element 2: Engage in self-reflection regarding one’s personal and professional functioning; engage in activities to maintain and improve performance, well- being, and professional effectiveness.
  • Element 3: Actively seek and demonstrate openness and responsiveness to feedback and supervision.
  • Element 4: Respond professionally in increasingly complex situations with a greater degree of independence as they progress across levels of training.
Competency Area 5: Communication and Interpersonal Skills
  • Element 1: Develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of individuals, including colleagues, communities, organizations, supervisors, supervisees, and those receiving professional services.
  • Element 2: Produce and comprehend oral, nonverbal, and written communications that are informative and well-integrated; demonstrate a thorough grasp of professional language and concepts.
  • Element 3: Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills and the ability to manage difficult communication well.
Competency Area 6: Assessment
  • Element 1: Select and apply assessment methods that draw from the best available empirical literature and that reflect the science of measurement and psychometrics; collect relevant data using multiple sources and methods appropriate to the identified goals and questions of the assessment as well as relevant diversity characteristics of the service recipient.
  • Element 2: Interpret assessment results, following current research and professional standards and guidelines, to inform case conceptualization, classification, and recommendations, while guarding against decision-making biases, distinguishing the aspects of assessment that are subjective from those that are objective.
  • Element 3: Communicate orally and in written documents the findings and implications of the assessment in an accurate and effective manner sensitive to a range of audiences.
Competency Area 7: Intervention
  • Element 1: Establish and maintain effective relationships with the recipients of psychological services.
  • Element 2: Develop evidence-based intervention plans specific to the service delivery goals.
  • Element 3: Implement interventions informed by the current scientific literature, assessment findings, diversity characteristics, and contextual variables.
  • Element 4: Demonstrate the ability to apply the relevant research literature to clinical decision making.
  • Element 5: Modify and adapt evidence-based approaches effectively when a clear evidence-base is lacking.
  • Element 6: Evaluate intervention effectiveness, and adapt intervention goals and methods consistent with ongoing evaluation.
Competency Area 8: Supervision
  • Element 1: Demonstrate knowledge of supervision models and practices.
  • Element 2: Demonstrate skills of clinical supervision.
Competency Area 9: Consultation and Interprofessional/Interdisciplinary Skills
  • Element 1: Demonstrate knowledge and respect for the roles and perspectives of other professions.
  • Element 2: Demonstrates knowledge of consultation models and practices.

Competency Area 10: Social Justice

The competency in Social Justice is a program-specific competency area. Not all programs in Counseling Psychology will offer training in this competency area. However, the Auburn University program emphasizes social justice as a competency that is necessary for the ethical practice of our field.

  • Element 1: Identify social injustices for which change efforts can be informed by psychological science and values of counseling psychology.
  • Element 2: Apply knowledge of social justice and advocacy principles to an identified social injustice.

Faculty

There are four core faculty members in the counseling psychology program. These are the faculty members with whom you will have the most contact.

Latifat Cabirou
Latifat Cabirou
Marilyn Cornish
Marilyn Cornish
Evelyn Hunter
Evelyn Hunter
Brian McCabe
Brian McCabe

Costs & Financial Support

Consistent with the social justice emphasis of our program, we want this training program to be accessible to people from a variety of financial backgrounds. Barring significant changes in financial resources, the department is committed to ensuring that all incoming students have a graduate assistantship that includes a monthly stipend (for 9-12 months of the year) and full tuition waiver. Students can hold assistantships within the department or in other units on campus. Assistantships are essentially jobs that also provide additional training in the profession (e.g., teaching, research, clinical service). For more than the last 10 years, all incoming students have received a graduate assistantship that qualified them for a full tuition waiver. In addition, in the past 10+ years, all returning on-campus students (i.e., students who are not on pre-doctoral internship, for which students are paid by their internship site) who wanted an assistantship and who performed adequately in their previous assistantship were able to secure an assistantship that qualified them for a full tuition waiver. Prospective students should be aware that some fees do still apply for students with a full tuition waiver. In addition, students need to pay for required books and supplies, as well as personal living expenses.

We include several links below for prospective students to consider, including tuition and fee information if a student did not receive a tuition waiver (for example, if they did not want to work in an assistantship).

How to Apply

If our program sounds like a good fit for your professional goals, we hope that you will apply! The application deadline is March 15 annually. NEED TO ADD APP INSTRUCTIONS

Apply Now

Ready to join the Auburn Family?

Visit Auburn’s Graduate School homepage for checklists, resources, valuable graduate student information and to begin your application. Please contact department faculty listed above with program-specific questions.

Last updated: 06/09/2023