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.
Degree Overview Links
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Element 1: Demonstrate knowledge of supervision models and practices.
- Element 2: Demonstrate skills of clinical supervision.
- 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.




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).
Financial Links
As noted above, students in the program typically receive a full tuition waiver through a qualifying graduate assistantship.
- Students with an assistantship that is between .33 and .50 full-time equivalent (FTE) do not pay tuition.
- Students in a .25 to .32 FTE assistantship within our academic department can also receive a full tuition waiver.
- Students in a .25 to .32 FTE elsewhere on campus will pay in-state tuition at a reduced rate (note: this final situation has not applied to any of our students, but we mention it here to be accurate and transparent).
- All students who receive a tuition waiver are still required to pay university fees.
- Applicants should be aware of certain conditions and limits to tuition waivers. These are subject to change by the Graduate School. For more information, view the Graduate School’s Guidelines for Graduate Assistantships.
- Applicants who want to review Auburn's current tuition can find it here.
There are numerous graduate assistantships available within the Department of Special Education, Rehabilitation, and Counseling (SERC). Most are teaching assistantships. We also have some research assistantship and general graduate assistantships. Students can also apply for assistantships in other units on campus.
All new graduate student employees must have an approved consumer report and/or investigative consumer report (background check) as a condition for appointment. The information contained in these reports may be used to deny an individual new or continued employment with Auburn University (including first year students who would otherwise receive an assistantship in the department).
Auburn University has several fellowship programs with significant financial support. Some examples include:
- Presidential Graduate Research Fellowship (PGRF): A funding package of at least $37,000 per year (plus tuition waiver) for the first three years. The program nominates applicants with high research potential for this fellowship, with high rates of success in securing the fellowship for those applicants.
- President's Graduate Opportunity Program (PGOP): A funding page of at least $30,000 per year (plus tuition waiver) for the first three years. The program nominates both applicants and current students for this program, which is designed to increase diversity of Auburn's graduate student population.
We have also had students successful in securing external fellowships, such as the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Doctoral Scholars Program. The Graduate School maintains a list of additional external fellowships.
The Department of Special Education, Rehabilitation, and Counseling (SERC) provides financial support to student research in two primary ways.
- Travel Support: SERC students who are presenting at a scholarly conference can apply for a travel stipend of up to $1,000 per year. Students who are first author presenters can apply for an additional $500 through the College of Education.
- Research Grants: Each Fall term, the department announces a Request for Proposals for the SERC Student Research Grant. Students awarded this grant can receive up to $1,400 to cover costs associated with conducting a research project (e.g., participant compensation, supplies, etc). This can be used for dissertation research or other research projects led by the student.
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