Mental Health Counseling, PhD

Campus: Westchester

This program is designed to train mental health counselors in advanced clinical and supervisory skills, prepare counselors to conduct research that will further the profession’s knowledge base, and foster the next generation of leaders who will be teachers and advocates for the mental health counseling profession across the country.

Application requirements include:

An earned Master’s degree in mental health counseling with a curriculum equivalent to that in Pace University’s 60-credit graduate Master of Science program in Mental Health Counseling.
Earned Graduate-level GPA of 3.6 or higher.
Met one of the following permit/licensure requirements:
- Be eligible for New York State limited permit in mental health counseling in New York State.
- Has obtained a limited permit in New York State.
- Be licensed in mental health counseling in New York State.
- Be licensed in mental health counseling in a state other than New York.
Submitted letters of recommendation, personal statement, official academic transcripts, and GRE scores taken within the previous five years, with preference given to mean GRE scores at the 600-650 level.

Students who substantially meet the above requirements will be invited to an interview with the departmental admission screening committee.

This three-year program requires the completion of 45 credits of coursework, passage at the conclusion of the first year of a written qualifying examination for advancement to candidacy for the PhD, and the successful completion of a doctoral dissertation as described below.

Doctoral Program Curriculum

Plan of Study Grid
Year 1
Fall		Credits
MHC 705	Statistics and Research Design	4
MHC 731	Theories and Methods of Counselor Education	4
MHC 723	Applied Social Psychology	4
	Credits	12
Spring
MHC 732	Theories and Methods of Counselor Supervision	4
MHC 706	Statistics and Research Design II	4
MHC 830	Research Design: Special Topics Seminar	4
End of Spring term: Comprehensive Written Qualifying Examination for Advancement to Candidacy for the PhD
If needed, a student may retake the examination in the summer. A second failure will result in dismissal from the program and an appeal will not be considered.
	Credits	12
Year 2
Fall
MHC 733	Leadership and Advocacy in the Counseling Profession	4
MHC 831	Doctoral Dissertation Seminar I	4
Elec 000	Elective	3
Note: Students are required to take a second Doctoral Dissertation Seminar in Year 2 - Spring term.
	Credits	11
Spring
Elec 000	Elective	3
Elec 000	Elective	3
MHC 832	Doctoral Dissertation Seminar II	4
	Credits	10
Year 3
Dissertation Phase
Upon completion of coursework, students then will be eligible to propose and pursue their dissertation projects (4 credits).		4
	Credits	4
	Total Credits	49