Mental Health Counseling, PhD

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