Doctor of Education in Counselling Psychology (Counselling & Psychotherapy Field)
Doctor of Education in Counselling Psychology (Counselling & Psychotherapy Field) Overview
Become a leader in educational counselling
Through intensive coursework and supervised practicum, this program provides practicing professionals with the advanced knowledge and skills for work in leadership positions in counselling practice in educational settings.
The Doctor of Education in Counselling Psychology, Counselling & Psychotherapy Field (EdD CP) is primarily for students who are already engaged in a career in counselling services in an educational and/or community setting. This degree emphasizes the role of counsellor in the educational system, the acquisition of effective supervisory and consultative skills, the development and assessment of student counselling services, and the advanced study of counselling theory and practice.
Graduates of this degree will be qualified to:
- Take leadership positions in the field of educational counselling
- Act as educators in colleges and institutes of education
- Be directors and coordinators of school guidance programs
- Be specialists in the provision of counselling-related, in-service training for school personnel
- Act as providers of advanced levels of personal counselling to school, college, and related populations
For detailed information about this program, please consult the .
The next intake for this program will be Fall 2024.
At a Glance
Study Requirements
Full-time (4 years)
Coursework
Optional Practicum
Thesis
Funding and Tuition
For current information about tuition fees, funding, and financial support, visit Tuition & Financial Support.
Deadlines
Applications are now open for a Fall 2025 start and will close on Nov 4, 2024.
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Why I Chose the EdD in Counselling Psychology program
Daniel Pauly (Doctor of Education 2022)
EdD in Counselling Psychology - Counselling & Psychotherapy field
"Because ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½ is truly a leader in graduate education in praxis. The commitment of faculty and fellow students to learning by doing, by applying what we read in textbooks and clinical manuals to the therapeutic space, was the biggest factor in my development as a burgeoning student-clinician. This commitment, as well as the palpable energy put into graduate student education by the faculty, continues to inspire how I approach teaching now. I will forever be grateful for that curricular approach and modelled care."
Doctor of Education in Counselling Psychology Admission Requirements
General Admission Requirements
Please visit the ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½ Admissions website for detailed information about the application process, including general minimum admission requirements and supporting documents.
Program-Specific Information (Minimum Admission Requirements)
- Applicants are admitted under the .
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Minimum admission requirements for this program are:
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A bachelor's degree: an appropriate bachelor's degree of any background or discipline from a recognized university, with high academic standing.
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A master's degree: an MA or MEd degree in Counselling Psychology or School and/or Clinical Child Psychology from the ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½ with a grade of B+ or better, or its equivalent from a recognized university. The applicant must have had successful professional experience and interest to increase and advance their knowledge of counselling and psychotherapy to become leaders in their fields. Applicants who hold an MEd or other non-thesis master's degree must submit evidence of their ability to identify a research question or problem, to design and conduct a research study or project, and to report the findings or results, all in a rigorous manner. This constitutes a Qualifying Research Paper (QRP).
- Successful professional experience as a counsellor in an educational setting or in a related position
Required Supporting Documents
All applicants must submit:
- Transcript(s) from each post-secondary institution attended
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae
- Two letters of reference (one academic and one professional) including contact emails. ​Please communicate these items to one of your referees and ask that (s)he comment on the following in your reference letter:
To the extent possible, please comment on the applicant’s- Sensitivity to others
- Awareness of own impact on others
- Empathy and capacity to provide support to others
- Ability to exercise appropriate judgment
- Appropriateness of interpersonal behaviour
- Ethically appropriate behaviour
- In your opinion, how suitable is this applicant for training in counselling?
Additional Program Information
Coursework
Students must take courses related to the development of advanced competence in counselling, psychotherapy, and mental health theory and practice and become sophisticated consumers of research in these and related fields. Students must complete a minimum of 5.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs) including a practicum, internship, and thesis (dissertation in practice) as follows:
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APD3115H+ Research Proseminar in Counselling and Psychotherapy (0.5 FCE).
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APD3215H Advanced Psychotherapy Seminar (0.5 FCE).
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APD3261H+ Clinical Supervision and Consultation Practicum (0.5 FCE).
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APD3217Y+ Advanced Practicum in Clinical and Counselling Psychology (1.0 FCE; Credit/No Credit): complete a 500-hour practicum before the Final Oral Examination.
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APD3270H0 EdD Internship (0.5 FCE): complete 500 hours of internship, typically after the Final Oral Examination. All internship arrangements must be made in consultation with the Director of Clinical Training.
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Three courses, one from each of the following three groupings:
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APD3116H Proseminar ll: Practice-Based Research in School and Counselling Psychology
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APD3178H Advanced Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (0.5 FCE) or APD3160H Advanced Family Therapy (0.5 FCE)
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APD3260H Psychodiagnostic Systems (0.5 FCE) or one elective in a special focus of interest (0.5 FCE).
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In addition, students must take 1.0 FCE in their specific area of focus.
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Option 1: Counselling and Psychotherapy for Adults
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APD3163H Advanced Multicultural Counselling and Psychotherapy (0.5 FCE)
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One elective in a special focus of interest (0.5 FCE)
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Option 2: Counselling and Psychotherapy for Schools and Youth
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APD5284Y Assessment and Intervention with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Children, Youth, and Families (1.0 FCE).
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Optional Additional Practicum
Students may choose to take an optional continuous practicum (APD3271H0 Additional PhD Practicum) in conjunction with the required doctoral practicum course APD3217Y+ Advanced Practicum in Clinical and Counselling Psychology (Credit/No Credit).
Thesis (Dissertation in Practice)
All students must complete a thesis (dissertation in practice), the aim of which is to ensure excellent knowledge of counselling and psychotherapy theory, practice, and policy for professionals working with adults or youth to function as leading scholar-practitioners. The thesis (dissertation in practice) should be: a) well conceived, original, and likely to make a sustained contribution to mental health practice; b) involve creativity, innovative methods and techniques, and have the potential to improve practice; c) exemplary, sets high standards in the field, and can be emulated and; d) has the potential for significant public impact. The focus of the thesis (dissertation in practice) is expected to be on contributions to field development or to innovations in practice. Students will defend their thesis (dissertation in practice) at a Final Oral Examination.
Students are full-time and must maintain continuous, full-time registration and pay full-time fees until all degree requirements, including the thesis (dissertation in practice), are completed.
Students cannot transfer between the EdD and PhD programs.
Collaborative Specializations provide students with a the opportunity to explore a novel interdisciplinary area or special development that crosses a number of disciplines.
Collaborative specializations are available with the EdD in Counselling Psychology, Counselling and Psychotherapy field in the following areas:
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- Prepares students for specialization in the field of aging and/or the field of palliative and supportive care, with an emphasis on viewing aging and palliative issues within the perspective of the life course
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- For students to engage in questions of gender, ethnicity, race, Aboriginal status, (dis)ability, and class to highlight the importance of exploring their interaction with sexual differences.
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- Provides a rich interdisciplinary environment in which students can grapple with how gender and sexuality are tangled with questions of race, citizenship, embodiment, colonialism, violence, and other pressing concerns.
What does EdD bring in terms of career prospects compared to MEd in counselling?
Our EdD program in Counselling and Psychrotherapy provides for advanced training in counselling techniques and is attractive to those pursuing leadership positions in their place of practice. It does not provide for further professional registration than does our MEd degree program - each with the CRPO.
What is a Qualifying Research Paper (QRP)?
In addition to the standard application process, students who completed a master’s degree that did not require a thesis must submit a Qualifying Research Paper (QRP).
- This paper provides evidence of the ability to identify a research or development program, to design and conduct a study or project, and to report the findings or results in a rigorous manner.
- The QRP is not required prior to being accepted into the Doctoral Program, but acceptance will be conditional upon it’s suitability. It must be completed before the beginning of classes and approved by members of the departmental admission committee.
- The QRP requirement can be fulfilled by submitting individually-authored research that the applicant has conducted previously, often as part of work responsibilities. Alternatively, applicants can submit a fully-documented research proposal (supervised by an assigned faculty member in the counselling program) which demonstrates the ability to conceptualize and plan a research project.
Program Chair: Dr. Roy Moodley
Questions? Please email us at oise.aphd@utoronto.ca
Program Coordinator:
Puja Variawa
puja.variawa@utoronto.ca
Ready to join one of the world’s top universities?
Take the next step in your academic journey and start your application to graduate studies at ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½.