A professional psychologist applies psychological principles to help individual, group, or institutional clients with the development of human potential and the prevention and remediation of human problems.

Independent practice as a professional psychologist ordinarily requires a doctorate in professional psychology (counseling, clinical, industrial/organizational, or school); a supervised internship experience; and a professional license in the state(s) where the practice is conducted.  Admission to doctoral programs in professional psychology is extremely competitive.  This competition for admission is expected to continue at least into the next decade.

The master's program in counseling psychology meets the needs of prospective applicants to doctoral training programs in professional psychology by:

1. providing an opportunity for students from diverse cultural, educational, and personal backgrounds to demonstrate competence in graduate-level courses required by doctoral programs in professional psychology;
2. encouraging students to explore the professional specialty of counseling psychology;
3. qualifying those who complete the program satisfactorily to apply (without assurance of admission) to the Graduate School of Education (GSE) Counseling Psychology program and to other doctoral training programs.