Our Mission

The central mission of the department of Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology is to prepare outstanding psychological professionals and researchers whose work is to improve the lives of individuals in educational and clinical settings in Kentucky, the U.S., and across the globe.  Our department also aims to deliver high-quality undergraduate and graduate courses to support teacher education programs in the College of Education and to provide educational and psychological services to the University and the broader community through experiential learning completed in field, practice, laboratory, and clinical settings. 

Our Programs

Our department offers three program areas: Educational Psychology, School Psychology, and Counseling Psychology.  Though our three areas are distinct, topics of study within each area often overlap with those in other areas.

All degree programs in Counseling Psychology and School Psychology lead to certification and/or licensure.  The doctoral programs in both programs are accredited by APA (see all APA-accredited doctoral programs).  The degree programs in Educational Psychology provide a background in the applications of psychology to education that aim to prepare our graduate students for faculty and research positions in higher education or other professional settings.  In 2007, our Educational Psychology and Counseling Psychology programs were ranked 9th and 10th in the nation, respectively, for faculty productivity.