College of Education, Dept. of Educational, School, & Counseling Psychology Counseling Psychology (M.S.)
What can you do with this degree?
Counseling Psychology PhD programs accept less than 12% of the students who apply (APA Graduate Study in Psychology Summary Report). Given the extremely competitive nature of doctoral admissions, students often choose to first complete a counseling psychology master’s program, where they can develop the professional identity and skills needed to be accepted into a counseling psychology doctoral program.
The University of Kentucky’s Master of Science (M.S.) in Education is a two year, full-time (12 credits per fall/spring semester), 48 credit hour terminal degree program that provides students with the comprehensive, foundational training specifically designed to prepare students to successfully apply for Counseling Psychology doctoral programs.
Program Details
Delivery Method: In-person
Credit Hours: 48
Program Overview
Students graduating from our doctoral preparation M.S. program who apply to doctoral programs have a strong track record (92% success rate as of May 2024) of obtaining offers of admission to counseling psychology PhD and/or PsyD doctoral programs.
We seek to train future health service psychology (HSP) professionals, by using a broad focus on biological, psychological, social, and cultural aspects of health and behavior. The philosophy of the program is rooted in the values and goals of a society that prioritizes the optimal health and well-being of all persons in that society. We envision a society where everyone has access to healthy environments that support healthy development and functioning. By preparing our scholars to facilitate optimal well-being at many levels, from individual to community to systems approaches, we empower them to address structural challenges and foster well-being through science and practice.
The program is not designed for people who may want to stop their graduate education after getting their master’s degree (i.e., for people who want to get licensed at the master’s level as a mental health counselor or psychological associate in order to provide psychological health services to clients). Students who may want to become licensed as master’s-level talk therapists/counselors should consider other programs, such as UK’s 60-credit hour CACREP-accredited Counseling master’s program.
Through rigorous courses, supervised clinical practica, and research lab involvement, our students learn the research, psychotherapy, professional, and cultural humility skills needed to succeed in advanced doctoral study. Students received doctoral preparation mentoring from faculty and doctoral students during both years of the program to help students learn how to navigate the higher education environment (e.g., rules and norms, resources, community engagement, support, and belonging), doctoral admissions, succeeding in graduate school, and crafting a sustainable career path in counseling psychology. Students receive tailored feedback on their doctoral application materials and interviewing skills to help them make the right impression during the doctoral application process. Our students can also complete clinical practicum at our in-house community mental health clinic.
To keep class sizes small, we accept a limited number of students each year. This ensures an excellent student-to-faculty ratio (4 students to 1 core counseling psychology faculty member), which is an important metric to consider when choosing a master’s program.
To ensure the highest-quality training, students complete the program on-site in Lexington, KY, where they work face to face with faculty. The program cannot be completed part-time or via online distance learning.
There are limited on-campus funding opportunities (e.g., graduate assistantships) available to M.S. students via the UKJobs website (https://ukjobs.uky.edu/postings/search). During 2023-2024, 37% of our M.S. students were able to secure full-time funding (i.e., a 20/hrs/wk graduate assistantship/fellowship that provides full tuition remission, monthly stipend [minimum of $14,520 for 9-month assistantship], student health insurance plan). This percentage is higher than the percentage of many mental health master’s programs across the country (be sure to ask each program you are applying to for this percentage so that you can incorporate this into your admissions decision making). Second year students are significantly more likely to receive funding than first year students, as they have the opportunity to apply when many positions for the next academic year are posted the prior December-March.
A detailed description of the requirements for the M.S. program are fully described in the M.S. Handbook
We use a competency-based approach to training. Our training model aligns with the prevailing standards of our field, as articulated by CCPTP’s Counseling Psychology Model Training Values Statement Addressing Diversity and APA’s Preparing Professional Psychologists to Serve a Diverse Public and Professional Practice Guidelines.
What You'll Study
A detailed description of the requirements for the M.S. program are fully described in the M.S. Handbook
Learn more about the Counseling Psychology M.S.
Admission
The annual M.S. program application deadline is February 1.
Generally, students who enter the master’s program have completed a bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related discipline (e.g., sociology, pre-med). GRE scores are optional. There is no minimum GRE score requirement or cut-off.
Applications for admission are evaluated by the program faculty who carefully review the applicant’s (a) GPA; (b) GRE scores, if provided; (c) letters of recommendation addressing academic, research, and counseling experiences and interpersonal skills; (d) match with the doctoral preparation emphasis of the program; (e) Statement of Purpose outlining professional goals (i.e., is it commensurate with our training model and values, and does it demonstrate excellence in written communication); and (f) capacity to contribute to creating a world in which belonging and community engagement is prioritized. The program faculty holistically considers the entire application of a prospective student and makes decisions based not only on numerical criteria but also on perceived fit with program goals, needs, and values. Therefore, a low score in one area can be off-set by professional strengths in another area. Minimum GPA is >2.75 for undergraduate and >3.00 for graduate. Minimum TOEFL score is 79. It is crucial that students articulate in their Statement of Purpose how their career goals match the doctoral preparation emphasis of the program.
We conduct a master’s interview day (via the Zoom teleconference platform) where top applicants meet with program faculty and current students. Master’s interview day is held each year on a Friday in March (the 2025 interview date will be 3/28/25). This interview process helps the program faculty and prospective students further assess fit with the program. After the interview day, the program faculty meet to review, discuss, and make final decisions about admission offers.
Your professional training will be guided by the program faculty, who are highly productive, cited, and awarded counseling psychologists.
If you have questions about the program that you would like to ask someone who has been through the master’s training, contact Mindy Zhang at mzh240@uky.edu.
Meet the Students
Ixchel Collazo (she/her/ella) is a second-year Master’s student in Counseling Psychology from Lakeland, Florida. She graduated from the University of Florida with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Spanish and TESL. She is a member of the RISE^2 Lab under Dr. Hargons and a project assistant for APOYO KY. Ixchel is a graduate research assistant on the Appalachian Tobacco Regulatory Science Team (AppalTRuST). Her research interests include community-based work, increasing accessibility, and reducing the stigma of mental healthcare in underserved communities. In her free time, she loves watching movies, reading, and caring for her orchids. Email: ixchel.collazo@uky.edu
Yesica Cruz-Ramirez is a first-year master’s student. She graduated from Berea College with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Spanish. Her main research interests focus on exploring and addressing mental health disparities within BIPOC communities and increasing access to quality mental health services for underserved populations. She is currently a graduate research assistant in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion, contributing to the #IChampionHealth initiative. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, cooking, dancing and spending time with friends and family. Email: ycruz19500@uky.edu
Souad Shaia (she/her/hers) is a second-year master’s student. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) with a Bachelor's of Science in Psychology and minored in Social Welfare and Creative Writing. Her primary research interest is social justice broadly, and she is currently focused on help-seeking stigma in college students. She is a member of Dr. Hammer’s Help-Seeking And Multicultural Measurement Evaluation Research (HAMMER) Lab. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, creative writing, and drawing.
Tristan Ntego (he/him) is a second-year master's student. He graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. His primary research interests include increasing access to healthcare in minority and immigrant communities, and improving health literacy and communication to the public. He is a member of Dr. Steven-Watkins' research lab and holds a graduate assistantship with the Kentucky Center for Smoke-free Policy. In his free time, he enjoys painting, soccer, and listening to music. Email: thnt222@uky.edu
Joshua Parrott (he/him/his) is a second-year master's student. He graduated from Elon University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Music Theatre and a Bachelor of Arts in Arts Administration and has worked professionally at regional theaters around the country as a performer, teaching artist, and assistant administrator. His primary research interests include exploring the mental health needs and help-seeking behaviors of performing artists. He is a member of Dr. Hammer’s Help-Seeking And Multicultural Measurement Evaluation Research (HAMMER) Lab and Dr. Rostosky’s PRISM lab. He holds a graduate assistantship working with Dr. Hammer and Dr. Wilson to help develop focus group protocols for understanding student beliefs about seeking help for their mental health. He currently holds practicum placement at the University of Kentucky Counseling Center (UKCC) under the direct supervision of Dr. Georgeann Brown. In his free time, he enjoys singing, baking, and playing videogames and TTRPGs. Email: jtpa253@uky.edu
Katie Wakeman (she/her) is a second-year master's student. She graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with honors as a first-generation student. Her primary research interests include the impacts of trauma on both physical and mental health (including substance use behaviors (such as tobacco) and experiences of chronic pain (general chronic pain, experiences of pelvic pain in SA survivors, migraines) PTSD & C-PTSD symptoms and coping, feelings of shame & guilt, sexual assault survivors, help-seeking behaviors, and emotional-regulation. Katie has been a member of Dr. Jessica Burris’ Behavioral Interventions that Reduce Disparities due to Smoking (BIRDS) research lab focusing on cancer survivorship and tobacco cessation since 2021. She currently holds practicum placement at University of Kentucky’s Orofacial Pain Clinic under the supervision of Dr. Ian Boggero. In her free time, she enjoys making playlists, thrifting, and going to 7Brew. Email: kewa246@uky.edu
Zackary Large (He/Him) is a first-year master’s student in the Counseling Psychology program. He graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. This individual’s research interests are currently open and looking for subjects that are interesting to explore. He is a member of Dr. Hammer’s Help-Seeking and Multicultural Measurement Evaluation Research (HAMMER) Lab. In his free time, this individual enjoys reading, creative writing, and spending time with friends and family. Email: zdla222@uky.edu
Kate Lovins (she/her/hers) is a second-year master’s student. She graduated from Berea College in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, and she worked as an addiction counselor in the year she took off school post-graduation. Her primary research interests include barriers for wellness for individuals post-incarceration, the effectiveness of group modalities and curriculums for treatment of substance use disorder, public health policy for opioid addiction, and outcomes of childhood adversity post-pandemic. Kate’s primary clinical populations of interest are felons and the substance abuse community. Kate holds several positions, with her primary position being as a targeted case manager through Intrust Healthcare. Kate also assists Dr. Antonio Garcia in the social work department with his research on childhood adversity, child welfare, and the conflation of poverty and neglect in interventions. Lastly, Kate is an instructor at Sphinx Academy, facilitating college and career readiness in students via pre-ETS classes every Friday. Currently, Kate holds practicum placement at Isaiah House, alternating between the Harrodsburg and Versailles facilities, with Michelle Maupin as her primary supervisor. In her spare time, Kate enjoys watching movies, thrifting, listening to music, and reading romance books. Email: kmlo250@uky.edu
Sayword Kaiser (she/her) is a second-year master’s student. She graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Sociology with a minor in Criminology. Her primary research interests lie in mental health help-seeking behaviors, barriers to access, and health care utilization in underserved populations (e.g., older adult population). She currently holds a teaching assistantship with Transformative Learning working with their peer supported learning programs. She currently holds a practicum placement at the University of Kentucky’s Orofacial Pain Clinic under the supervision of Dr. Ian Boggero. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, reading, and trying new restaurants.
Laurel Shepherd (she/her) is a second-year master’s student. She graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Her primary research interests include health psychology, chronic pain, and substance use disorders, focusing on the intricate relationships between psychological factors, chronic conditions, and addictive behaviors. She is a member of the Help-Seeking and Multicultural Measurement Evaluation Research (HAMMER) Lab. She is currently a Graduate Research Assistant for the Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion working on the CDC-funded EMPOWER project. She currently holds a practicum placement at the University of Kentucky’s Orofacial Pain Clinic under the supervision of Dr. Ian Boggero. In her free time, she enjoys playing frisbee and jiu jitsu. Email: Lesh236@uky.edu
Students Answer Questions about the M.S. Program
In the following videos, master’s students answer six questions about their experience with the UK Counseling Psychology M.S. program.
Q1: What do you see as the strengths of the University of Kentucky counseling psychology master’s program?
Q2: What attracted you to the masters program?
Q3: How do you feel about the clinical training that you have received here?
Q4: How do you feel about the research training that you have received here?
Q5: What are the top 3 things you like about the masters program?
Q6: What is something you didn’t know about graduate school but with you had?
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