purdue psychology requirements

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Clinical Psychological Sciences Graduate Program

Department of Psychological Sciences

The clinical psychological sciences graduate program is a charter member of The Academy of Psychological Clinical Science , which is a coalition of doctoral training programs that produce and apply scientific knowledge to the assessment, understanding and advancement of human problems. Our program is committed to excellence in scientific training and uses clinical science as the foundation for designing, implementing and evaluating assessment and intervention procedures.

The program is designed to give you a broad background in psychology and expansive knowledge of clinical psychology through didactic courses and seminars. You will receive clinical experience in the Purdue Psychology Treatment and Research Clinics (PPTRC) as well as other clinical practice and courses. To gain research experience, you will join a research team and participate in a first-year project, master’s thesis, preliminary paper/examination and PhD dissertation.

Program Highlights

• The clinical psychological sciences program is defined by our dedication to training new clinical scientists who have the research and analytical skills to advance basic knowledge in clinical science.
• The program provides the skills to integrate basic knowledge with empirically supported clinical techniques to help you effectively assess and treat a wide range of behavioral and mental health problems.
• Program faculty are committed to a training process that ensures you develop effective skills to work effectively with members of the public who embody a diverse range of intersecting demographics, attitudes, beliefs and values.

Potential Careers

• Clinical positions focused on empirically-supported psychological assessments and psychological interventions for adults, adolescents and children
• Research and/or policy-focused positions in local, state, federal and private agencies/foundations
• Faculty positions in universities, colleges and medical centers

Clinical Training

Before beginning practical training, you are given a thorough grounding in behavior disorders, assessment and psychological interventions through coursework in your first two years.

In the third year, you will enroll in clinical psychology practica in our in-house Purdue Psychology Treatment and Research Clinics. Faculty supervisors emphasize competence in evidence-based interventions. In your practicum, you will see clients in both the Adult Services Clinic and the Child Behavior Management Clinic.

After successful completion of the in-house practicum sequence, you may seek advanced clinical opportunities in the community or around the state. These include training in school, hospital and community mental health settings.

The program does not promote one theoretical approach exclusively, although there is a strong cognitive-behavioral emphasis that reflects our value on evidence-based practice.

Licensing laws vary by state, and these may require courses or extensive supervised postdoctoral clinical experience that the program does not provide.

Program Philosophy

The clinical psychological sciences program at Purdue University employs a clinical scientist model of training. The program seeks to produce excellent researchers who generate new knowledge in clinical psychology as well as competent clinicians who can deliver empirically-based clinical services (i.e., assessment, diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders). These goals are achieved through a strong research apprenticeship model, high research requirements, didactic training and participation in clinical practica. Individuals seeking training primarily for careers in clinical practice will not find this program suitable.

The clinical psychological sciences program’s primary emphasis on research illuminates its four major training goals:

• Competence in conducting, reviewing and evaluating empirical research
• Development of knowledge in the bases of research and psychological theory
• Competence in the delivery of evidence-based professional psychological services
• Equipping you to contribute to the field through responsible and exemplary professional behavior as psychologists

The clinical psychological sciences program is accredited by the APA CoA (Commission on Accreditation, American Psychological Association) and by PCSAS (Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System). Click here for a complete description of student admissions, outcomes and other data .

Program Quick Facts

Degree Type: PhD

Program Length : 6-7 years (including a one-year, full-time clinical internship in the last year of the program) 

Location : West Lafayette, IN

Department/School : Department of Psychological Sciences

The program’s faculty have a wide range of research interests, investigating mental health issues that impact children, adolescents, adults and families. As a graduate student, you’ll have an opportunity to work alongside faculty to advance discovery in your area of interest, including substance misuse, neurodevelopmental disorders, relationship conflict and more.

Bridge Topics

Within the clinical psychological sciences program, faculty also have research interests in several bridge topics, including diversity and inclusion, individual differences, maladaptive behavior and social relationships. Clinical psychological sciences faculty studying diversity and inclusion focus on the effect of cultural transition on mental health. Individual differences research spans across deviance, emotion regulation, personality pathology and relationships. Faculty who study maladaptive behavior focus on a variety of issues ranging from personality disorders to substance abuse to disruptive childhood disorders and beyond. Additionally, clinical psychological sciences faculty who study social relationships examine issues related to partner violence, marriage’s influence on mental disorders and more.

Research Opportunities

• Neurodevelopmental disorders
• Individual differences associated with mental health problems
• Substance misuse
• Relationship conflict and interpersonal violence
• Diversity, equity and inclusion

Research Facilities

• Purdue Autism Research Center
• Brain imaging facilities connected to the Center for Research in Brain, Behavior, and NeuroRehabilitation (CEREBBRAL)
• Purdue Psychology Treatment and Research Clinics (PPTRC)
• Jennifer Brown
• Heather Ciesielski
• Christopher Eckhardt
• Daniel Foti   
• Sarah Karalunas
• Bridgette Kelleher
• Donald Lynam  
• David Rollock
• Douglas Samuel
• Susan South

Admissions/Requirements

The clinical psychological sciences program engages in a holistic review process when considering applicants. The criteria listed below are balanced across experience, attributes and academic metrics, considering how specific individuals may contribute to the program as well as the broader field of clinical psychology. Background, opportunity and evidence of compensatory factors are used to contextualize strengths and weaknesses in the application.

Because we are a mentor-based program, it is critical that your application reference the clinical faculty with whom you hope to work with during your time at Purdue. Please note that not all faculty are accepting applicants each year.

Faculty recruiting new students for Fall 2025 admission will be posted here in October 2024.

Admissions Criteria

The Graduate Schools provides a complete overview of admissions criteria .

Online application for admission must be completed by December 1 for enrollment in fall of the following year.

The Graduate School offers information about application fees and possible fee waivers .

Interviews for Admission

Review of applications will begin immediately after the December 1 application deadline. Faculty typically identify a list of applicants for additional consideration and may contact applicants from this list for additional discussion by email, phone or online video/audio meeting. Faculty may then further reduce this list to identify a smaller number of applicants to formally interview for admissions to the program. These official interviews occur during the Graduate Recruitment Visitation Program (GRVP), which is a department-wide interview event that is typically scheduled on a Thursday and Friday at some point between early January and early February of the entry year. The official admissions interviews that occur during GRVP involve meetings with program faculty and students as well as an overview of the broader department and university.

Clinical Mentors

Jennifer Brown Heather Ciesielski Christopher Eckhardt Daniel Foti    Sarah Karalunas Bridgette Kelleher Donald Lynam   David Rollock Douglas Samuel Susan South

Course List

You will take courses that will give you a foundation in:

• Social and developmental bases of behavior
• History and major systems of psychology
• Individual differences and personality
• Cognitive-affective bases of behavior
• Biological bases of behavior
• Experimental design

Within clinical psychology, you will take courses that prepare you for:

• Diagnosis and assessment of adults and children
• Planning and execution of evidence-based treatment procedures
• Understanding individual, interpersonal and cultural influences on behavior
• Research methods and measurement approaches commonly used in clinical science and related areas of psychology

View a copy of the Clinical Psychology Graduate Student Handbook .

Clinical Internship

The capstone of clinical training is the required year-long clinical internship. American Psychological Association (APA)-approved internship training positions can be obtained through the matching system managed by the Association of Predoctoral and Postdoctoral Internship Centers (APPIC). Since 2004, the internship match rate for students in the program is over 93%. All were paid, full-time APA- and APPIC-accredited internships.

Licensure: Consumer Disclosure

The clinical psychological sciences PhD program at Purdue University provides education and training in clinical psychology that is compliant with national standards. The practice of psychology, however, is regulated at the state level and may require training experiences and examinations beyond the educational and training requirements provided by the PhD program.

Purdue University, to the best of its ability, determined that the curriculum offered by our program meets — or does not meet — the educational requirements for licensure or certification to practice psychology in each of the 50 states in the United States. Access our consumer information disclosure .

You are also encouraged to review the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards’ online tool, PsyBook , which summarizes requirements for most states and territories, and to contact the licensing authorities directly in the state for which you hope to get licensed.

Connect with Us!

If you have questions or to learn more about this program, please contact the Department of Psychological Sciences Graduate Program Coordinator, Nancy O’Brien at [email protected] .

Nancy O’Brien Purdue University 701 Third Street West Lafayette, IN 47907

(765) 494-6067

[email protected]

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Psychology at Purdue University - Main Campus

Jump to any of the following sections:

• Available Degrees
• Student Demographics

Psychology Degrees Available at Purdue

• Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology
• Graduate Certificates in Psychology
• Master’s Degree in Psychology
• Doctorate Degree in Psychology

Purdue Psychology Rankings

Purdue was ranked #139 on College Factual's most recent list of the best schools for psychology majors. This puts the bachelor's program at the school solidly in the top 15% of all colleges and universities in the country. It is also ranked #2 in Indiana .

Popularity of Psychology at Purdue

During the 2020-2021 academic year, Purdue University - Main Campus handed out 251 bachelor's degrees in psychology. This is an increase of 15% over the previous year when 219 degrees were handed out.

In 2021, 8 students received their master’s degree in psychology from Purdue. This makes it the #569 most popular school for psychology master’s degree candidates in the country.

In addition, 10 students received their doctoral degrees in psychology in 2021, making the school the #197 most popular school in the United States for this category of students.

Psychology Student Diversity at Purdue

Take a look at the following statistics related to the make-up of the psychology majors at Purdue University - Main Campus.

Purdue Psychology Bachelor’s Program

Of the 251 students who graduated with a Bachelor’s in psychology from Purdue in 2021, 22% were men and 78% were women.

The majority of bachelor's degree recipients in this major at Purdue are white. In the most recent graduating class for which data is available, 53% of students fell into this category.

The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from Purdue University - Main Campus with a bachelor's in psychology.

Purdue Psychology Master’s Program

Of the 8 students who graduated with a Master’s in psychology from Purdue in 2021, 25% were men and 75% were women.

The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from Purdue University - Main Campus with a master's in psychology.

Psychology Majors

Psychology students may decide to major in one of the following focus areas. Individual majors may not be available for all degree levels.

• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• Image Credit: By Abhijitsathe under License

More about our data sources and methodologies .

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Catalog Contents

Master of science in psychology, description and outcomes.

The Master of Science in Psychology program provides you with a unique opportunity to balance the rich tradition of the past with exciting contemporary applications of psychology. The curriculum focuses on the processes that underlie the individual human experience and behavior, and core knowledge, theories, and research in the discipline.

Prospective and current students must review Purdue Global’s  State Licensure and Certifications  site to view program and state-specific licensure information. Refer to the Certification, State Board, and National Board Exams section for additional program disclosure information.

Concentrations

You will select one of four areas of concentration: general psychology, addictions, forensic psychology, or industrial/organizational psychology. You will complete both master's-level core courses and concentration courses, which provide a comprehensive education in psychological theory and practice, and work on developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills to assist you in meeting your personal and professional goals in the chosen concentration area.

The general psychology concentration is designed to expose you to a generalist approach to the broad field of psychology. This concentration addresses current broad paradigms such as behavioral approaches, neuropsychological perspectives and technologies, issues in psychopathology, and current and historical information in the area of cognitive psychology. In addition, you will gain knowledge in the use of qualitative analysis, thereby building on your knowledge base of the basic “tools” involved in the scientific approach to understanding psychology.

The addictions concentration provides you with the opportunity to study the principles of addictions counseling, group counseling, psychopharmacology, and co-occurring disorders. Theories are taught with an emphasis on application so that you understand how to use your knowledge to help clients toward recovery.

The forensic psychology concentration is designed to prepare you to work in a variety of forensic settings and with various populations within the criminal and civil legal systems. Courses are designed to provide you with the knowledge of theory, methods, training, and practice of forensic psychology. You will learn about the roles and responsibilities in forensic psychology, as well as legal, diversity, sociocultural, and ethical issues faced by practitioners in the field.

The industrial/organizational psychology concentration is designed for working professionals who seek to broaden their knowledge and apply the principles of industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology in business and organizational settings. The program offers a rigorous exploration of the theories, methods, and practice of industrial/organizational psychology. Specifically, you will explore workplace motivation and attitudes, employee training, evaluation and leadership, organizational behavior, and human resource management.

Tracks of Study

In any of the concentrations, you may elect to complete a thesis as the program's culminating experience or choose the Master's Capstone in Psychology. The thesis track contains two thesis development courses and extends the program by at least one term. A thesis is not required; however, you should consult with your Student Advisor to determine how the thesis track fits with your career goals.

Program Length

The Master of Science in Psychology program consists of a minimum of 60, 65, 70, or 75 quarter credit hours, depending on your track of study. Upon successful completion of the program, you will be awarded a master of science degree.

Program Outcomes

• Disciplinary Knowledge and Skills: Understand how contemporary theories relate to real-world situations in various psychology professions in the selected area of concentration.
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: Critically evaluate and apply psychological theories, as well as theories from the selected area of concentration, and concepts to various client-based situations within the field of psychology.
• Research and Application: Apply theoretical and conceptual foundations of psychology as they relate to the selected area of concentration to arrive at evidence-based professional practice strategies.
• Professionalism and Ethics: Apply ethical, legal, individual, and sociocultural standards and guidelines set forth within the selected area of concentration and field of psychology.

Professional Competencies

In addition to the discipline-specific outcomes, professional competencies are integrated throughout your academic program. You can review the professional competencies associated with your academic program in the Professional Competencies section of this Catalog.

Program Availability

For program availability, please refer to the U.S. State and Other Approvals section and Program Availability Information .

Addictions and Industrial/Organizational Psychology Application Requirements

Prior to enrolling in the Master of Science in Psychology program with an addictions or industrial/organizational psychology concentration requiring a practicum or field placement rotation, you must:

• Pass a criminal background check .
• Provide notice of intent to enroll in practicum/field placement courses 3 months prior to the beginning of the term in which you wish to enroll. Notification must be submitted to the Behavioral and Social Sciences Clinical Placement Department using the appropriate application form. Applications that are not complete will not be accepted.

Progression Requirements

• You can enroll in no more than three courses per term.
• You must declare your choice of thesis or Master's Capstone in Psychology by the end of the second term.

Master's Capstone in Psychology Track

You must successfully complete PS598 Master's Capstone in Psychology , a written course covering the core curriculum and concentration courses. 

This capstone course provides you with the opportunity to demonstrate and apply the skills and knowledge accumulated throughout your program. You will develop a research proposal related to current topics and challenges in the field of psychology, thus demonstrating mastery of program outcomes. Your proposal will include a literature review, a testable hypothesis, and an empirical method for testing the hypothesis.

Thesis Track

You will be required to develop and submit, in writing, a formal proposal for research in psychology to your chosen thesis committee, which is made up of a chairperson and two additional members, all of whom must be terminally degreed psychology faculty members from Purdue Global. It is acceptable to have one terminally degreed faculty member from outside the University's psychology program or from an outside, accredited institution of higher learning with the approval of the Chair of the Master of Science in Psychology program.

Subsequent to the proposal, you will submit the final draft of your research project to the thesis committee for review and orally present your results during a scheduled thesis defense hearing. The research report shall be prepared according to the University's guidelines and the final, approved product shall be submitted to appropriate personnel for binding and acquisition.

You will take PS601 Master's Research and Thesis I  and PS602 Master's Research and Thesis II , 10-week courses designed to allow you to begin the first steps of your thesis design and complete your thesis. Should you feel you are unable to complete the prescribed requirements for either course in 10 weeks, you must contact your Student Advisor in order to gain an extension in the course. An extension is granted by enrolling in PS601A Master's Research and Thesis I or PS602A Master's Research and Thesis II , and enrollment in these courses will only be granted at the discretion of the Dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and the Chair of your thesis committee.

If an extension is granted, the University will not charge tuition for PS601A Master's Research and Thesis I or PS602A Master's Research and Thesis II , but you will be required to pay the normal resource fee.

If you are unable to complete PS601 Master's Research and Thesis I or PS602 Master's Research and Thesis II , you will be permitted to enter the comprehensive exam track.

Practicum or Field Placement Requirements

If you are enrolling in a program that requires completion of a practicum or field placement, you are responsible for locating a site in which to complete those hours. You are also required to complete a practicum or field placement orientation. You must complete all prepracticum or prefield placement requirements and have permission of the Clinical Placement Team in order to enroll in a course that includes completion of practicum or field placement hours. A list of requirements is available from the Clinical Placement Team.

You should be aware that health care organizations may have specific requirements regarding vaccination against communicable diseases including COVID and Influenza. Failure to comply with requirements could interfere with the opportunity to complete a required practicum, fieldwork, or internship experience, may delay graduation or lead to an inability to complete your program, and could impact future employment opportunities.

Addictions Concentration

If you are enrolled in the addictions concentration, you will take PS535 Addictions Practicum I  and PS536 Addictions Practicum II .

• If you feel that you may not be able to complete the PS535 Addictions Practicum I  prescribed requirements in 10 weeks, you must contact the Clinical Placement Team in order to receive an extension in the course. I f an extension is granted, you will enroll in PS535A Addictions Practicum I Extension and/or PS535B Addictions Practicum I Extension which will allow you up to 20 extra weeks to complete the requirements of PS535 Addictions Practicum I . Enrollment in these courses will only be granted at the discretion of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.
• If you feel that you may not be able to complete the PS536 Addictions Practicum II prescribed requirements in 10 weeks, you must contact the Clinical Placement Team in order to gain an extension in the course. If an extension is granted, you will enroll in PS536A Addictions Practicum II Extension and/or PS536B Addictions Practicum II Extension which will allow you up to 20 extra weeks to complete the requirements of PS536 Addictions Practicum II . Enrollment in these courses will only be granted at the discretion of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Note: Indiana students are required to obtain 700 hours of university-sponsored practicum to seek state licensure as an addiction counselor.

Industrial/Organizational Psychology Concentration

If you feel that you may not be able to complete the PS545 Industrial/Organizational Field Placement  prescribed requirements in 10 weeks, you must contact the Clinical Placement Team in order to gain an extension in the course. If an extension is granted, you will enroll in PS559 Practicum Field Placement Extension , which will allow you 10 extra weeks to complete the requirements of PS545 Industrial/Organizational Field Placement . Enrollment in this course will only be granted at the discretion of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Certification, State Board, and National Board Exams

Certain state certification and licensure boards have specific educational requirements for programs to lead to a license or certification that is a precondition for employment in a recognized occupation. Prospective and current students must review Purdue Global’s State Licensure and Certifications site to view program and state-specific licensure information.

Licensure-track programs may limit enrollment to students in certain states; please see Purdue Global’s Program Availability Information to determine enrollment eligibility.

Optional certifications may be available, such as the Master Addiction Counselor (MAC) Credential. You are responsible for understanding the requirements of optional certification exams. Such requirements may change during the course of your program. You are not automatically certified in any way upon program completion. Although certain programs are designed to prepare you to take various optional certification exams, Purdue Global cannot guarantee you will be eligible to take these exams or become certified. Your eligibility may depend on your work experience, completion of education and/or degree requirements, not having a criminal record, and meeting other certification requirements.

The Master of Science in Psychology is not focused on the clinical practice of psychology and does not lead to licensure or certification as a psychologist, mental health counselor, or therapist.

The Master of Science in Psychology with a concentration in addictions is accredited by the National Addiction Studies Accreditation Commission (NASAC). The NASAC can be contacted at:

44 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 301 Alexandria, VA 22314 Tel: 703-562-0211 Website: http://nasacaccreditation.org

The NAADAC (Association for Addiction Professionals) has designated Purdue Global as an Approved Education Provider for meeting nationally approved standards for the addiction counseling profession . Students who complete the Master of Science in Psychology with a concentration in addictions program will meet the coursework requirements to take NAADAC’s Master Addictions Counselor (MAC) certification examination .

Note that additional requirements must also be completed to take the MAC examination, including degree, field experience, and licensure requirements. Refer to  http://www.naadac.org/mac  for full eligibility requirements.

The NAADAC can be contacted at:

44 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 301 Alexandria, VA 22314 Tel: 703-741-7686 Website: http://naadac.org

Forensic Psychology

General psychology, industrial/organizational psychology - nonpracticum, industrial/organizational psychology - practicum.

The 🌐 icon appears in the title of traditional courses that are also available as a set of module courses. Module course availability may be limited to certain academic calendars. See Course Types for information about module courses.

Thesis Track Requirements

Concentration courses are completed within the open electives requirement of the degree plan.

Students in this program are required to select a concentration.

Master's Capstone in Psychology Track Requirements

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Requirements for the Minor (15 credits)

A. required course (3 credits).

• PSY 12000 - Elementary Psychology

B. Selective - Choose One (3 credits)

• PSY 20000 - Introduction To Cognitive Psychology
• PSY 22200 - Introduction To Behavioral Neuroscience

C. Selective - Choose One (3 credits)

• PSY 23500 - Child Psychology
• PSY 24000 - Introduction To Social Psychology
• PSY 27200 - Introduction To Industrial-Organizational Psychology
• PSY 35000 - Abnormal Psychology

D. Additional Psychology course - Choose Two (6 credits)

Select two additional 3-credit psychology courses.

Courses may include PSY 12300 or any PSY course numbered 20000-59900 not used to fulfill other requirements in the minor.

Only one of the following courses may be used: PSY 39000 or PSY 39100.

Undistributed transfer credit must be reviewed and approved before being used for this requirement.

• A grade of “C-” or better must be earned in any course used to fulfill a minor requirement.*
• All courses in Sections B and C require PSY 12000    as a prerequisite.
• *PSY 22000 cannot be used toward fulfillment of the minor requirements.
• The Pass / Not-Pass grading option may not be adopted for any courses used to fulfill any College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) minor requirements. For further information, students should refer to the HHS Pass / Not-Pass Policy.

The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements. The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion.

Counseling Psychology

Counseling Psychology at Purdue is a scientist-practitioner program that prepares students to be both practicing psychologists and serve as professors in colleges and universities. As a result, our graduates go on to work in a variety of settings, such as higher education, private practice, counseling centers, and hospitals.

You’ll become a competent practitioner while seeing clients in the program’s  in-house clinic  and in placements in the Greater Lafayette area. Our coursework and program experience are woven with elements of diversity, ethics and professional identity, and our program is accredited by the American Psychological Association.

If you have questions about the program, please contact:

Amanda Case [email protected]

Questions related to the program’s accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation American Psychological Association 750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002 Phone: (202) 336-5979 / E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

Degree Options

YOUR GIANT LEAP WITH ONE SMALL STEP

Admission Requirements

The Counseling Psychology program offers ONLY a Ph.D. doctoral degree. No master’s degree is awarded, only the doctorate. Students who are unsure that they can or will complete a doctoral program should apply to a master’s program or to a doctoral program that awards a master’s degree as a part of the doctoral requirements.

Student Handbook

December 1st is the deadline for admission consideration. We are hosting a virtual open house from for interested applicants to know more about the program before the application deadline.

Additional Requirements

All program information is available online. The faculty encourage students to inform themselves about the program. At a minimum, please check the  Student Handbook .

Your application should be submitted through the Purdue University Graduate School application portal. Please select College of Education -> Educational Studies -> Counseling Psychology to proceed with your application. We require all applicants:

• Academic Statement of Purpose The academic statement of purpose should be 300-500 words concerning your purpose for undertaking or continuing graduate study at the Purdue Counseling Psychology program, your research interests, career goals, and the faculty member(s) with whom you would prefer to work and why.
• Personal History Statement The personal history statement should be 300-500 words concerning how your background and life experiences contribute to your ability to be both persistent and resourceful in graduate school. Describe how your life experiences have prepared you to contribute to an academic community where scholars with diverse research interests, abilities, backgrounds, and experiences are supported, respected, and valued.
• Submit a Curriculum Vita. Your CV should include a section listing your experience with (a) research and statistics, including courses, (b) teaching, and (c) professional related activities (e.g., organizational leadership, social advocacy, community engagement).
• Description of Previous Program. Please print and fill out the description of previous program.
• Submit three letters of reference describing research skills and potential, counseling skills and potential, and capacity for graduate study.
• Graduate School E-mail Address: [email protected]
• Graduate School Mailing Address: Graduate Studies Office, Purdue University, 100 N. University Street, Room 3229, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2098
• One academic writing sampling
• International applications may be required to submit proof of English proficiency .

Admission Process

• Faculty meet shortly after the application deadline to review applications and identify candidates for admission.
• Articulate research interests and questions.
• Link their research interests to a  core  counseling psychology faculty member’s research interests and identify a primary and, perhaps, a secondary  core  counseling psychology faculty member to work with.  Currently Accepting Students: Amanda Case, Emily Boswell, Eric Deemer, and Xiang Zhou .
• Faculty select and invite specific applicants to an interview. Current students are actively involved in the recruitment and interview process.

Admissions offers

• After invited interviews are completed, the faculty contact students who they recommend for admission to the program. The program recommends admission, and the Graduate School sends an offer for a position in the program.
• Because program admission is competitive, a few students are wait-listed each year. Faculty communicate with applicants who are offered positions and communicate with applicants who are waitlisted until all program positions are filled.
• By voluntary agreement, the Council of Graduate Programs of Psychology has set  April 15 th  as the  deadline for students to accept or decline offers of admission.
• If offered a position, students should read through the Counseling Psychology website, prior to accepting the position.

After you accept

• Start looking for  housing .
• Subscribe to the  COEGRAD  email list and be on the lookout for assistantship offers you may be interested in applying for.
• Master’s admits: Review the transfer credit policy and start compiling any necessary documents (e.g., syllabi).
• Keep in contact with your advisor and current students with any questions you may have before coming to campus in the fall.

Practicum Placements

Students begin the application process to off-site practicum sites following consultation with their advisor the academic year prior to starting off-site. Often this is during student’s 2nd and 3rd years. In the spring semester, the program’s Off-Site Practicum Coordinator hosts a practicum fair for students to learn more about practicum partnerships in the community. After the attending the practicum fair, students contact practicum sites they are most interested in to set up an interview. Students should not contact sites directly before the practicum fair. Below are select examples of off-site practicum locations where our students receive training.

Please note: students may need to satisfy certain eligibility requirements (e.g., background check, drug screening) for some site placements. The placements change regularly as the program adds new sites and other sites become unavailable. Some sites accept only advanced students.

Additional Information

University Counseling Centers Purdue University, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) – West Lafayette, IN Indiana State University Student Counseling Services – Terre Haute, IN IUPUI Counseling & Psychological Services – Indianapolis, IN Butler University – Indianapolis, IN DePauw University – Greencastle, IN

Veteran’s Hospitals VA Illiana Health Care System – Danville, IL Richard L Roudebush VA Medical Center – Indianapolis, IN

Community Mental Health Centers Indiana Women’s Prison – Indianapolis, IN Willowstone Family Services, Inc – Lafayette, IN Wabash Valley Hospital, Inc., Outpatient – Lafayette, IN Four County Counseling Center – Logansport, IN

Hospitals Wabash Valley / River Bend Hospital – West Lafayette, IN Logansport State Hospital – Logansport, IN

Funding Opportunities

Funding for Counseling Psychology doctoral students is complex and comes from multiple sources. Students generally receive in three ways, and each comes with tuition remission.

First, students find assistantships in offices across campus, including the Academic Success Center, the Military Family Research Institute, and the Center for Career Opportunities. Students must apply and interview for these positions. Faculty and peers are supportive in filtering assistantship information to students, and faculty assist students in preparing their application materials. Nonetheless, the student is responsible for following up with the information and securing the assistantship. Although our students are very competitive for these positions, the process can be stressful.

Second, students may have opportunities to teach sections of undergraduate courses. These include EPDS 105: Academic and Career Planning, EPDS 315: Collaborative Leadership – Listening, EPDS 316: Collaborative Leadership – Cross-Cultural Settings, and EPDS 317: Collaborative Leadership – Mentoring. Students have also secured teaching assistantships in the Department of Psychological Sciences.

Finally, some students obtain faculty-nominated fellowships, which guarantee funding but require 20 hours per week of work for our home department, Educational Studies. Only a few fellowships are available each year, and they are competitive.

Although funding can be stressful, all current students in the program who want funding have at least a .25 FTE appointment. Regardless, some students obtain federal or private loans to supplement their income.

Additional funding information can be found on through  College of Education graduate funding.

Our Faculty

The core faculty members have interesting and diverse research and applied interests. Even so, a common thread runs through the research programs, namely, college student development, adjustment, and well-being.  The faculty have active, programmatic research lines in culture and parenting, community-based youth development, grief and bereavement issues, multicultural and international issues, and STEM career development.

Counseling Psychology Faculty

Faculty accepting students for 2024 Fall admission : Amanda Case, Eric Deemer, Emily Boswell, Xiang Zhou

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What Is Emotional Intelligence & Why Is It Important to Your Career?

In the decades since the concept of emotional intelligence (EI) was introduced by psychologists John Mayer and Peter Salovey, EI has become ubiquitous across fields, including psychology, education, and business. It’s led to everything from the proliferation of social and emotional learning (SEL) education in elementary schools to the development of EI-based leadership programs.

In this article, we’ll discuss what EI means, how you can improve it for yourself, and why it’s important to your career.

The Four Components of Emotional Intelligence (and How to Improve Them)

According to Mental Health America , “emotional intelligence is the ability to manage both your own emotions and understand the emotions of people around you.”

Daniel Goleman, an author who has written extensively about EI, has narrowed down EI to four key components : self-awareness, self-management, relationship management, and social awareness. When these components are all working together, “[EI] can help people make better decisions,” he said in an interview .

But you don’t have to be a natural at EI to apply it to your life and work. In his book Leadership: The Power of Emotional Intelligence , Goleman wrote that research shows people can actually develop their emotional intelligence.

Let’s take a look at each component and how you can begin improving it for yourself.

Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is being conscious of your own feelings and your thoughts about them as well as how those feelings affect others. For example, if an emotionally intelligent person were faced with a crisis at work, they may get upset but will be aware of that feeling. With that awareness, they can allow themselves to feel angry while still acting in a way that is constructive and helps solve the problem instead of shutting down or lashing out.

According to Goleman , the competencies that fall under this component are:

• Self-awareness

One way to help you improve your self-awareness is to begin journaling. Writing down your feelings and actions each day not only forces you to reflect on how you let your emotions affect you, but it can also help you see bigger patterns that may exist. For example, if you notice that you get more frustrated with small issues on days you’ve had little sleep, you can try harder to get a good night’s rest during the workweek.

Self-Management

In emotional intelligence, self-management is the ability to have control over unhelpful or negative thoughts and emotions. In his book The Brain and Emotional Intelligence, Goleman explains that you want the prefrontal cortex area of the brain (responsible for strategy and planning) to have control over the amygdala area (responsible for one’s fight-or-flight response).

According to Goleman, the competencies that fall under this component are:

• Emotional balance
• Adaptability
• Achievement orientation
• Positive outlook

To start getting better at self-management, try setting — and writing down — a daily intention, such as “I need to think about my words before replying to messages today.” Having the phrase written down and posted somewhere you’ll always see it can help you be more intentional with how you act and react.

Relationship Management

Relationship management is the ability to influence and inspire others. In an article for consulting firm Korn Ferry, Goleman calls this “friendliness with a purpose.”

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To work on relationship management at the office, try ensuring you explain your decisions not only to your peers but also to your employees. You’ll also want to listen when others do the same. This will help you build trust and can help others feel heard and appreciated.

Social Awareness

To be socially aware is to have the ability to empathize with the emotional experiences of individuals as well as to read and understand the emotional drivers behind group dynamics. Regarding the latter, this could be understanding the office politics of a particular organization — individual influencers, intraoffice networks, unspoken rules, etc.

• Organizational awareness

You can work on your social awareness by ensuring you’re present in social interactions, listening to what others have to say as well as watching how people act and react. Additionally, try having a conversation-starter question on hand. This can help you break the ice when meeting others for the first time or diffuse awkwardness when a conversation begins to wane.

>> Read More: The Top Soft Skills Employers Want

How Emotional Intelligence Affects Your Career

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), there are eight career readiness competencies: career and self-development, communication, critical thinking, equity and inclusion, leadership, professionalism, teamwork, and technology. While EI may not tie into the technology competency, it does connect to the other seven.

Career and Self-Development

According to NACE, some of the sample behaviors in this competency include establishing and maintaining relationships as well as being aware of both your strengths and where you need development.

Understanding and being aware of your and other people’s emotions can help you better connect with others. It can also help you be more empathetic and recognize how others want to be treated, which helps with establishing better working relationships, according to leadership development firm EWF International .

Additionally, research shows that emotional intelligence is positively associated with taking ownership of your career goals, according to an article in Human Resource Management Review . Being able and willing not only to set career goals but also to recognize what you need to work on to reach those goals can help with long-term success.

When it comes to professional communication, you should be able to be a good active listener and communicate with others in a way that respects their learning style, abilities, and cultural differences, according to NACE.

By applying the tenets of good emotional intelligence, you can be a stronger communicator. It can help you be more respectful of how each person wants to be communicated with as well as better understand the meaning behind their communication. In the world of instant messaging and emails, this can help you avoid misinterpreting intent in the absence of facial expressions and body language.

Critical Thinking

One of the sample behaviors for critical thinking, according to NACE, is the ability to “make decisions and solve problems using sound, inclusive reasoning and judgment.” Being aware and in control of your emotions — self-management — is linked to critical thinking, according to an article in Psychology Today .

Your emotions can affect how you read and interpret data and vice versa. Knowing when and how to set emotion aside and be objective about a task or findings can help you make better decisions in the long run.

Equity and Inclusion

NACE defines equity and inclusion as the ability to “demonstrate the awareness, attitude, knowledge, and skills required to equitably engage and include people from different local and global cultures.”

This ties into all four components of emotional intelligence. You need to be aware of your own biases (self-awareness), willing to work on and change them (self-management), have empathy for how others feel and want to be treated (social awareness), and be willing to influence others to do the same (relationship management).

According to an article in the Journal of Engineering, Project, and Production Management , EI is a success factor for both leadership and decision-making. It can help you be more empathetic and a better communicator with your team.

“Managers who show more empathy toward direct reports are viewed by their bosses as better performers in their jobs,” according to the Center for Creative Leadership . “Increasing your emotional intelligence quotient [can] directly increase your effectiveness as a leader.”

Professionalism

Being professional means acting with integrity as well as being dependable and consistent. But if you act based on uncontrolled emotions, you may make decisions that are not in your own best interest or that of the organization.

Understanding your own emotions and how to control them may allow you to better navigate times in which negative emotions begin to rise. For example, instead of procrastinating due to fear of failure, you can recognize and accept that emotion, but apply self-management skills to put that fear aside long enough to complete the task at hand.

Think about the last time you worked on a team project. There can often be as many personality types, communication styles, and ideas about how to best complete the task as there are people on the team. This can lead to difficulties in task completion.

When it comes to effective teamwork, you need to be able to read and react to your teammates’ emotional states and adjust your own behavior, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). In fact, the NBER published research showing “a clear and statistically significant correlation between being a good team player and emotional perceptiveness.”

>> Read More: Goal-Setting Strategies and Resources

Enhance Your Career With a Degree from Purdue Global

Emotional intelligence is just one element in career success. Consider adding to your resume a degree or certificate from Purdue Global. Part of the respected Purdue University system, we provide a world-class education that's tailored to the unique needs of a diverse population of students. Learn more about our 175+ online college degree and certificate programs . Reach out today for more information.

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About the Author

Purdue Global

Earn a degree you're proud of and employers respect at Purdue Global, Purdue's online university for working adults. Accredited and online, Purdue Global gives you the flexibility and support you need to come back and move your career forward. Choose from 175+ programs, all backed by the power of Purdue.

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The Brown Research Lab in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Purdue University is seeking a full-time research assistant to support grant-funded domestic and global studies focused on the development and evaluation of substance use, infectious disease, and reproductive health interventions.  The research assistant will help with research operations including data collection and management; assistance with the development of study materials; management of IRB protocols; recruitment and scheduling. They will also assist with undergraduate student and volunteer training. Opportunities for mentored, independent research are available, if desired.

S2 requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Public Health, Human Development or related field
• 6 months to one year of experience in a psychology (or related field)
• Research lab experience 

S3 requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Public Health, Human Development or related discipline with 
• 2 years of experience in a psychology (or related field) 
• Research lab experience
• Experience with MS Office Software
• Experience with online data collection in REDCap or similar platform
• Experience with data management in SPSS, Excel
• Experience working or conducting research in community-based or healthcare settings             
• Exceptional communication, interpersonal skills, and professionalism as a collegial team member
• Ability to work as part of a team and train others
• Strong organizational and time management skills with emphasis on accuracy and attention to detail
• Ability to efficiently multi-task and meet deadlines
• Ability to anticipate needs and solve problems
• Ability to work in-person on Purdue’s main campus in West Lafayette, IN

Additional Information: 

• Purdue University will not sponsor employment authorization for this position   
• A background check will be required for employment in this position 
• FLSA: Exempt (Not Eligible for Overtime) 
• Retirement Eligibility:  Defined Contribution Waiting Period 
• Purdue University is an EEO/AA employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce. All individuals, including minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply 
• Benefit Statement: Purdue University offers a substantial Benefit Package including medical, dental, and vision insurance as well as a generous paid time off package for sick and vacation days 
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