Ball State University Beneficence

Department of Counseling Psychology

The Ph.D. program is now accepting applications from Bachelor's level applicants.  See "Forms and Information" tab for details.

Overview of Counseling Psychology.  

Counseling psychologists are concerned with normal human development throughout a broad range of personal, vocational, and interpersonal contexts.  They have been described as the generalists of applied psychology.  Unlike their colleagues in clinical psychology, who frequently describe themselves as concerned with severely disturbed clients, counseling psychologists historically have been concerned with helping individuals develop personal and social resources and adaptive tendencies so that the individual can be assisted in making more effective use of them. Thus although the counseling psychologist may work with an acutely disturbed person, he or she is primarily interested in helping that person develop the skills needed to prevent such disturbances and to help other, better functioning people reduce unnecessary stress and enjoy life more. 

Counseling psychologists serve in many roles.  These include:

psychological assessment

individual and group counseling

vocational and career counseling

marriage and family counseling

sex therapy

school counseling

health psychology

gerontological counseling

educational, medical, vocational, and correctional consultation

treatment and intervention evaluation

Counseling Psychology at Ball State University.

We have developed the doctoral program through the Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services at Ball State University to train psychologists capable of working in a wide variety of settings. The doctoral program is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association. Our program prepares scientist-professionals who demonstrate a strong integration of theory, research, and intervention strategies. This emphasis is reflected in our faculty’s expertise in: 

Behavioral Medicine

Brief Therapy

Career Development

Chronic Illness

Clinical Judgment

Conflict Resolution

Family Psychology

Gifted and Talented Populations

Human Sexuality

Multicultural Counseling

Organizational Psychology

Pediatric Psychology

School Counseling

Social Cognition and Perception

For information about our APA accreditation:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation

750 First Street, NE

Washington, DC 20002-4242

Phone: 202-336-5979; Fax: 202-336-5978

 

Department Facilities and Resources.

Departmental, instructional, and research facilities at Ball State are exceptional.  The facilities of the department include ten practicum rooms, an observation corridor, and two group observation rooms.  Most of these facilities are linked to a central control room for the use of audio and video media.  The department operates an in-house counseling clinic that serves about six hundred clients a year from Muncie and surrounding communities.  The clinic provides practicum and internship experiences for our students who are supervised by the faculty.  Some practica are offered off campus (e.g., local schools, hospital).  Other facilities at Ball State include various computer labs and other resources.

Student Diversity.

 

We are proud to support a diverse student population, including gay and

lesbian students, persons with physical disabilities, and a variety of ethnic

and international students from: Canada, China, El Salvador, Germany, Greece,

Japan, Iceland, India, Palestine, South Africa, Taiwan, and Yemen.

Cognates (Major Areas of Focus).

 

Our doctoral students can expect to develop expertise in one of the following areas or others of their choosing:

 

 

Anthropology Neuropsychology
College Student Personnel Prevention
Consultation Rehabilitation
Educational Psychology Research Methodology
Gerontology School Psychology
Health Psychology Social Psychology
Industrial/Organizational Psychology Sports Psychology
Marriage & Family Counseling Vocational Psychology
Multicultural Counseling Wellness Management

Financial Support.

All first, second, and third year doctoral students receive financial support.  During the Academic Year 2000-2001, doctoral assistantships were paid (fall & spring semesters) $7,750 for first and second-year students and $6,489 for third-year students.  In addition, students with doctoral assistantships received a full tuition remission but were responsible for paying a dedicated fee, which was $480 per semester.  Fee remissions added approximately $5,500 to the value of an assistantship for an in-state student who registered for 12 hours each semester in the academic year and for 6 hours each summer term; fee remissions added approximately $13,700 to the value of an assistantship for an out-of-state student registering for the same number of hours.

 

Doctoral students receive excellent financial support from Ball State University to present papers at professional conferences each year.

Assistantships and Placements.

Students engage in four different types of assistantships.  These include:

  1. Research with faculty members (usually student's committee chair)
  2. Practicum supervision
  3. Professional duties in the departmental clinic (intake assessment, interviews, telephone screening, office support, etc.)
  4. Teaching undergraduate classes; assistant teaching of pre-practicum master's course.

Employment of Recent Graduates.

Our graduates are employed in a variety of settings.  These include:

Faculty positions in undergraduate and graduate programs

Staff and administrative psychology positions in:

Adolescent Treatment Centers

Army, Navy, and Air Force

Community Mental Health Centers 

Medical Hospitals

Rehabilitation Hospitals

University Counseling Centers

Veterans Administration Hospitals

In-Patient Treatment Centers 

University Counseling Centers

 

Applications and Further Information.

We accept 10 students per year into the doctoral program.  Each student is guaranteed an assistantship and full tuition waiver for the academic year and for summer registration.  Assistantships are available for three years and some summer assistantships are also available.  Additionally, there is substantial financial support for carrying out research and attending professional conferences.

For further information contact Larry Gerstein, the director of this program.  Application forms may be obtained by contacting the department or by downloading the necessary forms.

 

 

| Last Modification: March, 2006 |
 
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