The ranking was based on the programs’ accreditation, examination pass rate, licensure, completion time and tuition.
Best Counseling Degrees recently named Texas Tech University's doctoral program in counseling psychology the second best in the country.
In creating its 2017-18 list of the Top 50 Doctoral Programs in Counseling Psychology, Best Counseling Degrees began with a list of all doctoral programs in counseling psychology accredited by the American Psychological Association. Next, the Examination for Professional Practice of Psychology (EPPP) pass rate for all programs was gathered from The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards.
Each program's website was searched for student admissions, outcomes and other data. From this data were gathered the mean time to complete the program, full-time, out-of-state tuition and licensure percentages. Schools were then ranked on EPPP pass rate, with licensure percentage and mean time to complete program used to break any ties.
Texas Tech boasts a 100 percent EPPP pass rate, 95 percent licensure and a mean completion time of 6.2 years.
Texas Tech's program trains students in counseling psychology and health service psychology. Students receive clinical training on location at programs that partner with the university, as well as on site at the Psychology Department Clinic and at the Student Counseling Center. Students also receive training in research to support them in completing their dissertation and in instructing to support their experience teaching psychology courses while in the program.
“I think this ranking reflects our strong and diverse faculty, our high placement rates, our ability to offer numerous and diverse external practicum opportunities and our commitment to the scientist-practitioner model; hence, our accreditation since 1964,” said Sheila Garos, director of the Counseling Psychology Program. “We continue to graduate students with successful careers in such settings as major medical settings, student counseling centers, Veterans Affairs hospitals and academic positions.”
Three other Big 12 Conference universities were included in the ranking. Iowa State University was No. 34, the University of Texas at Austin was No. 38 and the University of Kansas was No. 49.
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