Counseling Psychology and School Psychology (Combined Ph.D.)

In order to meet minimum University and departmental admission requirements, an applicant must have:

• A bachelor’s degree with at least a 3.0 GPA – An earned bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution, or a comparable degree from an international institution, with a minimum 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) grade point average (GPA) in all coursework attempted while registered as an upper-division undergraduate student working towards a bachelor’s degree, OR a graduate degree with at least a 3.5 GPA – An earned graduate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution, or a comparable degree from an international institution, with a minimum 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) grade point average (GPA).
• GRE test scores. The GRE scores may be waived for applicants who meet ALL of the following criteria:
  • The applicant has a graduate (master’s or higher) or a bachelor's degree in psychology or a counseling-related field.
  • The applicant has a minimum 3.5 upper-division undergraduate or overall graduate grade point average.
  • The applicant must have completed (with a B or higher grade) at least 1 undergraduate or graduate course in statistics, plus one other course in one of the following areas: biological bases, developmental, learning & cognition or sociocultural/individual differences as noted on their official transcript(s).
  • The applicant must have had at least one of the following as indicated on their resume/vita:
    • 1 supervised clinical/helping project/experience.
    • 1 supervised research project/experience.
• For those who do not meet the criteria, Official test results are required from the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). The Educational Testing Service (ETS) does not retain scores for longer than five years. If your test scores are older than five years, you may have to retake the test to have official scores sent directly to FSU from the testing agency. If you have the official report that was mailed to your home address for older scores, then FSU will accept that report. The FSU Institution Code is 5219. Target Scores for our program: Verbal – 150 or above, Quantitative – 148 or above, Analytical – 4.0 or above
• Language proficiency test (international students only)– FSU accepts scores from TOEFL (minimum 80), IELTS (minimum 6.5), MELAB (minimum 77), Cambridge C1 Advanced Level (minimum 180), Michigan Language Assessment (minimum 55), and Duolingo (minimum 120)
• Transcripts – Applicants must submit an official transcript from each college and/or university attended. Transcripts should be sent to the Office of Graduate Admissions electronically at graduateadmissions@fsu.edu or via mail in a sealed envelope:
  • Florida State University
    Office of Graduate Admissions
    314 Westcott Building
    P.O. Box 3061410
    Tallahassee, FL 32306-1410

For this program, the following documents must be uploaded to the Admissions Application Portal:

• Personal Statement (3-5 pages max). The personal statement should address the following:
  • Describe your interest in our program, and how the PhD in our program might help you achieve your long-term career goals. 
  • Summarize how your academic background, including how any training, research, or other educational experiences has prepared you for graduate training. 
  • Describe personal characteristics and experiences you have that might help you be successful in our program.
  • Identify at least one faculty member whose research interests align with your own with whom you would like to work and describe how you see the potential fit with interests. 
  • The font should be set at 12pt. Times New Roman and the document should be double spaced. Additionally, include page numbers and your last name at the top of each page. 
• Research Interests and Experiences Statement (250 words max). The research interests and experiences statement should address the following:
  • Clearly describe your research interests. What topics related to the PhD program are you interested in exploring? For which specific populations (e.g., children, college students, older adults)?
  • Also, describe any experiences you have had with research. This might include related work experience, volunteer, membership on a research team or lab, a specific course related to research, or other research-related experiences

Note: There may be some overlap between research and clinical/helping experiences 

• Clinical Interests & Experiences Statement (250 words max). The clinical interests and experiences statement should address the following:
  • Clearly describe your clinical/helping interests. This might include populations and/or issues (e.g., anxiety, career development, ADHD) you are interested in working with in the future. 
  • Also, describe relevant volunteer/work/personal experiences you have had with respect to clinical, counseling, or helping. What population(s) and issues have you worked with? 

Note: There may be some overlap between research and clinical/helping experiences. 

• Letters of Recommendation (3 required). Letters of recommendation should be written by persons who are in a position to comment on the likelihood of your success within the department. The letters of recommendation must be on official letterhead and should address the areas below.  Providing specific examples is encouraged to help demonstrate the capacity for success in a doctoral program. Specifically, letter writers are encouraged to address the following: 
  • Relationship with the applicant and length of time knowing the applicant. 
  • Description of the characteristics, qualities, or traits that will help the applicant be successful in a doctoral program in psychology. 
  • Discuss the applicant’s accomplishments, experiences, or habits in class or work that demonstrate their motivation, persistence to overcome obstacles, and potential for doctoral study. 
  • Discuss how you view the applicant’s potential with respect to conducting research and providing clinical/mental health work. 
  • How do you rate this applicant in comparison to others you have worked with in the past.

  • In addition, letter writers must complete a rating form (sent by the program) on applicant skills and experiences.  

• Resume/Curriculum Vitae (1 required). In addition to traditional resume topics, please include the following:
  • Include a heading called “Relevant Coursework” and list at least one course you have completed or are currently completing that would fall into one of the following categories: Statistics or research methods/design, Biological bases in psychology (physio, sensory, comparative), Developmental psychology (child/adolescent, lifespan), Learning and Cognition in psychology (behavioral analysis, cognitive processes), Sociocultural/Individual differences (social, personality, abnormal) Note: If you have not had a course in one or more of these areas, indicate N/A. (e.g., Developmental Psychology: NA). Also, it is acceptable to list one course more than once if the course addressed more than one area. 
  • Include a heading for research skills and experiences. (Include volunteer, work, trainings, presentations you’ve made, publications you’ve contributed to, experiences with specific databases and specific skills you have relevant to research). 
  • Include a heading for clinical (and/or helping) skills experiences (Include volunteer, work, trainings, experiences with specific counseling issues or specific populations, and specific skills you have relevant to clinical or helping skills).
• Unofficial Transcripts – Include transcripts from all colleges attended. Uploading a copy will expedite the review process, though you must still send official copies to the Office of Graduate Admissions.

Admission to graduate study is a two-fold evaluation process. The Office of Admissions determines eligibility for admission to the University, and the academic department, program, or college determines admissibility to the degree program. University graduate admissions requirements are found at https://gradschool.fsu.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions. Academic programs have additional requirements.

Florida State University requires a course-by-course credential evaluation for all applicants that have degrees from a non-U.S. institution. International and domestic applicants with degrees earned from international institutions must submit their official transcripts through a NACES approved evaluator for transcripts from a non-U.S. institution. SpanTran has created a custom application for Florida State University that will make sure you select the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate. See the “Transcript Requirement” section on The Graduate School website, https://gradschool.fsu.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions, for detailed information on University transcript requirements for graduate admission.

The application deadlines for this program are as follows:

• Final deadline –December 1 (Fall admission only). You have until midnight on the day of the deadline to submit your application. All required materials must be received by this date. Folders cannot be reviewed unless complete.

• Apply Now
• Apply Now- International Students

• Scholarly Engagement Requirement
• Diversity Statement and Requirements
• Doctoral Student Handbook

Information about tuition and fees at Florida State is available here. You can learn more about the scholarship and aid opportunities for College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences students here.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for school psychologists and counselors is expected to grow 14.3% through 2026, which equates to 12,800 new jobs in the field. Educational and school psychologists across the nation earn a median salary of $76,990.

The following core faculty are accepting doctoral students for Fall 2023: Drs. Ebener, Hall, Jenkins, Osborn, Reid Marks and Swanbrow Becker.

Core Faculty:

Dr. Deborah Ebener
Dr. Garret Hall
Dr. Lyndsay Jenkins
Dr. Deb Osborn
Dr. Laura Reid Marks
Dr. Martin Swanbrow Becker

Core Clinical Faculty:

Dr. V. Casey Dozier
Dr. Taylor Thompson

Associated Faculty:

Dr. Erik Hines
Dr. Simone May
Dr. Eunhui Yoon

Courtesy Faculty:

Denise Saunders
F. Donald Kelly (Professor Emeritus)
Frances Prevatt (Professor Emeritus)
Gary W. Peterson (Professor Emeritus)
James Sampson (Professor Emeritus)
Robert C. Reardon (Professor Emeritus)
Robert L. Glueckauf
Scott Porter
Steven Pfeiffer (Professor Emeritus)

Lauren Stewart

• Suicide Prevention
• Career Development & Technology
• Center for the Study of Technology in Counseling and Career Development (the Tech Center)
• Technology Intervention and Assessment in Schools (TIAS)
• Recovery & Rehabilitation Research Team
• Global Research On Working To ameliorate Health disparities (G.R.O.W.T.H.) Research Lab

Cottingham Colloquium

The doctoral program in combined counseling psychology and school psychology at Florida State University is accredited by the American Psychological Association. Questions related to the program’s accredited status should be directed to the APA Commission on Accreditation:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: 202-336-5979 / Email APA