The counseling psychology program at the University of Southern California

[theSteppenwolf]

Question: Does anyone know when the counseling psychology program at the University of Southern California ended?Additionally, what degree type was it?

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[R. Matey]

The only counseling psychology program I know of in CA is the combined program at UCSB. It’s a PhD and still accredited.

 

[PsyDr]

I imagine that your searches are being confused by putting "psychology" into the search. While there are "counseling psychology" programs, there are also just "counseling" programs.

A counselling psychologist completes a phd/psyd comprised of 5-7 years of standardized courses required by the APA, with a "residency"/internship that is usually not in the same geographical location (this is/was administered through the same match program used by medicine), who then passes a national standardized exam, then completes a one year post doc, then passes a state examination/jurisprudence examination/possibly oral examination, and is then licensed under the psychology board.

A counselor with a phd completes a masters degree in counseling (which has a unique theoretical base that is NOT ALWAYS psychology), does some supervised training in a local setting for a year or two, passes a state exam/jurisprudence exam, gets licensed at the master's level by a counseling board, and THEN completes an academic PhD on a part time basis that appears to take approximately 2 years.

 

[Justanothergrad]

Agree with PsyDr about "psychology" confusing the goolge search terms.

I would suggest making sure to cross-check the APA website, which lists all accredited programs

https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/a14f9462/files/uploaded/2019%20DOCTORAL%20APA%20Accredited%20Doctoral%20Programs_FINAL.pdf

 

[Mama Bear]

I searched Counseling Psych only programs in CA (not combined). There are 0 accredited programs there.

 

[futureapppsy2]

Read the OP, guys. He’s asking when the program shut down.

 

[R. Matey]

Read the OP, guys. He’s asking when the program shut down.

I wonder if the OP meant a different program. I left the west coast for graduate school because the only counseling psychology program on the entire west coast is at the University of Oregon. WSU's program was shutting down when I was applying and I wasn't interested in the combined program at UCSB. This was around seven years ago. So, if there was a program there, it wasn't in recent history.

 

[PsyDr]

Read the OP, guys. He’s asking when the program shut down.

Read the response, guy. They can't find the relevant date if they're looking for the wrong thing.

(guy being etymologically gender neutral)

 

[R. Matey]

Read the response, guy. They can't find the relevant date if they're looking for the wrong thing.

It's understandably a bit confusing to lay people. There's an accreditation war for master's program in counseling since CACREP cut out counseling psychologists as faculty nearly ten years ago. MPCAC accredited programs still retain the title counseling psychology in reference to their master's programs. Texas A&M and a few others do this. If the OP is referring to a master's program, then it's been retitled to educational counseling. They don't have a Ph.D. program there in either counselor education or counseling psychology.

 

[futureapppsy2]

Read the response, guy. They can't find the relevant date if they're looking for the wrong thing.

(guy being etymologically gender neutral)

A current lack of a program does not mean that that program never existed, and APA unfortunately doesn’t catalogue formerly accredited programs. Nor did USC ever have an accredited counselor education PhD (CACREP does catalogue these). All these “there isn’t a counseling psychology program currently listed, so you must be confused” responses are answering a question the OP didn’t ask.

 

[R. Matey]

A current lack of a program does not mean that that program never existed, and APA unfortunately doesn’t catalogue formerly accredited programs. Nor did USC ever have an accredited counselor education PhD (CACREP does catalogue these). All these “there isn’t a counseling psychology program currently listed, so you must be confused” responses are answering a question the OP didn’t ask.

Fair enough, but I think the OP can contact the CoA for information discontinued doctoral programs before 2017. Like I said, I was trying to stay on the WC when I applied for graduate school, but couldn't due to the lack of counseling psychology programs.

 

[niceman]

It was a PhD in Counseling Psychology program. When a program is in the process of shutting down, the school may apply to maintain "accredited, inactive" status for a few years to ensure the remaining students graduate from an accredited program. Its accreditation probably officially ended in 2008.

 

[R. Matey]

It was a PhD in Counseling Psychology program. When a program is in the process of shutting down, the school may apply to maintain "accredited, inactive" status for a few years to ensure the remaining students graduate from an accredited program. Its accreditation probably officially ended in 2008.

@niceman officially rescued this thread.

 

[Justanothergrad]

A current lack of a program does not mean that that program never existed, and APA unfortunately doesn’t catalogue formerly accredited programs. Nor did USC ever have an accredited counselor education PhD (CACREP does catalogue these). All these “there isn’t a counseling psychology program currently listed, so you must be confused” responses are answering a question the OP didn’t ask.

They technically do, to a degree. The website currently includes lists accredited doctoral programs, internships, and post docs from 2017, 2018, and 2019 on the site at present so the there is a time limited nature of their cataloging. Hopefully they continue that trend moving forward. It'd be nice to see them roll backwards for a few years as well, but I'm more skeptical there.

APA-Accredited Programs

Find APA-accredited programs, including doctoral graduate programs in clinical, counseling, school psychology and combination programs; internships, a required component of doctoral training; and postdoctoral residency programs in traditional and specialty practice areas of psychology.

www.accreditation.apa.org

While it may not be the question the OP asked, it may have also addressed a broader underlying reason for the initial question, depending on what the question was (if the issue was looking for programs there or in that area, it curbs that issue entirely). If its not, no harm no foul. If it does, great. I'm not sure us answering only the question OP asked is a always a good thing for various reasons. I could have been clearer in the rationale for my response, but I suspect the issue I eluded to (issues with regards to search terms) may be a problem others searching may face and the solution referenced may be a useful bit of information.

 

[theSteppenwolf]

It was a PhD in Counseling Psychology program. When a program is in the process of shutting down, the school may apply to maintain "accredited, inactive" status for a few years to ensure the remaining students graduate from an accredited program. Its accreditation probably officially ended in 2008.

Thank you. I had no idea this question would set anything off.

 

[theSteppenwolf]

I was asking about a program that no longer exists at the University of Southern California. It was an APA-accredited Counseling Psychology program. I didn’t know whether it was a PhD or EdD. I also wanted to know when the program ended. Hope that’s more clear.

 

[AbnormalPsych]

I know of someone who went there, probably a few decades ago, as I think they are nearing their late 50s now. They were a licensed psychologist with a PhD. That's about the extent of my knowledge.

 

[chicandtoughness]

I also know of someone who attended the PhD in Counseling Psychology at USC. They're in their 40s. So it did exist. Just no idea when it ended.

 

[cara susanna]

@niceman officially rescued this thread.

I love the username synergy, too.