Program in Counseling Psychology School of Arts and Sciences Holy Family University

Holy Family University -- Graduate Counseling Psychology -- An Overview

As awareness of mental health issues grows, the need for well-trained, compassionate counselors also increases. Holy Family University's master's in counseling psychology will equip students with the tools to assist children or adults develop and grow during the years of school, higher education, work experience, and marriage and family commitments.

Counseling psychology is a field of study that examines the emotional, vocational, and social wellbeing of individuals at all stages of their lives. A student in Holy Family's graduate Counseling Psychology program will develop an advanced understanding of human behavior throughout the human lifespan, along with a sensitivity to the differences inherent in different cultural, ethnic, and social groups, and mastery of counseling guidance theories and client evaluation skills.

A Flexible Program, A Versatile Degree

The M.S. in counseling psychology is designed for part-time students who, under ordinary circumstances, can complete the program in approximately three to four years. Classes meet at Holy Family's convenient location in Newtown, Bucks County, in the evenings and on Saturdays.

Numerous concentrations are available, allowing students to focus their studies on the areas that interest them most. These concentrations include counseling in student affairs in higher education, clinical mental health counseling, family and marital counseling, school counseling (Pennsylvania certification in elementary, secondary, or dual school counseling), and pastoral counseling. Holy Family University also offers two postgraduate programs: a licensure program for practicing master-level counselors and a school counseling certification program for any with a master's degree wishing to become certified as an elementary or secondary school guidance counselor.

All concentrations in the graduate counseling psychology program fulfill the educational requirements for licensure of professional counselors in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey.

Strong faculty mentoring and advising is emphasized through a one-on-one relationship between students and faculty, and research and study abroad opportunities are available.

A Myriad of Skills to Prepare You for Practice

By the time a student graduates with his or her master's in counseling psychology, he or she will have learned a myriad of skills. A student will have received an understanding of human behavior throughout the human lifespan, and will also have been exposed to the increasing diversity of modern society, sensitizing him or her to the differences inherent in various cultural, ethnic, and social groups.

A student will have been trained in specific counseling and consultation skills, including group counseling, and exposed to current practices in the fields of career and lifestyle counseling. He or she will have studied the basic individual, family, and group assessment and evaluation techniques and received a solid grounding in research methods and program evaluation techniques.

True to the University's mission, the program also will help him or her to develop an understanding of the ethical and legal issues facing counselors. He or she will learn about the role of counselors in a wide variety of settings, helping him or her to chart his or her post-graduate course.

An Institutional Focus on Outcomes

Holy Family University's is a challenging academic environment. To succeed here, a student must be committed. He or she must put in the work, the hours, and the effort. But if a student is willing to dedicate him or herself, his or her efforts will be rewarded. He or she will receive a first-class education that will enable him or her to explore new ideas and experiences, one that will fully prepare him or her for the next steps of his or her career as soon as he or she graduates.

It's easy to see why Holy Family graduates stand out. The difference is real-world. The difference is experience. The difference is preparedness and a focus on student outcomes.

Challenge Yourself -- and Nurture Yourself

Respect for the individual, the dignity of the human person -- these values are at the very core of Holy Family University. They are values that are taught vehemently at the university; even more, they are values that are lived by Holy Family's community. The university's concern for moral values and social justice guides its programs and enriches everything that it does.

Those values give rise to a vigorous, demanding educational experience that will challenge students even as it teaches them. Yet Holy Family's legacy is also one of mutual support and community. Holy Family's is a smaller, more personal learning environment. Here, students will know their professors, and those professors will know them, in turn. When students raise their hands, they'll be called on by name. If students have questions, those questions will be answered. If students need additional help, they will get it. A student's education here will be more personal, more welcoming, and more in tune to his or her success.

• Degrees Offered
• Major Degree Levels Offered
• Master of Science (MS)

• Degrees Awarded
• Master's Degrees 18
• Doctoral Degrees Not reported
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported
• * Shows the number of degrees awarded for the last academic year that data was reported.

• Earning Your Degree
• Part-time study available? Yes
• Evening/weekend programs available? Yes
• Distance learning programs available? Not reported
• Terminal master's degree available? Not reported

• Degree Requirements
• Master's Degrees Not reported
• Doctoral Degrees Not reported
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported

• Acceptance Rate
• Applied71
• Accepted59
• Acceptance Rate83%
• Enrolled30
• Applying
• Application Fee - Domestic $25
• Application Fee - International $25
• Electronic applications accepted? Yes
• Applications processed on a rolling basis? Yes
• Application Deadlines
• Type Domestic International Priority Date
• Fall deadline August 1st Not Reported Not Reported
• Winter deadline January 1st Not Reported Not Reported
• Spring deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Entrance Requirements
• Master's Degreesbaccalaureate degree from accredited college or university; minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0; 2 letters of recommendation; personal statement; official transcripts; interview
• Doctoral's DegreesNot Reported
• First-Professional's DegreesNot Reported
• Other Advanced DegreesNot Reported
• International DegreesNot Reported

• Tuition & Fees
• In-state tuition *$14,400
• Out-of-state tuition *$14,400
• International student tuitionNot Reported
• * Tuition for full-time graduate student per academic year
• Fees
• Per-academic year feesNot Reported
• Per-term feesNot Reported
• One-time feeNot Reported
• * Fees for full-time graduate students
• Financial Support
• Financial award applicants must submitCSS Profile and FAFSA
• Application deadlines for financial awardsMay 1
• Types of financial support availableNot Reported

• Gender
• Total Graduate Students157
• Female Percentage43%
• Male Percentage57%
• Participation
• Total Graduate Students157
• Part-time Percentage97%
• Full-time Percentage3%
• Ethnicity
• Hispanic / Latino1%
• Black / African American4%
• White / Caucasian92%
• American Indian / Alaskan Native0%
• Asian1%
• Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander0%
• Two or more races0%
• Unknown2%