Holy Family University Unveils Psy.D. Program
In continuing to offer the best programs to its students, Holy Family University has announced its latest program—Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology—the first doctoral program offered by the School of Arts & Sciences.
This program is also the first counseling psychology Psy.D. offered in the greater Philadelphia region. All classes will be offered out of Holy Family University’s Newtown, PA site.
Beginning in Fall 2017, the new offering will follow a traditional face-to-face classroom format in a cohort model. The Counseling Psy.D. program will be rooted in social justice and multicultural competence—two pillars of Holy Family University’s mission. Students in this subject would be required to complete a dissertation before graduating. The doctoral program is designed to meet the standards of accreditation set by the American Psychological Association and will be seeking that accreditation when it is eligible to do so.
“The Doctor of Psychology program has five main goals,” said Dr. Freda Ginsberg, Director of the Counseling Psychology graduate program. “First, to provide an empirically based counseling psychology program that prepares students for the practice of professional psychology. Second, to offer a quality, doctoral level education, based in research and evidence based practice. To assist students in developing a deep professional identity that includes an ethical awareness and knowledge of legal issues surrounding the practice pf psychology. To enable candidates to make significant contributions to their field of knowledge through applied research and quality improvement to existing delivery structures. And finally, to instill a meaningful dedication to social justice and multicultural competence in accordance with the mission of Holy Family University and the principles of Counseling Psychology.”
Upon graduating, students would be able to pursue a Psychologist license to begin practicing.
“The School of Arts & Sciences has been considering a doctoral program in Psychology for many years,” said Shelley Robbins, Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences. “We looked at various options and decided upon a program that allows graduates to license as Psychologists after graduation. This opens new career opportunities and increases our graduates' earning potential. The School of Arts and Sciences is ready to build graduate programs. We believe strong graduate programs will increase the University's contribution to the community and attract students to all programs.”
The School of Arts & Sciences currently offers a Master’s of Science in Counseling Psychology—a program that currently has approximately 200 students that are eligible for licensure as LPCs in Pennsylvania.