Doctor of Education in Counselling Psychology (School Psychology Field)
Doctor of Education in Counselling Psychology (School Psychology Field) Overview
Support young minds as a leader in school psychology
Students trained in the new EdD in Counselling Psychology: School Psychology Field will be leaders in their respective school contexts. There is a significant demand for doctoral-level trained practitioners who can deliver evidence-based assessment and intervention to children and youth in schools.
This new field in School Psychology will provide students with research-informed professional skills in preparation for leadership in school psychology practice with children, adolescents, families, and other educational professionals in K-12 school settings. This program is designed to provide professional training in evidence-based practices in psychological assessment, therapy and other psychosocial and instructional interventions, professional consultation, supervision, and prevention in the context of school and education systems.
The Doctor of Education in Counselling Psychology, School Psychology Field (EdD SP) is primarily for students who are already engaged in a career in school psychology or educational consulting services in an educational setting.
Graduates of this degree will be eligible for registration with the College of Psychologists of Ontario with the competency in the area of school psychology working with children and adolescents. Students from other provinces or those seeking psychology licensure outside Ontario should contact the applicable psychology regulator for more information about registration eligibility, as regulation standards and policies differ across provincial jurisdictions.
For detailed information about this program, please consult the School of Graduate Studies Calendar.
At a Glance
Study Requirements
Full-time (4 years)
Coursework
Required Practicum (600 hours)
Required Internship (1600 hours)
Thesis
Hybrid (online – synchronous and some in-person options) mode of delivery
Funding and Tuition
For current information about tuition fees, funding, and financial support, visit Tuition & Financial Support.
Deadlines
Applications are now open for a Fall 2025 start and will close on Nov 25, 2024.
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Why I Chose Applied Psychology & Human Development
Nivatha Moothathamby (Master of Arts 2021)
PhD student in Developmental Psychology and Education
"My journey at OISE has been filled with establishing positive and supportive relationships, learning the nuances of psychology and education, and understanding my role as a scholar and an activist. As a Tamil-Canadian, I come from a community that has faced racial injustices and intergenerational trauma. The Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development has provided me with academic resources and a community to explore and expand on these parts of my identity. Overall, OISE’s deep commitment to inclusion, diversity and equity is what drew me to apply. I found my place here."
Doctor of Education in Counselling Psychology Admission Requirements
General Admission Requirements
Please visit the OISE Admissions website for detailed information about the application process, including general minimum admission requirements and supporting documents.
Program-Specific Information (Minimum Admission Requirements)
- Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies.
- Minimum admission requirements for this program are:
- A bachelor's degree: an appropriate bachelor's degree of any background or discipline from a recognized university, with high academic standing.
- A master's degree: an MA or MEd degree in Counselling Psychology or School and/or Clinical Child Psychology from the University of Toronto with a grade of B+ or better, or its equivalent from a recognized university. The applicant must have had successful professional experience and interest to increase and advance their knowledge of school psychology, counselling, and psychotherapy to become leaders in their fields. Applicants who hold an MEd or other non-thesis master's degree must submit evidence of their ability to identify a research question or problem, to design and conduct a research study or project, and to report the findings or results, all in a rigorous manner. This constitutes a Qualifying Research Paper (QRP).
- Successful professional experience as a psychometrist, consultant, and/or counsellor in an educational setting or in a related position.
Required Supporting Documents
All applicants must submit:
- Transcript(s) from each post-secondary institution attended
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae
- Two letters of reference (one academic and one professional) including contact emails. One of the letters of reference should be from a Lead/Manager Psychologist or head of a Psychology program from a publicly funded School Board.
Please communicate these items to one of your referees and ask that (s)he comment on the following in your reference letter:
To the extent possible, please comment on the applicant’s- Sensitivity to others
- Awareness of own impact on others
- Empathy and capacity to provide support to others
- Ability to exercise appropriate judgment
- Appropriateness of interpersonal behaviour
- Ethically appropriate behaviour
- In your opinion, how suitable is this applicant for training in counselling?
Additional Program Information
Coursework
Students must take courses related to the development of advanced competence in counselling, psychotherapy, and mental health theory and practice and become sophisticated consumers of research in these and related fields. Students must complete a minimum of 5.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs) including a practicum, internship, and thesis (dissertation in practice) as follows:
- APD3115H+ Research Proseminar in Counselling and Psychotherapy (0.5 FCE).
- APD3215H Advanced Psychotherapy Seminar (0.5 FCE).
- APD3261H+ Clinical Supervision and Consultation Practicum (0.5 FCE).
- APD3217Y+ Advanced Practicum in Clinical and Counselling Psychology (1.0 FCE; Credit/No Credit): complete a 600-hour practicum before the Final Oral Examination.
- APD3401H Assessment with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Children, Youth, and Families (0.5 FCE).
- APD3402H Intervention with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Children, Youth, and Families (0.5 FCE).
- APD3403H EdD Internship in School Psychology (0.5 FCE): complete 1,600 hours of internship, typically after the Final Oral Examination. All internship arrangements must be made in consultation with the Director of Clinical Training.
- Three courses, one from each of the following three groupings:
- APD3116H Proseminar ll: Practice-Based Research in School and Counselling Psychology.
- APD3178H Advanced Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (0.5 FCE) or APD3160H Advanced Family Therapy (0.5 FCE).
- APD3260H Psychodiagnostic Systems (0.5 FCE) or one elective in a special focus of interest (0.5 FCE).
Cognate Course Requirements:
- Applicants must demonstrate either undergraduate- or graduate-level competence in each of the six core content areas of psychology: 1) Biological Bases of Behaviour; 2) Cognitive/Affective Bases of Behaviour; 3) Historical and Scientific Foundations of Psychology; 4) Scientific and Professional Ethics (graduate level); and 5) Social Bases of Behaviour; and 6) Psychology of the Individual, by successful completion of
- 1.0 full-course equivalent (FCE) at the second-, third-, or fourth-year undergraduate level or
- 0.5 FCE at the graduate level.
If the above requirements are not met, students must take additional courses to ensure they have completed the above requirements by the end of their program.
Optional Additional Practicum
Students may choose to take an optional continuous practicum (APD3271H0 Additional PhD Practicum) in conjunction with the required doctoral practicum course APD3217Y+ Advanced Practicum in Clinical and Counselling Psychology (Credit/No Credit).
Thesis (Dissertation in Practice)
All students must complete a thesis (dissertation in practice), the aim of which is to ensure excellent knowledge of counselling or school psychology theory, practice, and policy for professionals working with adults or children/youth to function as leading scholar-practitioners. The thesis (dissertation in practice) should be: a) well conceived, original, and likely to make a sustained contribution to mental health or school psychology practice; b) involve creativity, innovative methods and techniques, and have the potential to improve practice; c) exemplary, sets high standards in the field, and can be emulated and; d) has the potential for significant public impact. The focus of the thesis (dissertation in practice) is expected to be on contributions to field development or to innovations in practice. Students will defend their thesis (dissertation in practice) at a Final Oral Examination.
Students are full-time and must maintain continuous, full-time registration and pay full-time fees until all degree requirements, including the thesis (dissertation in practice), are completed.
Students cannot transfer between the EdD and PhD programs.
Why is the program offered in “Hybrid Mode”?
Recognizing the need for specialized services across both urban and rural areas, the EdD-SP program adopts a bifocal approach. It targets a range of educational landscapes and employs innovative instructional methods like Flex-Mode learning (delivered online, synchronously, and after working hours), allowing students to remain in their home communities for most of the program. By minimizing the number of required courses in Toronto, the program avoids uprooting individuals from their communities, thus reinforcing the importance of equitable psychological services across various geographical and socio-cultural settings. Additional in-person options are available for intervention courses in the summer academic sessions. Practicum and internship training are completed in-person under the supervision of registered psychology professionals within the student's community, preferably at a local school district
What is a Qualifying Research Paper (QRP)?
In addition to the standard application process, students who completed a master’s degree that did not require a thesis must submit a Qualifying Research Paper (QRP).
- This paper provides evidence of the ability to identify a research or development program, to design and conduct a study or project, and to report the findings or results in a rigorous manner.
- The QRP is not required prior to being accepted into the Doctoral Program, but acceptance will be conditional upon it’s suitability. It must be completed before the beginning of classes and approved by members of the departmental admission committee.
- The QRP requirement can be fulfilled by submitting individually-authored research that the applicant has conducted previously, often as part of work responsibilities. Alternatively, applicants can submit a fully-documented research proposal (supervised by an assigned faculty member in the counselling program) which demonstrates the ability to conceptualize and plan a research project.
Program Coordinator: Dr. Archie Kwan, C.Psych.
Questions? Please email us at oise.aphd@utoronto.ca
Program Coordinator:
Puja Variawa
puja.variawa@utoronto.ca
Ready to join one of the world’s top universities?
Take the next step in your academic journey and start your application to graduate studies at OISE.
