APHD: Counselling Psychology EdD; Field: School Psychology

Doctor of Education

Program Description

Counsellor training in this degree program emphasizes the role of the counsellor in educational and community settings with the goal of enhancing their expertise in their professional roles including supervisory and consultative skills and the advanced study of counselling theory and practice. Graduates will be prepared to take leadership positions in the field of counselling and psychotherapy; as educators in colleges and institutes of education; as directors and coordinators of school guidance programs; as specialists in the provision of counselling-related, in-service training for school and college personnel; and as providers of advanced levels of personal counselling in community and educational settings.

The field in School Psychology will be especially attractive to practitioners providing direct services to children and youth in the education system (K-12) and will provide school psychology practitioners with core theoretical and practical training needed to develop research-informed leaders in the field of school psychology. The program is structured to provide students with the requirements necessary for registration as a School Psychologist with the College of Psychologists of Ontario.

The Doctor of Education (EdD) program is only available on a full-time basis.

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the additional admission requirements of the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development stated below.

  • Applicants must have the following to be admitted to the EdD program:

    • 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 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).

    • Applicants must demonstrate either undergraduate- or graduate-level competence in each of the five 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, 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.

Program Requirements

  • 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 500-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).

    • APD3403H0 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).​

  • 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.

Program Length

4 years full-time

Time Limit

6 years full-time

0 Course that may continue over a program. The course is graded when completed.

+ Extended course. For academic reasons, coursework is extended into session following academic session in which course is offered.