The University of Kentucky is a public educational institution that was founded in 1865. It is one of Kentucky’s only two land-grant universities, but it is the largest higher learning facility in the state. It is located in Lexington, Kentucky, which is northeast of Nashville and south of Cincinnati.
Lexington is referred to as the horse capital of the world and is also at the heart of the state's bluegrass music movement. The urban campus of 800 acres serves approximately 30,000 students per year. The university boasts around 145,000 alumni in Kentucky and 220,000 in the U.S. The university has produced seven governors and various U.S. senators and U.S. representatives. Many notable CEOs, business magnets, Pulitzer Prize winners and even actress and activist Ashley Judd graduated from the University of Kentucky.
The University of Kentucky is composed of 16 colleges and a graduate school that offer around 90 undergraduate programs, 100 master programs and 70 doctoral programs. These include the Colleges of Dentistry, Business, Agriculture, Communication, Education, Fine Arts, Pharmacy, Medicine, Public Health and Social Work. The Graduate School, which was founded 1912 offers a variety of APA-approved psychology counseling programs.
The University of Kentucky has fifteen libraries on campus, one of which is a federal depository, and notable state buildings and landmarks. Kentucky legislature successfully passed a mandate in 1997 with the goal of the university becoming one of the Top 20 public research institutions in the U.S. by the year 2020. To date, the enrollment has increased by 2,000, Research expenditures increased by $170 million, endowments increased by $240 million and the six-year graduation rate has slightly increased. Today, the University of Kentucky ranks around 28th among public universities in sponsored research.
University of Kentucky Accreditation Details
-The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission on Colleges.
-The PhD clinical psychology program is accredited by the American Psychological Association’s Commission on Accreditation and the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System. The program is a member of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science organization.
-The Educational Specialist graduate program is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and the school psychology doctoral (PhD) program is accredited by the American Psychological Association.
University of Kentucky Application Requirements
The application process for graduate students is completed online. The University of Kentucky requires graduate students to submit their online application through the ApplyYourself Application Network, which is an enrollment system used by 700 colleges and universities across the country. Graduate students must upload their transcripts from all higher education institutions attended. Students must have an overall undergraduate GPA of 2.75 to apply and must maintain a 3.00 GPA on all graduate work. Official GRE or GMAT test scores are required for admission, but students have the option of committing to take the test on a future date. There are no minimum score standards for the GRE or GMAT. The graduate psychology programs require a resume and personal statement to be submitted. All graduate students must submit up to three letters of recommendation.
University of Kentucky Tuition and Financial Aid
Graduate students who are local residents will pay $6,200 per semester, non-residents will pay $14,200 per semester. Students must submit a FAFSA application to apply for aid. Available loans include Federal Direct, Perkins and Direct PLUS - Graduate Student. Scholarships include the KHEAA Monies, Hope Scholarship/Lifetime Learning, Academic Excellence Scholarship Program and the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES). There are also the Legacy Tuition, the Felix E. Martin, Jr. Scholarship and the William C. Parker Diversity Scholarship programs.
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University of Kentucky Psychology and Counseling Degrees
The counseling psychology program is designed to help students develop expertise in the traditional domains of counseling interventions. Students gain the scientific skills that enable them to evaluate research, create new knowledge and promote ethical and professional attitudes. Students are encouraged to strive for excellence and leadership in the field of psychology. The psychology programs at the University of Kentucky are noted for focusing on social justice and the importance of diversity. The purpose of most psychology programs is to educate professionals who continue to pursue scholarly activities and promote the discipline of psychology. The counseling program additionally encourages students to focus on the well-being, mental health and psycho-social development of diverse populations.
The University of Kentucky’s counseling programs are based on three primary concepts. First, a community-based perspective that values social justice. Second, a scientist-practitioner model of pedagogy. Third, a systems thinking perspective of individual interaction and interdependence. The counseling psychology program offers three degree specializations. These are the two Masters of Science in school psychology and educational psychology and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program in Counseling Psychology. These programs have been accredited by the American Psychological Association since the early 1980’s.
The educational psychology program focuses on producing psychologists who have excellent conceptual and practical educational psychology skills. Educational psychologists are trained to focus on statistics, assessments and research methodology. Students go on to become education advisers, public policy makers and research consultants. Graduate students choose one of four specialization areas: motivation, development, quantitative methods, and multicultural education. The school psychology program is designed to produce school psychologist who enthusiastically engage children, adolescents and adults in various educational settings. These students learn the best ways to connect with coworkers and students. The program was created through the assistance of the College of Education, but it still uses a scientist-practitioner model that focuses on transforming research to practice.
The doctoral clinical psychology program is designed to train clinical scientists who integrate research and practice together. Scientific methods provide the strongest research base for creating or challenging field knowledge. Clinicians are taught to focus on services that are scientifically effective. Students learn how to become proactive researchers and consumers of published literature in order to use scientific findings to guide applied activities. All doctoral students must conduct original research and make meaningful contributions to current scientific literature. Students who enter the program are expected to have well-formed professional goals that drive their teaching, research and clinical services.
The University of Kentucky has a various programs to help students succeed in life and at school. These include the Legacy program, which helps students connect with services, the Childcare Grants program, which helps students find daycare for their children, and various free transportation services that promote safety.
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