Purdue University

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Updated November 30, 2022 · 3 Min Read

Learn more about the various counseling degree programs available at Purdue University.

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Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, Purdue University is one of the leading public research universities in the nation, known for innovation and discovery in technology and the sciences. With an enrollment of nearly 40,000 and a campus of over 2,400 acres, Purdue offers it students a truly big-time college experience, from its storied Game Day traditions for rooting on the Boliermakers to its famed student newspaper, the Exponent.

Purdue’s Department of Psychological Sciences is a hub of research, learning and teaching, home to award-winning faculty and hard-working students in its two undergraduate programs or six doctoral research programs. The Department is consistently rated among the best in the nation, and its graduate program is ranked in the top 50 by the U.S. News and World Report. For prospective graduate students interested in the counseling side of psychology, Purdue also offers a doctoral program in Counseling Psychology, housed by the Department of Education.

Purdue University Accreditation Details

Purdue University has been continuously accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1913. Purdue’s Counseling Psychology program and Clinical Psychology program have both been accredited by the American Psychological Association.

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Purdue University Application Requirements

Before applying to Purdue, be sure to check with the university’s admissions office or homepage for up-to-date deadlines and requirements. The following information will help you to plan your application:

Undergraduate

  • Freshman applicants should apply by November 1 of the year prior to their intended start date in order to be considered for the full range of available scholarships.
  • February 1 is the priority deadline for freshman applicants. After this, applications may be considered for certain programs on a space-available basis.
  • For most programs, the final deadline for transfer applicants is July 1. Applicants should check the “Closed Programs” page on Purdue’s website to be certain that their intended program is still accepting transfer applicants.
  • Prospective freshmen should use the Common Application, an online college application system utilized by hundreds of colleges. Transfer students should use the Purdue admission application.
  • Both freshman and transfer applicants will need to submit official high school, and if applicable, college transcripts. Though not required, a letter of recommendation is suggested, especially for scholarship consideration and admission into the Honors College. Freshman candidates and transfer candidates with fewer than 24 college credits should also submit SAT or ACT scores.

 
Graduate

  • Graduate applicants to Purdue should possess a baccalaureate level degree and have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0.
  • Candidates should apply online and submit their college transcripts, GRE scores, three letters of recommendation and a personal statement.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Undergraduate
As of the 2016-2017 academic year, the total estimated yearly cost for attending Purdue University as a full-time undergraduate student was $23,032 for an Indiana resident and $41,994 for a non-resident. This includes tuition and fees, housing and food, textbooks and personal expenses. Tuition and fees alone amounted to $10,002 for in-state students and $28,804 for out-of-state students.

The majority of Purdue scholarships are awarded to incoming freshmen on the basis of academic merit. Leadership experience, community service and other accomplishments may also be taken into account. Some of the most valuable scholarships available include the Presidential Scholarship and the Trustees Scholarship, ranging from $2,000 to $16,000 per year. These are renewable provided that the recipient maintains a GPA of at least 3.0 while at Purdue. Purdue’s Twenty-First Century Scholars program provides eligible students with a family income of less than $50,000 an aid package of combined gift aid and work-study sufficient to meet the student’s full financial need.

In addition to federal aid such as grants, loans and work study opportunities, Purdue University instituted a new funding opportunity in the 2016-2017 academic year. The Back a Boiler ISA Fund is an income share agreement available to a limited number of junior and senior students. Through this agreement, students receive funding for their education, and then after graduation pay a fixed percentage of their income for a fixed number of years.

Graduate
As of the 2016-2017 academic year, a Purdue graduate student taking eight or more credits pays $5,001 per semester in tuition and fees if they are an Indiana resident, or $14,402 per semester if they are a non-resident.

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The Psychological Sciences Department guarantees financial support to newly admitted graduate students for four years of study. For the majority of students, that aid comes in the form of graduate assistantships or fellowships. Both teaching and research fellowships are available, and these provide tuition remission and a living stipend in exchange for approximately 20 hours of work per week. Another option for qualified students is to act as a counselor in the undergraduate residence halls. Graduate counselors live in the dormitories, receiving free room and board in addition to their tuition remission. In return, they are scheduled to be on duty in their residence hall for approximately 20 hours per week.

Psychology and Counseling Degree Programs at Purdue University

Bachelor of Science in Psychological Sciences
Purdue’s flexible psychological sciences major is best suited for students who plan to work as therapists or in other related human services fields. Consisting of 120 credits and 14 psychology courses, the major allows students to choose a wide range of electives based upon individual goals and interests. Purdue offers numerous opportunities for psychological sciences majors to learn beyond the classroom, including for-credit internships and the Psychological Learning Community for first-year students.

Bachelor of Science in Brain and Behavior Sciences
This major is designed for students who plan to attend graduate or medical school after completing their bachelor’s degree. Coursework combines traditional psychology topics with behavioral neuroscience, the application of biological principles to the study of human behavior. Students in this track can prepare for graduate school by participating in undergraduate research or joining the Research-Focused Honors Program.

Doctoral Programs in Research Psychology
Purdue’s Department of Psychological Sciences offers research training doctoral programs in six areas of research specialization: Behavioral Neuroscience, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Mathematical and Computational Cognitive Science or Social Psychology. Admission into these research areas depends on which faculty members are currently accepting new mentees. Note that the Psychological Sciences Department does not confer terminal master’s degrees.

Doctoral Program in Counseling Psychology
Purdue’s graduate program in Counseling Psychology prepares candidates to work with clients as practitioners. The Ph.D. requires a minimum of 90 credits, spanning five years of full-time on-campus study and a year-long psychology internship. At the Purdue Counseling and Guidance Center, doctoral candidates gain supervised practice as they counsel Purdue University students on a variety of personal, academic or career concerns.

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