Top Ten+ Reasons to Apply to the
UT Counseling Psychology Program
The program holds a general meeting of all students and faculty once each semester. At the Fall, 2007, Town Hall Meeting students were asked to generate a list the top ten reasons they would give to a good friend for applying to the UT Counseling Psychology program. As you can see below, the students did not stop with ten reasons. They are listed alphabetically rather than in any sort of priority.
Counseling Center:You will have the opportunity to complete at least three semesters of practicum at the counseling center, and you will have even more training there if you are selected for an assistantship. The Center is an APA-accredited internship site. The staff are friendly and very dedicated to your training. You will learn a great deal about how a top center operates. Practicum is fantastic at the Counseling Center!
Diversity: In this program you will work closely with students from other countries, other ethnic groups, and with gay and lesbian students. Creating a diverse mix in every class is a strong goal in the admissions process. That makes this program very interesting and challenging, and as a result you will learn a great deal from your classmates to help you work with people from other cultures. The program provides a place where everyone is helped to feel welcome and valued.
Energy: The program has a new energy and is moving in new directions. This is a great time to be a first year student because of the new emphasis on social justice advocacy, the new opportunities (e.g., consultation skills) and the spirit of excitement.
Faculty: (The students singled out several members of the faculty by name as being especially good advisors and nationally known for their research.) Faculty members take a personal interest in their advisees, and they can be very warm, supportive, and encouraging. Members of the faculty have won college level awards for high quality teaching, university awards for being the best advisor on campus, and national awards for being a top researcher. Many faculty members have research teams that you can join. This is a great way to get started with your own research projects.
Fairness to all students, but especially to international students. The special needs of international students are recognized and we receive a great deal of support to succeed.
Feminist: A feminist approach to counseling is part of the emphasis in faculty research and in key courses. Dr. Travis, the Chair of the Women’s Studies program, is a faculty member in our Department.
Flexibility to switch advisors if you decide a different faculty member would be a better match, and flexibility to pursue your own research interests.
GLBT support: The faculty encourages gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered students to apply, and GLBT students already in the program are supported. Many courses contain material to increase your awareness about the challenges that face GLBT clients, and you will receive training to help you work effectively with clients who have experienced oppression because of their sexuality.
JCP: Our program is the home of the Journal of Counseling Psychology. As Editor, Dr. Mallinckrodt, gives students opportunities to work for the journal and have an inside look at how the publication process works. Having JCP here has added even more prestige to the program.
Knoxville is a beautiful city. The parks, the Greenways for bicycling, the Tennessee river, and the Smoky Mountains add to the feeling of living in a very beautiful place. Knoxvilleis a big city with a small city feel.
Multicultural emphasis: Many of the courses taught by counseling psychology faculty have a very strong multicultural focus. You will be encouraged to learn about other cultures, and expected to learn more about yourself and your own cultural assumptions. You will leave the program with very solid skills for working with clients form different cultures. (See also Diversity, Feminism, and GLBT Issues above.)
Practice training: You leave the program very well trained to provide psychotherapy/counseling to a wide range of clients.
Psychology Department: Students who entered with a Masters degree from a College of Education were especially vocal in emphasizing the many advantages of being in a Psyc. Dept., including teaching opportunities, access to research subjects, and the great courses taught by faculty from Clinical, Developmental, Social, and Experimental Psyc.
Research training: You will receive training in many different approaches to research, and no single method is presented as better than all others. Students with interests in qualitative research are encouraged. There is flexibility and encouragement to pursue your research interests, even if they are not the same as your advisor’s. At this program you will not be “put in a box.”
Teaching opportunities: Dr. Saudargas’ class gives you excellent preparation to be a classroom instructor. We have the chance to be the primary instructor for a section of General Psychology for as many as two years (four different classes). Unlike some other programs where you are only a teaching assistant, at UT you have the opportunity to teach a course on your own (with support and advice from the faculty.) This is excellent preparation for becoming a faculty member. Even if you aren’t interested in teaching, you’ll have great skills for making presentations and giving workshops.
Training opportunities: There are “tons of opportunities” on campus (e.g., Counseling Center) and off campus (e.g. Cherokee Mental Health Center). You will have the chance to work with many different types of clients.
Contact Information
Counseling Psychology Program
1404 Circle Dr., Rm. 312
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN 37996
Phone: 865-974-3328
Fax: 865-974-3330
Program Director
Brent Mallinckrodt, Ph.D.
Email: bmallinc@utk.edu
Program Administrative Assistant
Alecia M. Davis
Phone: 865-974-8319
Email: adavis44@utk.edu