Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (PhD)

Overview

The Counselling Psychology Program, in line with the mission of the research-intensive University of British Columbia, creates, advances and critically examines knowledge in counselling psychology, especially with respect to its validity, applicability, limits, and interface with other disciplines. In developing and applying pertinent and innovative research methodologies, the Counselling Psychology Program relies upon and builds qualitative and quantitative evidence to determine effective counselling interventions in educational, community, health, and occupational settings.

Our Doctoral Program is accredited by the Canadian Psychological Association and follows the scientist-practitioner model for the education of counselling psychologists: students receive a substantial education as both researchers and professional psychologists. Designed for those with relevant experience who want to gain doctoral level competence, this program enhances research, counselling theory, and counselling skills.

For specific program requirements, please refer to the departmental program website

$40,000

Minimum funding per year^*

Average years to completion

I decided to study at UBC because the Counselling Psychology program prepares its students to be excellent researchers as well as clinicians.

Katie McCloskey

Quick Facts

Faculty Faculty of Education

Academic Unit Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology, and Special Education

Specialization Counselling Psychology

Mode of delivery In person at UBC Vancouver

Program Components Dissertation

Tuition (First Year) Domestic: 5,738.52 | International: 10,081.65

Minimum Funding All full-time PhD students receive $40,000 or more funding in each of the first four years.

Tuition & Financial Support

Tuition

Fees	Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat	International
Application Fee	$118.50	$168.25
Tuition *
Installments per year	3	3
Tuition per installment	$1,912.84	$3,360.55
Tuition per year (plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%)	$5,738.52	$10,081.65
Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible)		$3,200.00 (-)
Other Fees and Costs
Student Fees (yearly)	$1,169.35 (approx.)
Costs of living	Estimate your costs of living with our interactive tool in order to start developing a financial plan for your graduate studies.

* Regular, full-time tuition. For on-leave, extension, continuing or part time (if applicable) fees see UBC Calendar.
All fees for the year are subject to adjustment and UBC reserves the right to change any fees without notice at any time, including tuition and student fees. Tuition fees are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors. In recent years, tuition increases have been 2% for continuing domestic students and between 2% and 5% for continuing international students. New students may see higher increases in tuition. Admitted students who defer their admission are subject to the potentially higher tuition fees for incoming students effective at the later program start date. In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.

Financial Support

Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.

Program Funding Packages

All full-time students in UBC-Vancouver PhD programs will be provided with a funding package of at least $40,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD from September 2026. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships. Please check with your prospective graduate program for specific details of the funding provided to its PhD students.

Funding Statistics

Please note that effective September 2026, UBC’s guaranteed funding for full-time PhD students in years 1-4 was raised significantly, to a minimum of $40,000 per year. These historical statistics do not account for this change, i.e., the funding landscape for incoming students is not necessarily comparable to the historical values.

Based on the criteria outlined below, 10 students within this program were included in this study because they received funding through UBC in the form of teaching, research, academic assistantships or internal or external awards with a mean of $38,624 and a median of $34,873.

This results in a net balance (any funding provided to the student minus tuition and fees) mean of $32,013 and median of $27,785.

1 student received Teaching Assistantships valued at $17,492.
1 student received Research Assistantships valued at $14,250.
4 students received Academic Assistantships. Median AA funding based on 4 students was $7,614.
10 students received internal awards. Median internal award funding based on 10 students was $24,657.
5 students received external awards. Median external award funding based on 5 students was $40,000.

Study Period: Sep 2024 to Aug 2025 - funding for full-time PhD students enrolled in three terms per academic year in this program across years 1-4, the period covered by UBC's Minimum Funding Guarantee. Mean and median values might mask variability in sources and amounts of funding received by individual students. Beyond year 4, funding packages become even more individualized.
Review methodology

Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)

Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)

Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union.

Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)

Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans.

All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.

UBC has working agreements with MPower Financing - an organization providing international students with no-cosigner, no-collateral education loans to study in Canada - and Windmill Microlending - an organization providing loans to skilled immigrants.

Foreign government scholarships

Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.

Working while studying

The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.

International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 24 hours a week during academic sessions.

A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement.

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.

Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.

Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.

Cost Estimator

Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (PhD). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.

ENROLMENT DATA

	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
Applications	18	13	21	17	19
Offers	1	3	2	3	4
New Registrations	1	2	2	3	4
Total Enrolment	25	31	32	32	35

Completion Rates and Times

This program has a graduation rate of 81% based on 21 students admitted between 2012 - 2015. Based on 17 graduating students from the 2012 - 2015 admissions cohort the minimum time to completion is 4 years and the maximum time is 9.3 years with an average of 6 years of study. All calculations exclude leave times.

Disclaimer

Admissions data refer to all UBC Vancouver applications, offers, new registrants for each registration year, May to April, e.g. data for 2022 refers to programs starting in 2022 Summer and 2022 Winter session, i.e. May 1, 2022 to April 30, 2023. Data on total enrolment reflects enrolment in Winter Session Term 1 and are based on snapshots taken on November 1 of each registration year. Program completion data are only provided for datasets comprised of more than 4 individuals. Graduation rates exclude students who transfer out of their programs. Rates and times of completion depend on a number of variables (e.g. curriculum requirements, student funding), some of which may have changed in recent years for some programs.

Doctoral Citations

A doctoral citation summarizes the nature of the independent research, provides a high-level overview of the study, states the significance of the work and says who will benefit from the findings in clear, non-specialized language, so that members of a lay audience will understand it.

Year	Citation
2025	Syler compared two interventions to help individuals maintain non-problematic alcohol use. The career-focused intervention had greater outcomes than the identity-focused intervention but his research also highlighted the possibility that individuals’ needs change throughout their recoveries.
2025	Dr. MacKenzie studied caregiver joint goal-directed action in adolescent anorexia recovery using the Action-Project Method with caregivers worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her research explored how caregivers approach meal support to foster recovery and connection during family-based treatment. These findings support caregivers, clinicians, and recovering adolescents.
2025	Dr. Bennett explored how trauma therapists who become vicariously resilient through their work with clients with trauma experience both professional and personal growth. Incorporating vicarious resilience into training and supervision models for therapists has the potential to mitigate the risks for experiencing negative impacts of trauma work.
2025	Dr. Yu studied parents’ process of seeking mental health services for their children. She developed a theory of help-seeking for parents of children with anxiety. Her results may help to inform policymakers and practitioners by highlighting the role of parental advocacy and mental health literacy when navigating the mental health system.
2024	Dr. Della-Rossa's research investigated the experiences of middle-aged immigrant women who changed their careers later in life. She found that help and support from various sources and personal characteristics were instrumental in successful transitions. Her findings contribute to the body of knowledge about immigration, adaptation, women in career issues, and career transitions.
2024	How do adoptees make meaning of their sense of self in relation to what they know about their families of origin? Dr. Bork’s research indicates that adoptees are informed by the intergenerational knowledge of the particular family line they feel most embraced by. Her research helps us understand how to better support adoptees and their families.
2024	Dr. Bridger interviewed Hard of Hearing (HoH) students transitioning to their neighbourhood high school. She created a theory of the transition that highlights parallels with typically hearing peers, but also amplifies barriers faced by HoH students. The theory informs HoH teens and teachers of HoH students' struggles and ways to support them.
2024	Dr. Baugh studied the barriers and facilitators of coping among women veteran survivors of military sexual trauma. Illustrated in the women veterans' narratives is the importance of safety and support to move beyond survival strategies and towards meaningful facilitators of coping, and the crucial need for systemic reformation in military culture.
2024	Dr. Heaslip examined the unsolicited help receiving experiences of persons with visual impairments, targeting what is and isn't helpful during these interactions. The prominent themes identified were consent, assumptions, courtesy, consideration and respect. Findings were used to generate recommendations for navigating these complex interactions.
2023	Dr. Gendron explored gay, bisexual, and queer men's narrative positioning in sexual stories using an innovative reflective storytelling method. Focusing on perceived possibilities and pleasures in sex, Dr. Gendron's research offers a critical response to existing frameworks that regulate sex between men and socialize men away from connection.

Makayla Freeman

Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (PhD)

Supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ Parents: Exploring Preferences for Wellbeing and Parenting Programs

Alejandra Botia

Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (PhD)

The role of peer support in eating disorders recovery

Sarah Panofsky

Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (PhD)

Wet'suwet'en Nation approaches to wellness and healing trauma

Program Website

Apply Now

Apply for September 2027

If you don't have a UBC Campus-Wide Login (CWL) please create an account first.

September 2027 Intake

Application Open Date18 September 2026

Canadian Applicant Deadline1 December 2026

International Applicant Deadline1 December 2026

Program Enquiries

Still have questions after reviewing this page thoroughly?
Contact the program

Supervisor Search

Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form.

Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (PhD)

Overview

Quick Facts

Admission Information & Requirements

1) Check Eligibility

Minimum Academic Requirements

English Language Test

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

Other Test Scores

2) Meet Deadlines

3) Prepare Application

Transcripts

Letters of reference

Statement of Interest

Supervision

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for this program

Citizenship Verification

4) Apply Online

Tuition & Financial Support

Tuition

Financial Support

Program Funding Packages

Funding Statistics

Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)

Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Foreign government scholarships

Working while studying

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Cost Estimator

Career Outcomes

Sample Employers in Higher Education

Sample Employers Outside Higher Education

Sample Job Titles Outside Higher Education

PhD Career Outcome Survey

Disclaimer

Career Options

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

ENROLMENT DATA

Completion Rates and Times

Disclaimer

Research Supervisors

Supervision

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for this program

Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors

Sample Thesis Submissions

Doctoral Citations

Related Programs

Same specialization

Same Academic Unit

Further Information

Specialization

UBC Calendar

Program Website

Faculty

Academic Unit

Program Identifier

Classification

Makayla Freeman

Alejandra Botia

Sarah Panofsky

Apply Now

September 2027 Intake

Program Enquiries

Social Media Channels

Supervisor Search

Curious about life in Vancouver?