Psychology and Counseling Degrees at the University of Houston
The University of Houston has undergraduate degrees in psychology that are intended to give students a foundation in psychology to enhance their skill bases in other disciplines. There are also graduate degrees and dual degree programs.
The undergraduate degree in psychology is available as a Bachelor of Arts or as a Bachelor of Science. The Bachelor of Arts in Psychology is a 120-credit-hour program intended for professionals in social work or other service-related professions, in industry or anywhere a knowledge of human behavior would be advantageous. Students begin as “pre-majors” and, after successfully completing four required courses may petition the department to change their majors to psychology. The degree requires thirty-three credit hours in the major including Introduction to Psychology; Introduction to Methods in Psychology; Introduction to Psychological Statistics; Introduction to Social Psychology; Introduction to Cognitive Psychology; Physiological Psychology and The Psychology of Personality. The program also includes a senior capstone.
The Bachelor of Science in Psychology is a program that combines psychology and computer studies for students who want to work in an area that uses both such as business, medicine, and other professions. It contains 120 credit-hours in courses such as Critical Inquiry; Families, Community and Globalization; Social Structure: Class, Power and Status; Experimental Methods and Statistics and Non-Experimental Methods and Statistics.
Both the B.A. and the B.S. in Psychology are available as hybrid programs with students completing the first half of the degree path on campus and the second half online.
There is also an 18-credit-hour minor in psychology.
Students in The Master of Education in Counseling program complete courses in counseling theories and skills; techniques of counseling and how they are applied in specific populations; the role of the counselor; the responsibilities of the counselor in legal issues, morals, and ethics in school counseling or in professional practice; research methods and assessment and evaluation. There are several formats available.
The M.Ed. in Counseling, School Counseling is a 48-credit -hour program that includes 16 classes in the major plus two 300-hour internships. The M.Ed. in Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling is a 60-credit-hour program that can be earned full or part-time. It requires completion of 16 classes plus two 300-hour internships.
The Dual M.Ed. Counseling degree requires completion of 22 classes including Cross-Cultural Counseling; Human Growth and Development; Atypical Growth and Development; Career Counseling; Psychopathology and others. There are two 300 hour counseling internships plus one 200-hour internship in school counseling.
About The University of Houston
The University of Houston was founded in 1927 as the Houston Junior College. It became a university in 1933 and is the third-largest university in Texas. It is rated as an R1 research institution, which means that a significant amount of the budget and of doctoral activity is devoted to research.
There are more than 46,000 students at the school who study in 15 colleges and an honors department. The university has more than 282 degree programs and more than 40 centers. Most classes have between 20 and 49 students, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 22:1. The US News and World Report ranks this school as 185th of National Universities.
University of Houston Accreditation Details
- The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools of the Higher Learning Commission
- American Psychological Association
- Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
- National Council for Teacher Accreditation
University of Houston Application Requirements
Students applying to the school as first-time freshmen may apply using an institutional application form, the Apply Texas form or the Common Application. They should complete and submit only one. There is no fee for the Apply Texas or the Common Application, but there is a $75 non-refundable fee for students using the institutional application form.
Students should arrange to have their official high school transcripts sent to the university by the school, and for the testing agency that administered the SAT or ACT (whichever the student took) to submit those official scores.
Students who apply as graduate students should first create a student account online. They should then choose the appropriate application form. Professional programs require specific applications. Graduate students should arrange for the submission of official undergraduate transcripts and transcripts of all graduate work completed. They should also have official scores sent from testing agencies administering the GRE, GMAT or other graduate assessment tests.
Graduate applications require submission of letters of recommendation, though the number required varies by program. They will also complete a personal statement and include a resume or curriculum vitae. Other requisites will be listed on the program page of the school website. There is a non-refundable application fee that varies by program.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Undergraduate tuition and fees are dependent upon which program is taken. The four-year fixed tuition for students in Education or Liberal Arts is $5,316 per term. Social science or arts students pay $5,666. Nursing students pay the highest tuition at $7,130. Room and board averages $9,104 and students should also budget for books, supplies and personal expenses.
Graduate tuition varies as well, but averages $3,975 per term with fees.
Students should complete the FAFSA form as soon as possible to ensure they will get any assistance for which they qualify. The federal money is first-come-first-serve. Students can receive grant money or subsidized and unsubsidized loans and work-study opportunities according to financial need.
Texas has grants funded by the state as well as state-administered, privately-funded grants and scholarships. These can be found on the university website. The university also has grants and scholarships awarded according to financial need and many based on academic merit. There are departmental scholarships as well, and funds awarded for participation in athletics and special activities. These, too, can be found on the school website.
Additionally, private individuals and organizations such as Rotary Clubs and Lions International fund scholarships at the national level or through individual local clubs. Corporations and professional organizations also fund educational grants and scholarships for people planning to enter those professions. These can be found through an Internet search.
Student loans and part-time employment are also good resources for students at the University of Houston.