Ph.D. in Counselor Education

The Counselor Education doctoral program is the highest professional degree attainable in the counseling profession. Students who aspire to work as counseling professors earn doctorates in counselor education and supervision. The degree is also suitable for students who want to become counseling supervisors, agency directors, or district directors of school counseling. Graduates of SHSU's doctoral program have served as educational administrators in K-12 and higher education, including positions of department chair, dean, and associate provost.  Several have served at the highest levels of leadership in counseling professional organizations at the state, national, and international level. Moreover, some graduates engage in post-graduate entrepreneurial work, such as consultation, coaching, or corporate trainer. The Ph.D. in Counselor Education includes a prescribed curriculum consisting of required and elective courses for 60 hours of post-master's graduate credit, consistent with the requirements for CACREP accredited counselor education programs. To qualify, applicants must have graduated from a CACREP accredited master's degree or 60-hour equivalent master's degree. Additionally, the doctoral degree is awarded on the basis of successful completion of coursework, the passing of a comprehensive exam, and the completion of a major research study resulting in a proposal, presentation, and defense of a dissertation.

Students who complete the doctoral degree in counselor education will:

• apply counseling theory and research to the counselor education, clinical supervision, and/or school counseling leadership functions.
• plan and deliver research-informed counselor education courses.
• apply counselor supervision theory and research to individual/triadic and group supervision in counselor education and/or school counseling programs.
• use advanced level communication and interpersonal skills in consultation, counseling, counselor education, supervision, and evaluation.
• interpret the relationships among federal, state, and local agencies and the laws and ethical considerations applicable to the counseling, counselor education, and/or school counseling program management fields.
• apply advanced level diagnostic and assessment methods and develop the capacity to teach treatment planning for a wide range of psychological concerns to master’s level students.
• demonstrate multicultural awareness and competence during doctoral level counseling, supervision, and consultation.
• incorporate andragogical knowledge, skills, and research in counselor education and staff development.
• design doctoral-level counseling research, collect data, analyze data, and interpret results.
• utilize data in advanced level counseling, supervision, and/or school counseling leadership functions.
• successfully complete extensive doctoral internship experiences in counseling, supervision, and teaching directly related to the student’s individual professional goals.
• write for professional publication and presentations.

Additional information: Reference the Program Landing Page for additional information, such as cost, delivery format, contact information, or to schedule a visit.

The application deadline is March 1.

Applicants seeking admission to the doctoral program in Counselor Education must submit the following directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions:

1. Graduate Application
2. Application fee
3. Official transcript(s) showing receipt of a baccalaureate degree and a master's degree from a CACREP or equivalent accredited institution
4. Master's degree GPA of 3.5 or higher. If master's degree GPA below 3.5, then an official GRE General Test score (within last 5 years) is required. 
5. Personal statement (1000 words maximum) (you are encouraged to showcase: your passion and/or rationale for wanting a Ph.D. in Counselor Education, understanding of what is involved in this type of degree, level of perseverance, specialties or experiences (i.e., what you bring to the table). 
6. List three professional references. Additional documentation may be requested prior to a final admission decision. 

Applicants must have a CACREP accredited master's degree in counseling or 60-hour equivalent. Applicants must currently have or eligible to work towards an LPC (meet requirements set by the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council). 

Applicant Interview and Selection Process

The Counselor Education doctoral admissions committee considers all applications through a holistic review process, considering the graduate GPA, masters' level curriculum, counseling related work experience, any relevant CACREP background, license(s), clinical experiences, recommendations, and interview scores. After reviewing the pool of applicants, the doctoral admissions committee recommends the top candidates for the on-campus interview process. Applicants invited for the interview are given specific guidelines for the process, which may include an interview with the faculty, group tasks (to examine cohort fit) and an on-site writing proficiency assessment. All qualified doctoral students are admitted under regular admission to the program.

Program Specifics 

During the program, students have significant opportunities to develop advanced counseling skills, theoretical understanding and skills in supervision counselor, quantitative and qualitative research skills, and leadership skills. These include curriculum-embedded opportunities and professional opportunities in the larger counseling and counselor education profession.

This program follows a cohort model. This means that individuals are admitted to a specific group, called a cohort, and are required to take their coursework at the same time as the other individuals in the cohort. Cohorts begin each fall semester. In the event that students encounter personal emergencies that result in dropping out of their cohort, students may be allowed to join another cohort with a different schedule.

The program requires completion of 60-hours graduate credit. A comprehensive examination is required, usually occurring in the 2nd or 3rd year of the program. Students select a dissertation chair when enrolled in COUN 7363 research application. They will propose an original research study and design, conduct, and defend their research as part of the dissertation process. Students and their dissertation chair will jointly select the student's doctoral dissertation committee. Once students reach the dissertation phase of their doctoral program, they must have continuous enrollment every semester until graduation.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) marketable skills initiative is part of the state’s 60x30TX plan and was designed to help students articulate their skills to employers. Marketable skills are those skills valued by employers and/or graduate programs that can be applied in a variety of work or education settings and may include interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skill areas.

The Ph.D. in Counselor Education is designed to provide graduates with the following marketable skills:

• Plan and deliver research-based counselor education didactic courses.
• Apply counselor supervision theory and research to individual and group supervision in counseling and counselor education programs.
• Design doctoral-level research and interpret research results.