ohio university counselor education phd

Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education

Counselor education and supervision – ph6265.

Department of Counseling and Higher Education Patton Hall Ohio University Athens, OH 45701-2979 740.593.4400 [email protected]

Delivery Mode: Athens Campus

Term of Entry: Fall only

Terms of Entry Requiring Program Permission: None

Program Overview

Doctoral study in Counselor Education and Supervision at Ohio University is designed to provide advanced level preparation for counselors. Students admitted to the doctoral program possess a Master’s degree in Counseling or a closely related field. They wish to improve their scholarly, instructional, and clinical and research skills to acquire advanced training and professional development as counselor educators. Doctoral students must have Master’s coursework and demonstrated knowledge in the common core counseling areas for entry-level counselors and meet requirements for the clinical mental health counseling specialty area to graduate license-eligible as Professional Counselors in the state of Ohio. Doctoral students who have not met core counseling and/or clinical mental health counseling requirements are required to complete requisite coursework in addition to their doctoral studies. The doctoral program is based on the philosophy that each student enters with unique strengths and abilities and individual professional career goals; therefore, beyond the required courses, each student is expected to build a program based upon prior academic preparation, previous work experience, and future career expectations. The program is designed to help develop leaders in the field of counseling, and the goal is to train people who desire to have the professional identity of a counselor.

Graduates will be eligible to apply for positions as assistant professors or lecturers in Counselor Education Master’s and doctoral programs nationally and internationally. Graduates are prepared to work in counseling and leadership positions in educational, rehabilitation, and mental health settings. The program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

This is a full-time program. Normative time to completion is three to five years.

Program Learning Outcomes

• Understand the professional identity, roles, and responsibilities of counselor educators and demonstrate multicultural and social justice counseling competence in counseling practice, teaching, clinical supervision, research and scholarship, and leadership and advocacy.
• Become familiar with the body of literature central to the field of counseling and professional preparation standards for counselor education, and extend the knowledge base of the counseling profession through dissertation research in a climate of scholarly inquiry.
• Develop strategies of leadership for counseling practice and consultation, and assume positions of leadership in the profession and/or their area(s) of specialization.
• Develop skills in culturally relevant pedagogy and curriculum development for counselor education.
• Gain experience and knowledge in analyzing, evaluating, synthesizing counseling theories and applying in counseling practice, teaching, supervision and research.
• Identify and utilize quantitative and qualitative research design and methodology suitable for professional publication and presentations in counseling and counselor education.
• Learn to develop effective strategies for client advocacy in public policy and other matters of equity and accessibility. Identify current issues, policies, laws, and legislation relevant to the counseling profession and develop skills for advocacy and leadership in counselor education.
• Acquire an understanding of ethical and legal considerations specific to counselor education and supervision.

Opportunities for Graduates

Graduates will be eligible to apply for positions as assistant professors or lecturers in Counselor Education Master’s and doctoral programs nationally and internationally. Graduates are prepared to work in counseling and leadership positions in educational, rehabilitation, and mental health settings.

Further Information

Link to Program:   https://www.ohio.edu/education/counseling-higher-education/counselor-supervision

Admission Requirements

Beyond Ohio University requirements for graduate admission, the following materials are required to be submitted:

• All post-secondary transcripts , including a transcript showing a Master’s degree in Counseling or a closely-related field with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.4 on a 4.0 scale.
• Résumé/CV highlighting professional experience of a nature and extent appropriate to doctoral study in Counselor Education. Include information on counseling, teaching, research, writing, and participation in professional organizations.
• Three (3) letters of recommendation
• What are your career goals?
• What qualities and skills do you possess that you believe enable you to become an effective counselor educator?
• Describe your personal characteristics that will be assets and challenges to your study in counselor education.
• Doctoral students typically work as supervisors and co-instructors. Describe how you will work with faculty and students in these roles.
• How will you manage your personal and professional boundaries through a demanding doctoral program?
• Describe culturally relevant interpersonal experiences with individuals or groups that differ from you (e.g., race, gender, sexual orientation, age, spiritual beliefs, ability).
• What would distinguish you from other candidates for the counselor education program?
• Describe anything else you wish the program faculty to consider with your application.

International Students

This program permits full-time enrollment in residence at Ohio University, and an I-20 may be issued based on admission to this program.

Graduation Requirements

Complete a minimum of post-master’s 67 credit hours with all grades at B or above as follows:

Core Courses

Complete the following core counselor education courses:

• EDCE 8200 - Advanced Seminar for Counseling Educators
• EDCE 8240 - Counselor Education Professional Publications
• EDCE 8520 - Advanced Group Counseling
• EDCE 8550 - Counseling Theory Advanced
• EDCE 8590 - Counselor Supervision
• EDCE 8600 - Counselor Education
• EDCE 8700 - Counseling Leadership and Consultation
• EDCE 8910 - Internship

Complete a minimum of 4 internship credit hours

• EDCE 8920 - Practicum in Counselor Education and Supervision

Complete at least 3 practicum credit hours

• EDCE 8950 - Dissertation

Complete at least 10 dissertation credit hours

Scholarly Tools Courses

Complete the following quantitative and qualitative research methods courses for a minimum of 20 credit hours:

• EDRE 7200 - Educational Statistics
• EDRE 7210 - Regression Analysis in Education
• EDRE 7330 - Research Design in Education
• EDRE 7500 - Introduction to Qualitative Research Methodology in Education
• One additional EDRE course for a minimum of 4 additional credit hours

Additional Requirements

The practicum requirement encompasses 100 clock hours of counseling practice. Students must be enrolled in EDCE 8920 during the practicum experience.

The internship requirement encompasses 600 clock hours of supervised experience, including least three of the five core areas of counseling, supervision, teaching, research and scholarship, and leadership and advocacy. Students must be enrolled in EDCE 8910 during internship experiences.

A comprehensive examination including a written submission and an oral defense is required, usually at the end of the second year of study.

Culminating Experience

Students must complete and successfully defend a dissertation.

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Counselor Education, Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies

The doctorate program prepares counselors and scholars for leadership positions in the counseling profession. You'll gain the skills to teach and train others to become professional counselors. Your studies will emphasize the leadership roles of counselor education, supervision, advanced counseling practices and research.

Program features 

Apply a scientist-practitioner model of study with an emphasis on theory, practice, leadership, supervision and research. 

Emphasis on leadership, advocacy, research, student learning and social justice.

Explore a number of research opportunities and collaborate with and work alongside Ohio State counselor educators and other counseling leaders in the profession. 

Develop deep critical analysis skills especially important in the rapidly expanding field of counselor education. 

Watch a video overview of the PhD Program.

Career Paths 

Funding options

In order to learn about program costs, please refer to the Registrar's office website .

Key to teaching, research and learning in the college, associateships provide students with professional experience and financial support.  

These financial awards are made by Ohio State to students based on academic merit through a university-wide competition. 

We encourage students to apply for EHE scholarships. The college annually awards scholarships to its students to support their academic goals.  

Degree Requirements 

As of Autumn 2022 the Counselor Education program will permanently no longer require the GRE as an admissions requirement.

Prerequisites

Master's degree in Counselor Education; minimum 3.3 GPA; GRE not required

Program start

Autumn Semester

Deadline to apply

December 1 

Minimum Program hours

View Counselor Education (EDUCST-PH, WCE) Curriculum Sheet

Additional Application Requirements

Special Statement of Intent

• How have your master's degree training and your professional experiences prepared you for doctoral study?
• How do your overall background, experiences, and interests align with pursuing a PhD in Counselor Education?
• What are the social justice issues you believe are part of the work for those who complete a PhD in Counselor Education?
• What are your professional goals after you complete the PhD?

Application checklist

View application checklist

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Ph.D. in Higher Education

Program Code: PH6276

Ohio University is the only institution in southeastern Ohio that offers a Ph.D. program in Higher Education. Its faculty includes internationally recognized scholars who can deliver up-to-date knowledge about Higher Education with the academic rigor that is demanded in Ph.D. studies.

Graduates of the program serve in faculty and cabinet-level administrative positions in colleges and universities. In addition, this degree serves a limited number of students who wish to develop research skills about Higher Education, regardless of their career ambitions.

All students learn about the history and contexts of higher education, leadership, organizational needs, the learning environment, and research concepts and methods.

There are three formats for the Ph.D. program: part-time executive format, full-time on-campus, and part-time on-campus. 

Executive Program

Ohio University has offered the only Ph.D. program in higher education and student affairs in southeast Ohio for fifty years. The weekend executive program provides a rich alternative to our traditional on-campus Athens program, which is distinctive in its own right for the varied curriculum and opportunities to collaborate with faculty and engage in research projects. The executive program is well known for innovative programming. Since 1982, this weekend program has enriched the skills and knowledge of students while they have continued to work as full-time administrators and faculty in colleges and universities throughout Ohio and adjacent states. Leaders from 22 different Ohio colleges and universities have enrolled in our last four weekend groups, and many of them have joined the roster of presidents, provosts, vice presidents, other key administrators, and faculty who now serve more than 100 universities and colleges in 29 states, and in 16 nations.

Over a 15-week semester, students are expected to meet for 5 face-to-face weekends (Classes can occur on Fridays and Saturdays). One of the strengths of the weekend executive program has been the development of communities of scholars who meet regularly during the course of their studies. Each cohort continues the tradition of building upon the experience, knowledge, and strengths of students by providing rich face-to-face and technology-mediated interactions.

Student Testimony:

I chose the Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration [at Ohio University] for several reasons. The curriculum provides a comprehensive foundation while also challenging us to think beyond our own experiences, and [OHIO] makes it easy for working students by taking care of course scheduling, registration, and other processes. But for me, it is the strength of a cohort program that sold me. Knowing that you have a built-in support system of fellow students that you can lean on is invaluable.

- Rebecca Butler, Executive Vice President at Columbus State Community College

Full-Time Ph.D. and Part-Time Ph.D. On-Campus Programs

The conventional Ph.D. program is offered through weekday and evening classes on the Athens campus of Ohio University. The conventional program may be pursued on a part-time or full-time basis. International students enrolling in the Ph.D. program must pursue their studies on a full-time basis to maintain student visa status.

For students who apply for admission for the fall semester 2025 on a full-time basis, there are Graduate Assistantships positions that you may apply for within Ohio University. The list of available graduate assistantships will be available by April 2025 on the websites of the Division of Student Affairs Graduate Assistantships , Patton College Graduate Assistantships and Ohio University Jobs (under the "student jobs" tab). 

In addition to the required coursework, students must successfully complete comprehensive examinations administered at or near the completion of coursework. After successful completion of comprehensive examinations, students must author and defend a dissertation proposal and complete dissertation research on a higher education-based topic of personal interest and selection.

The nature of doctoral studies is demanding and intensive, requiring close mentoring by individual faculty.

Select research and administrative graduate appointments may be available to full-time, on-campus doctoral students annually. Please inquire about the availability of these types of appointments .

Program Learning Objectives

At the end of the program, students will be able to: 

• comprehend relevant historical, organizational, governance, financial, diversity, policy, student development theories, and other contemporary issues concerning higher education;  
• critically analyze and evaluate relevant higher education policy and conceptual and theoretical literature;  
• apply the necessary knowledge, theories, and methods to design and conduct original research; and 
• integrate theory and practice through the completion of a practicum experience.  

Faculty Diversity Statements

Admissions - ph.d. in higher education.

The Higher Education and Student Affairs program accepts applications for students to begin in Fall 2025 for:

• Applications are being accepted now and must be submitted by July 1 , 2025
• The next executive format cohort will begin starting in Fall 2025, with coursework running through Spring 2028.
• For full consideration for admission and GA opportunities, applications are due February 1 , 2025
• Note: the part-time Athens Ph.D. curriculum offers greater flexibility for the selection of courses than the executive format program, which must be highly structured to meet the needs of the executive cohort.
• In the event that a student misses the February 1 deadline for the on-campus programs, they can contact HESA to determine if there will be any additional spaces available. Very few graduate assistantships will be available to students who apply after the full consideration deadline. Due to visa processing at U.S. embassies and consulates globally, we strongly encourage international students to apply for the program by March 15 .
• Any current Ohio University employees interested in applying for the Ph.D. programs must apply by March 15 , 2025 .

Information regarding available graduate assistantship opportunities for the 2025 academic year is available on the HR website .  Select STUDENT under the position type to see the list of available assistantships.

Required materials include:

• Completed application form
• Official transcripts from all institutions of higher education attended for bachelor's and master's education
• 3 letters of recommendation that describe the academic skills and professional potential of the applicant
• An autobiographic essay/Personal Statement (2-3 pages, double-spaced) will be used to assess the applicant’s writing skills, career commitment, leadership potential, and professional goals. At the top of your essay, please identify yourself and indicate whether you are applying to the Executive Ph.D. Cohort or On-Campus program.
• A personal interview (video call) with a faculty member is to be scheduled in February or March 2025.
• A current résumé/CV and cover letter
• GOOD NEWS! The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is NOT required
• International applicants for whom English is NOT a native language are required to submit English Language Proficiency test results. Please check the Graduate College website for more information.

If you would like to know more about transferring credits from another institution before applying to our program, please read through the Graduate College Transfer Credit Limits for Master's and Doctoral Degrees .

Apply for Graduate Assistant positions through the Human Resources website.

Curricular Requirements (min 61 credit hours)

For further information, contact:.

Higher Education and Student Affairs  Patton Hall 432