Ph.D. in Education: Counselor Education and Supervision

Unlike other areas of emphasis under the Ph.D. in Education, we operate on a cohort model and do not have a spring admissions deadline.

Materials and criteria for the Counselor Education and Supervision area of emphasis are as follows:

• Undergraduate and graduate GPA of 3.00 or higher
• Master's degree in counseling education from a CACREP-accredited institution
• Resume or curriculum vitae
• Statement of Intent that includes a Philosophy of Education
• Three letters of recommendation
• One sample of scholarly writing
• Signed disposition form

To get started on the application process, please contact Dr. Kristina DePue, program coordinator, at kdepue@unr.edu.

All materials are submitted through the University's application portal. Once you create your account, go back to MyNevada to log in and start your application. Please reach out to Dr. DePue if you have any questions.

After the selection committee reviews the writing materials, eligible candidates will be invited to campus for an interview in the month of February. The interview is a comprehensive, four-hour process that evaluates prospective students on an on-site writing assignment, a teaching presentation, and interviews with individuals in the department. Apply Now.

The Ph.D. Program in Education with an emphasis on Counselor Education and Supervision is an in person doctoral program that is intended to be completed in three years, assuming that the student enters the program with a Master's Degree in Counseling. Students who intend to graduate the program must complete the following program requirements (96 credits min):

Research and statistics, 21 credits

The Chair and Committee may guide the student in selection of these courses, but both qualitative and quantitative courses must be taken, in addition to advanced research methods.

Cognate, 24 credits

The cognate area is expected to be an area of professional counseling expertise that is generally the CACREP program area (such as marriage and family, clinical, school, student affairs) defining the expertise of the student. S/he will most likely teach, research, present professionally, and align him or herself with professional organizations in the cognate area. Many of the courses for the cognate may be transferred from the master's program, though the student may desire or need to take additional coursework in his or her cognate area.

Counselor education and supervision doctoral-level courses, 24 credits

These courses are generally taught seminar-style and include topics such as theories of supervision, advanced counseling and human development theories, principles of practice in core counseling areas (such as group, consultation, crisis, etc.), CACREP accreditation, teaching pedagogy in counselor education, multicultural issues, social change theory, and advocacy. Four of the courses require supervised "field" hours: Practicum in Counseling, Supervision II, Internship I, and Internship II. Field hours may be teaching courses under supervision, providing clinical supervision, providing leadership in a counseling setting, or other doctoral level learning experiences approved by the student's committee.

Dissertation research, 24 credits

See the Doctoral handbook for more information.

Elective course, 3 credits

A graduate level 3-credit hour course of an elective in research/statistics or cognate, as approved by the doctoral advisor.

Program Objective #1: Dispositions

From admission through exit students will demonstrate the attitudes, characteristics, and behaviors defined by the program as characteristic of exemplar counseling professionals.

Program Objective #2:  Ethical Practice

Students will demonstrate the capacity to practice counseling from a strong foundational understanding of ethical and legal issues, intentionally integrating counseling ethical practices into day-to-day professional activities.

Program Objective #3:  Counseling

Students will demonstrate a capacity to understand, analyze, apply, and evaluate counseling theory evidence-based counseling practices, culturally relevant counseling practices.

Program Objective #4:  Supervision

Students will demonstrate knowledge of clinical supervision theory, the application of clinical supervision theory into practice, legal and ethical issues in clinical supervision and other supervision knowledge and skills necessary to be an effective clinical supervisor in a diverse society.

Program Objective 5: Teaching

Students will demonstrate competence in understanding the roles and responsibilities of counselor educators, gatekeeping in counselor education, instructional and curricular design, pedagogy, and evaluation of instruction in counselor education.

Program Objective #6: Research and Scholarship

Students will demonstrate the capacity to design, implement, and disseminate results of an original research study in counseling, and will gain knowledge in writing for publication and grant writing.

Program Objective #7: Leadership and Advocacy

Students will demonstrate knowledge of leadership content, style, skills, and strategies important for success in counseling leadership.

Program Objective #8: Counselor Education

Students will demonstrate a broad understanding of counselor education, including a foundational understanding of the higher education work environment, accreditation standards and processes, current political issues impacting counseling and higher education, gatekeeping, mentorship, and ethics in Counselor Education.