Ph.D. in Counseling and Counselor Education
The PhD in Counseling and Counselor Education is designed for those who seek to serve as leaders in the counseling profession. Typically, our PhD graduates work in the areas of counselor education, professional organizations, administration, research and private practice. The PhD is a full-time, cohort-based, 3-year program with a focus on preparing forward-thinking, culturally competent leaders with exceptional abilities in research, clinical supervision, teaching, advanced clinical work, and consulting.
Example Careers
- Counselor educator in master’s and/or doctoral degree program
- Administrator in a counseling clinic or university student services office
- Administrator for a counseling professional organization
- Clinical researcher (e.g., integrated care hospital units, cancer patient support services, eating disorders clinic)
- Private practice
Experiential Learning
PhD students complete coursework and hands-on, supervised practica in advanced clinical work, clinical supervision, and college teaching, a clinical internship in the setting of their choice, and a year-long research apprenticeship with a CED faculty member. The program is intentionally developmental in its sequence of increasingly independent experiences in the various roles of a doctoral-level counseling professional. CED doctoral students are integral members of the department, developing their professional skills as they contribute to the training of our master’s students, always with supervision and support from CED faculty.
Research
PhD students are encouraged to develop their own research agenda around a topic or issue of interest, with the ultimate goal of developing scholarly expertise. Through an intentional progression of coursework, our doctoral students have multiple opportunities to explore areas of interest, and through the dissertation process, to refine and deepen their research focus, research methodologies, and scholarly writing skills. Each PhD student works with nationally-recognized faculty in CED as well as with faculty in other UNCG departments whose expertise pertains to the student’s research. PhD students graduate ready to make a significant, substantive contribution to research in the fields of counseling and counselor education.
