Program Overview

Education PhD, Counseling Emphasis

The Education PhD with a Counseling Emphasis is a doctoral program designed to prepare students for careers in counseling, research, and education. The program requires a minimum of 60 credit hours beyond the Master's degree, including 9 hours of dissertation research.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the program, students must submit:

• Three letters of recommendation (at least two from individuals with earned doctorates, preferably prior instructors)
• A copy of a paper written on a scholarly topic, as a writing sample
• A professional resume
• Evidence of above-average academic records (a GPA of 3.5 or higher is preferred)
• Answers to three specific questions (limit responses to 300 words or less per question)
  • How do you envision the UMSL doctoral program preparing you to meet your career goals?
  • What are your experiences working with diverse populations and what have you learned from these experiences?
  • What personal qualities do you possess that relate to your interest in doctoral education in counseling?
• Optional: GRE scores

Admission is competitive, and a favorable vote of an admission interview committee, composed of faculty in the emphasis area, is required.

Degree Program

The degree program consists of:

• Coursework: a minimum of 60 credit hours beyond the Master's degree, including 9 hours of dissertation research
• Dissertation: all students must defend orally a written dissertation proposal to their dissertation committee, and a dissertation embodying the results of the original research must be accepted by the dissertation committee and the Graduate School

Degree Requirements

Students in the Counseling emphasis area complete the following requirements:

Research Methods (21 hours)

• ED REM 6710: Educational Research Methods and Design 1 (3 hours)
• ED REM 6735: Statistical Analysis for Education Research 2 (3 hours)
• CNS ED 7020: Seminar in Counseling Research (3 hours)
• CNS ED 7025: Advanced Counseling Research (3 hours)
• ED REM 7781: Qualitative Methods in Educational Research I (3 hours)
• One of the following: ED REM 7771, ED REM 7772, or ED REM 7782 (3 hours)
• One of the following: ED REM 6730, ED REM 7771, ED REM 7772, or ED REM 7782 (3 hours)

Counseling Core (59 hours)

• CNS ED 6010: Theories of Counseling 1 (3 hours)
• CNS ED 6020: Ethical and Professional Issues in Counseling 1 (3 hours)
• CNS ED 6030: Foundations for Multicultural Counseling 1 (3 hours)
• CNS ED 6040: Group Procedures in Counseling 1 (3 hours)
• CNS ED 6050: Assessment in Counseling 1 (3 hours)
• CNS ED 6270: School Counseling Practicum 1 (3 hours) or CNS ED 6370: Clinical Mental Health Counseling Practicum I (3 hours)
• CNS ED 6280: School Counseling Internship 1 (6 hours) or CNS ED 6380: Clinical Mental Health Counseling Internship (6 hours)
• CNS ED 6400: Career Counseling and Development 1 (3 hours)
• CNS ED 6410: Advanced Career and Leadership Development (3 hours)
• CNS ED 7000: Advanced Theories and Practice of Counseling (3 hours)
• CNS ED 7010: Advanced Multicultural Counseling (3 hours)
• CNS ED 7030: Counselor Education and Supervision of Individuals and Groups (3 hours)
• CNS ED 7035: Counselor Education and Supervision Internship (3 hours)
• CNS ED 7060: Professional Issues in Counselor Education (2 hours)
• CNS ED 7075: Teaching, Learning, and Technology in Counselor Education (3 hours)
• CNS ED 7700: Advanced Counseling Internship (3 hours)
• ED PSY 6210: Life-Span: Individual and Family Development 1 (3 hours)
• Electives (6 hours)
• Internship: CNS ED 7780: Doctoral Internship (4 hours)
• Dissertation Research: EDUC 7999: Dissertation Research (9 hours)

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able to:

• Demonstrate and apply the ethical and culturally relevant practice of counseling
• Be adept at conceptualizing clients using theory and integrating theory and research into counseling practice
• Demonstrate skills in the process and practice of clinical supervision and consultation, including the use of theory, assessment, gatekeeping, and ethical and culturally relevant strategies
• Develop skills in teaching, including course design, assessment, andragogy, differentiation, and gatekeeping
• Demonstrate the ethical practice of conducting rigorous and intentionally designed counseling research
• Develop and refine scholarship skills through advanced qualitative and quantitative coursework to be able to disseminate findings through professional presentations or publications
• Demonstrate abilities to serve as leaders in the field and advocates for the profession, for clients, and with marginalized populations to stand up against issues of systemic inequity