Counselor Education, Doctorate of Philosophy

Available: On Campus

Welcome to the Ph.D. program in Counselor Education at SHSU! Here is who we are:

  • CACREP accredited to prepare graduates as counselor educators in graduate programs.
  • Students can receive special training to be leaders in school counseling programs.
  • Our cohort model supports our students to achieve a higher graduation rate than the national average.
  • Doctoral students conduct and complete a major research study, called the dissertation, that is related to counseling and that reflect students’ research interests.
  • Develop advanced counseling skills and supervision skills at our counseling clinics located at The Woodlands Center and the main campus in Huntsville.
  • Highly dedicated faculty teaching face-to-face and online courses at both the main campus and The Woodlands Center.
  • Courses structured to accommodate students who work full time.
  • Diverse faculty with a wide range of academic expertise and research interests. Three American Counseling Association fellows. Publish and presentations for national and international associations and conferences. Leadership in state and national associations.
  • Faculty collaborate with students in research, conference presentations, and publications.
  • Research and training at the Center for Research and Training in Trauma.
  • Certificate in Play Therapy.
  • Research and teaching assistantships available. Support for making presentations at conferences in-state and nationally.

Program Components

Cohort Model

The Ph.D. Counselor Education program follows a cohort (group) model, in which students take all core classes with the same group of colleagues throughout the program. Doctoral students feel a strong sense of support from cohort colleagues and completion rates are higher for cohort members.

Coursework

In a typical semester, doctoral students enroll for 6 semester hours or 2 courses. Students have the option of taking 9 semester hours or 3 courses a semester. In order to keep pace with the cohort and make progress in the course sequence, students are expected to take the minimum required 6 semester hours.

Comprehensive Exam

After 6-8 semesters of coursework, students take a comprehensive written examination. In addition to synthesizing course information, students demonstrate competencies in research tools.

Dissertation

Upon completing coursework, a dissertation is required to obtain a doctoral degree. A dissertation is an individual, independent research study that a student conducts under the guidance of a Dissertation Advisor and a committee of two other professors who are familiar with the topic or method of study.

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Program Breakdown

Brief breakdown of the type, or types, of degree available, their length, available enrollment, and estimated cost.
Category Degree Summary
Catalog Entry Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD)
Length 60 Credit Hours
Enrollment Fall
Costs Rates Per Semester
Admission Requirements University & Program Application Materials
Departmental Program Application Form

Application Deadlines

  • Fall: December 1

Please note that application deadlines will occasionally change. Please contact the program director (listed in the contact section) for confirmation on application deadlines.

Contact Info