PhD Counselor Education and Supervision

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Distance Learning

Program Overview

The purpose of the Distance Learning post master’s PhD Counselor Education and Supervision program is to engage learners in the evaluation of the theoretical and practical aspects of counseling through both qualitative and quantitative research, and to prepare them to act as educators and leaders in the field of counseling. PhD Counselor Education and Supervision learners will be equipped with the knowledge and experiences necessary to assume leadership roles in both academic and professional settings, having been equipped with the highest degrees of professional and ethical standards.  

The Distance Learning PhD Counseling Education and Supervision program is accredited by The Council of Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) effective July 11, 2022. More information about CACREP accreditation is available here. Ultimately, the objectives of the PhD Counselor Education and Supervision program are to ensure the development of professionals who apply knowledge about principles of counseling, education and supervision to work more effectively with specific populations. Graduates will be able to select, implement, and supervise educational methodologies to meet the individual, group and organizational needs of specific populations, including non-profit, for-profit and institutional and non-institutional settings.

Program Mission

The mission of the PhD Counselor Education and Supervision is to prepare mental health professionals as leaders who possess the skills to educate, motivate, advocate and innovate within the field of counseling, and foster the development of a robust professional identity for the counseling profession.

Program Philosophy

The purpose of the post master’s PhD Counselor Education and Supervision program is to engage learners in the evaluation of the theoretical and practical aspects of counseling through both qualitative and quantitative research, and to prepare them to act as educators and leaders in the field of counseling. The program adopts a constructivist framework, promoting an academic environment that is sensitive to difference. Counselor Education and Supervision learners will be equipped with the knowledge and experiences necessary to assume leadership roles in both academic and professional settings, having been equipped with the highest degrees of professional and ethical standards. 

The aims of the PhD Counselor Education and Supervision program are to ensure the development of professionals who apply knowledge about principles of counseling, education and supervision to work more effectively with specific populations. Graduates will be able to select, implement, and supervise educational methodologies to meet the individual, group and organizational needs of specific populations, including non-profit, for-profit and institutional and non-institutional settings.

Program Learning Outcomes

Professional Practice

• Program prepares students to apply the theories of leadership, teaching and supervision to counseling education; analyze learning outcomes assessed within the field of counselor education and supervision; design and implement instructional theory and teaching methods relevant to counselor education, and leadership theory, leadership roles and interprofessional collaboration, and advocacy; to design assessment of learning outcomes within the field of counselor education; evaluate assessment designs used in the examining learning outcomes within the field of counselor education.
• Program prepares students to utilize theoretical applications to the treatment of individuals and groups within the context of counselor education and supervision; analyze tools pertaining to the principles and practice of counseling, career development, group work, family systems, and consultation; design tools pertaining to the principles and practice of counseling, career development, group work, family systems, and consultation; evaluate tools pertaining to the principles and practice of counseling, career development, group work, family systems, and consultation.
• Program prepares students to demonstrate proficiency in the utilization of theoretical applications in the treatment of individuals and groups within the context of counselor education and supervision; the ability to analyze interviews, case histories, psychometric instruments, observations and related methods to generate best practices; generate reports through the interpretation of various data on individuals and groups in the context of counselor education and supervision; critique procedures used to select, administer, and interpret tests designed to assess individuals (i.e. intelligence, aptitudes, abilities, interests, etc.), and the ethical use and interpretation of data.

Diversity

• Program prepares students to apply knowledge on identity related to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, religious belief, and ability, to issues in counselor education and supervision; the ability to select interventions that acknowledge, preserve and promote diversity of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, religious belief and ability; the ability to revise existing interventions that are not inclusive and to compare and critique policies mindful of the impact of privilege, prejudice, oppression, culture and sociopolitical structures.

Professional Behavior

• Program prepares students to apply the ethical standards and guidelines of counseling, counselor education and counselor supervision to issues, cases and situations discussed in the classroom and at their practicum site; analyze professional ethical standards (e.g. ACA Code of Ethics, others relevant codes of ethics) and laws as they relate to the professional delivery of services in the field of counselor education and supervision; design activities, interventions, and research that take into consideration the demands imposed by professional ethics upon the field of counselor education and supervision; evaluate issues and research in the field of counselor education and supervision from the perspective of ethics.

Scholarship

• Program prepares students to apply the principles of social science research to the field of counselor education and supervision; analyze the strengths and limitations of using qualitative and quantitative research in the field of counselor education and supervision; design research methodologies that may be used to further knowledge in the field of counselor education and supervision; evaluate studies to identify gaps and opportunities to refine the existing body of knowledge in the field of counselor education and supervision.

Admission Requirements

For information on where The Chicago School is currently authorized, licensed, registered, exempt or not subject to approval, please visit https://www.thechicagoschool.edu/why-us/state-authorization/

The Chicago School’s PhD Counselor Education and Supervision program will give primary consideration to applicants with a master’s degree in counseling from a CACREP accredited institution who are licensed professional counselors (LCPC, LPC) or license-eligible), or other state equivalent license-eligible for professional licensure. Those not possessing a counseling degree from a CACREP accredited institution or not currently eligible for licensure will be evaluated on a case by case basis. It is preferred that applicants have one to two years of counseling experience prior to admission. Generally, a graduate GPA of a 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale is required for admission. Applicants will be judged on their overall ability to do graduate work.

In order to be admitted into the PhD Counselor Education and Supervision program under these conditions, applicants must demonstrate successful completion of the following master’s level core courses:

• Counseling Theory
• Human Growth and Development
• Counseling/Helping Skills
• Legal, Ethical and Professional Issues in Counseling
• Career Counseling
• Group Counseling, Group Work, Group Dynamics
• Multicultural Counseling
• Research and Evaluation
• Assessment, Appraisal, Diagnosis

Applicants must submit the following as part of the application process:

• Resume or Curriculum Vitae
• Official transcripts from all institutionally accredited graduate institutions where credit was earned
• Three Letters of Recommendation from current employer/supervisor or current/former faculty members
• Proctored Admission Essay
• Admission Interview

Applicant Notification

The Chicago School reviews applications on a rolling basis. Once review begins, complete applications will be considered by the Admission Committee and applicants will be notified regarding the admission decision. The Chicago School does not share information or provide any feedback regarding admission decisions.

If a student is offered admission and in order to secure a place in the incoming class, a non-refundable tuition deposit of $250 will be required by the deposit deadline indicated in the offer of admission. The non-refundable deposit will be applied in full toward the student’s tuition upon enrollment.

Standard Full Time Schedule

• PhD Counselor Education and Supervision  

Degree Completion Requirements

• Successful completion of 60 credit hours of coursework 

• Successful completion of in-person of residency requirements 

• Successful completion of a minimum of 600 hours internship across the following domains: teaching, leadership and advocacy, research and scholarship.  

• Successful completion and copy editing of dissertation 

Progression Requirement - Internship 

A student who does not successfully complete internship may be required, in a written academic development or remediation plan authored by the program’s clinical faculty or the Student Community Standards Committee, to repeat the internship sequence. 

Progression Requirement - Residencies 

Residency 2 must be completed by the end of the second year in the program. Students who do not successfully fulfill their Residency 2 will not be allowed to register in any further courses in the program until the requirement is met. Extensions may be requested from the Program Chair or designee, if extenuating circumstances prevent completion of the requirement in the specified timeframe. Requests for an extension must be submitted in writing to the Program Chair for consideration. 

Policies

The following policies are located under Academic Policies and Procedures : Academic Calendar, Admissions Requirements, Attendance, Satisfactory Academic Progress, Service Learning, and Transfer Credit/Course Waiver. Click the link above for detailed information.

Dissertation

Doctoral students write a doctoral dissertation in the final year of their program of study. The dissertation utilizes measurement, data collection, and research design methods to address a problem of the student’s choosing. The dissertation makes an original contribution to the field of counseling education or supervision, and is structured as a formal product using the American Psychological Association (APA) format. The literature review provides a complete statement of all issues relevant to the topic. Students may present dissertation data at conferences (e.g., the ABAI conference) and summarize dissertation data for publication in a scholarly journal.

Residency  

Students in the Distance Learning Ph.D. Counselor Education and Supervision Distance Learning program attend two, in-person, mandatory residencies. Each residency takes place during three days at The Chicago School university ground campus. Students must successfully complete in-person residencies as a requirement of their respective academic program.  The first on ground residency occurs during the first year of the program. The second residency occurs during the second year of the program. Additionally, courses require mandatory weekly synchronous components and asynchronous modules, assignments, and assessments with instructors. 

Fieldwork

The PhD Counselor Education and Supervision program requires a minimum of 700 hours of supervised field work consisting of a minimum of 100 hours of practicum and 600 hours of internship. 

100 hours of practicum. Students are responsible for finding their own practicum sites, which must be approved by the PhD Counselor Education and Supervision faculty and Department Chair.

600 hours of internship, which must include: 

• Mandatory 200 hours across teaching, leadership/advocacy and research/scholarship 

• Mandatory 100 hours of supervision

• The remaining 300 hours of internship may also include professional leadership and consultation, and will be developed in conjunction with Program Faculty and/or Dissertation Chair. 

Students registered in this program incur a one-time $195 Experiential Learning Technology Fee.

Program Mission

The mission of the Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision (CES) program is to prepare competent, ethical, and culturally responsive counselor educators and supervisors who advance the well-being of individuals and communities in a diverse, multicultural, and global society. Rooted in the values of cultural humility, social justice, and equitable access to mental health care, the program equips graduates to integrate theory, research, and supervision-informed practice in service to diverse and marginalized populations. Through applied scholarship and reflective professional identity development, CES graduates are prepared to evaluate outcomes, contribute meaningfully to the counseling profession, and lead with integrity in globally diverse contexts.