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Doctor of Philosophy, Counselor Education and Supervision

Program Overview

The purpose of the post master’s Counselor Education and Supervision Ph.D. 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. 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.  

Ultimately, the objectives of the Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision program are to ensure the development of professionals who apply knowledge about principles of counseling psychology, 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.

Admission Requirements

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology’s Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision program will consider students with a master’s degree in psychology, or another behavioral sciences degree program, from a regionally accredited institution who are licensed professional counselors, or license-eligible. It is preferred that candidates have three or more years of counseling experience prior to admission. Applicants will be judged on their overall ability to do graduate
work.

Factors considered in admission will be: GPA from graduate schools (generally 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale is required), successful work history after completion of the master’s degree,GRE scores, and  an essay describing the applicant’s professional goals related to the program as well as a self-assessment of the challenges and resources needed for successful completion. An ideal candidate is one who can successfully represent herself/himself within the stated criteria is presently working in the counseling field, or related sciences, and who is interested in working in either clinical or non-clinical professional environments.

Students applying for the Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision program must submit the following materials to be considered for admission.

• Completed application form with $50 application fee
• Independent Degree Program Expedited Application
• All official college/university transcripts from all schools attended (undergraduate and graduate)
• Essay
• Résumé/curriculum vitae, highlighting relevant work, volunteer, and research experiences and indicate specifically either the applicant’s current counselor license (including the type of license (i.e. LPC, LCPC, etc.), state that issued the license, license number, and current licensure status); or the applicant’s licensure eligibility status (including type of license eligible, state where licensure eligibility exists, degree to be used towards eligibility, and number of clinical hours accumulated to be used towards licensure eligibility). If the applicant is not licensed, but license eligible, the applicant shall submit proof of clinical hours completed to be used towards licensure that ensure eligibility (i.e. letter from employer specifying the number of hours completed, the position held, and the type of work performed, i.e. 400 clock hours as Therapist I, providing psychotherapy to adults and adolescent clients over the age of 12 years old in a residential treatment facility etc.).

TOEFL or IELTS, International Credentials, and International Students

TOEFL or IELTS: If English is not your primary language, you must submit official TOEFL or IELTS scores with your application (TOEFL School Code: 7161). International students who received a bachelor’s degree from an accredited United States institution are exempt from this requirement. The minimum scores are: TOEFL – 550 paper based, 213 computer based, 79 internet based; IELTS – 6.5.

ELS Educational Services, Inc.: The Chicago School is a cooperative member of ELS Educational Services, Inc. which provides intensive English language programs. Students who have successfully completed ELS course 112 may be considered for admission in lieu of the TOEFL or IELTS.

International credentials: Applicants with international credentials must obtain and submit an official “course-by-course” evaluation through an evaluation agency such as World Education Services (www.wes.org) or Educational Credential Evaluators Inc. (www.ece.org). In addition to the agency evaluation, all official graduate and undergraduate transcripts must be submitted.

International students: International students must have a completed application by the general consideration deadline. This will allow sufficient time to obtain the additional documentation required to study in the United States. In addition, once accepted, international students must submit the International Student Information form, A copy of their passport, and financial documentation showing sufficient funding for at least one year of study and all living expenses. This documentation must be submitted at least two months prior to the start of the semester in order to allow sufficient time for the school to issue an I-20 for the student to obtain an F-1 visa, if needed. An I-20 visa will not be issued without this documentation.

Applicant Notification

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

If a student is offered admission, in order to secure a place in the incoming class, a non-refundable tuition deposit of $500 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.

Policies

The following policies are located under Academic Policies and Procedures : Transfer of Credit, Waiver of Courses, Satisfactory Academic Progress, Grading Scale, Grade Change Requests, Degree Completion, Degree Conferral, Minimum and Maximum Timeframe requirements, and Credit Hours per semester for Financial Aid.  Information on the Academic Success Program is located under Student Life .

Academic Development Plans

An Academic Development Plan (ADP) is initiated and created by the Department in which the student is enrolled when a student demonstrates deficiencies in competencies that interfere with academic performance, training competence, and/or professional behavior.  Academic Development Plans (ADPs) do not constitute disciplinary action, but failure to complete the plan may lead to disciplinary action.

Student Learning Assessment

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TSCPP) is committed to offering the highest quality graduate and undergraduate completion programs in applied professional disciplines. In order to meet the TCSPP standard for academic quality, all programs will develop overall program competencies, learning objectives, assessment instruments, course descriptions, and course learning objectives. Each of these curriculum components must align in order for students to understand how their program will prepare them for the profession and how they will learn what TCSPP intends. 

All academic programs at TCSPP are required to develop, conduct, and report annual assessments of student learning and program effectiveness in compliance with the processes and procedures established by TCSPP.  These assessments provide reliable and valid information to monitor, maintain, and advance the quality of academic programs. 

The Program

Mission

The mission of the PhD in 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.

Philosophy

The purpose of the post master’s Counselor Education and Supervision Ph.D. 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 Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision program are to ensure the development of professionals who apply knowledge about principles of counseling psychology, 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 Outcomes

Competency in Research and Scholarship is evidenced by the ability 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.

Competency in Social and Cultural Diversity is conceptualized as the application of 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.

Competency in Ethics is indicated by the ability 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.

Competency in Supervision Teaching and Leadership is evidenced by the ability 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 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.

Competency in Advanced Theory and Practice is indicated by the ability 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.

Competency in Assessment and Diagnosis is indicated by 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.

Dissertation

Doctoral students write a Doctoral dissertation in the final year of their program of study, concurrent with their internship experiences. 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.

More specific information is located in the Program Guidebook

Internship

The Counselor Education and Supervision program requires 100 hours of practicum. Students are responsible for finding their own practicum sites, which must be approved by the Counselor Education and Supervision faculty and Department Chair. Students are allowed to earn income
during the practicum process The program entails 600 hours of Internship as outlined below:

• Mandatory 100 hours of teaching
• Mandatory 100 hours of supervision
• Additional internship hours will be developed in conjunction with program faculty, and may include:
  • Counseling
  • Consultation
  • Research
  • Professional Leadership

More specific information is located in the Program Guidebook.