Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision

The doctoral program in Counselor Education and Supervision welcomes applications from counselors of all specialties with a commitment to counselor education, leadership, advocacy and social justice.  First established in 1962 as a Ph.D. in Rehabilitation, the program was redesigned and renamed The Counselor Education and Supervision Program in 2017 to better reflect its expanded curriculum and its emphasis on preparing educators and researchers in multiple counseling specialization areas.

Mission

The mission of the Ph.D. Degree Program in Counselor Education and Supervision at the University of Arizona is to prepare counselor educators and supervisors who identify as professional counselors and who are knowledgeable in all areas of applicable CACREP standards. Graduates consider their role to be that of leaders and advocates for social justice in addition to being scholars and educators who contribute to the advancement of the counseling profession in a diverse world. The graduates of our CES Program may, therefore, assume a variety of roles in connection with this mission. However, the majority of our students plan to fulfill the role of scholar-practitioner at the university level and teach within counselor education programs, an area of major need nationally.

Program Goals & Objectives

The Ph.D. program in Counselor Education and Supervision prepares counselor educators who possess outstanding skills and knowledge, who are prepared to practice in diverse, multicultural settings, consistent with both ethical and evidence-based practice within the counseling profession. Specifically, the program seeks to ensure that graduates possess the ability to:

  • Effectively integrate theory and clinical counseling practice
  • Become effective clinical supervisors
  • Become skilled teachers, acquiring knowledge and skills in pedagogy and teaching methods that constitute best practice in counselor education
  • Conduct rigorous research on important questions relevant to counseling and the counseling profession
  • Engage in self-reflection regarding diversity and multiculturism in counseling, and acquire both the skills and the commitment to effectively advocate on an individual, group and system level

Is a doctorate right for you?

Counselors who wish to enhance their leadership, teaching, and research skills often pursue the doctoral degree program. Applicants must meet all the academic requirements of the University of Arizona Graduate College and hold a master’s degree in counseling from a CACREP-accredited program or have completed equivalent coursework. While guidelines regarding doctoral course requirements are provided, a doctoral sequence of study is uniquely developed to meet the goals and needs of an individual candidate. Actually, many students wonder if a doctoral study is right for them. This webinar might help!