Doctoral Program in Counselor Education and Supervision
Shippensburg University’s doctorate in counselor education is designed to provide licensed and license-eligible professional counselors with the advanced knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully supervise, design and develop clinical and administrative programs, and provide supervision in a variety of settings. Our doctoral program is uniquely designed to prepare career professionals to provide clinical supervision, engage in program development and enhancement, and deliver advanced clinical practice. Clinical supervision is a cornerstone in the training and development of ethical and competent professional counselors. Throughout their advanced education, each doctoral candidate will work in collaboration with department faculty, a team of field-based expert practitioners, and employer mentors, to study and advance ways in which the profession of counseling empowers diverse individuals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals. The program will emphasize counselor education, advanced counseling, clinical supervision, leadership and advocacy in the profession of counseling (regionally, nationally, and internationally). Graduates of our doctoral program will be prepared through the CACREP standards to serve in a variety of educational, clinical, and administrative settings and provide competent care including crisis and disaster response and trauma informed care. In addition, our consistent focus on advocacy and social justice as leaders in the counseling profession evidences the department’s values and commitments placed upon these complex constructs and will be an integral part of your training. Resoundingly, our geographic location will provide our doctoral students with access to a host of agencies and organizations where doctoral student presence will undoubtedly fill service gaps and thereby effect positive change at regional and national levels.
Our doctoral program requires successful completion of 60 graduate credits including course work, qualifying examination, competency examination, dissertation research, and advanced clinical internships built upon an already conferred master’s degree in counseling or related field. Internships will consist of a minimum of one 100 clock-hour practicum and two internships at 300 clock hours each. These educational opportunities with direct experience under faculty and site-based supervision are CACREP requirements which will increase local counseling and/or college student personnel services provided within the communities where doctoral-level internships take place. Coursework will be delivered face-to-face (F2F) on the Shippensburg and/or Dixon University Center campuses in blended/online formats; all coursework will integrate technological applications and delivery where appropriate
The program design allows for students to complete approximately six 3-credit courses per calendar year. In the students’ first academic year, they will sit for a qualifying examination. Successful completion of this will allow students to transition into year two. Beginning in the third semester of doctoral study, field placements, the practicum (3 credits) and two internships (total 6 credits), will be taken with one additional course per semester. Following students’ successful completion of their comprehensive examinations students will begin earning dissertation credits. Matriculated students will advance through their course work as a cohort. We anticipate the length of time required for successful completion of coursework, internship, comprehensive examinations, the dissertation and its defense will be 3.5 years to graduate. Three one-credit research seminars, which will be taken in sequence over the three calendar years, prepare students to present their dissertation proposals in timely a fashion. Students, with their doctoral advisors’ permission and recommendation to the Graduate Dean, may be granted transfer credit of recently earned, advanced post-master’s coursework (500 level and above). In addition to this scenario, students who elect to take their 9-credits (cognate) at another PASSHE institution may be able to shorten the total time required to complete their degree.
Mission
The mission of the Department of Counseling and College Student Personnel, as an entity of Shippensburg University, its Graduate School, and the College of Education and Human Services, is to develop students’ academic and personal potential through a comprehensive counselor education program for graduate counseling and college student personnel students.
The Department’s mission integrates the principles of a meaningful learning environment, professionalism, and individual responsibility. It strives to be a respected leader in the promotion of dignity, acceptance, and collaboration within the Shippensburg University campus environment.
Specifically, for this doctoral program, it seeks to graduate highly skilled educators, practitioners, supervisors and researchers in counselor education by utilizing supervised experiences, significant research preparation and investigation and creative scholarly curiosity. As a faculty we strive to challenge the doctoral student to continue as lifelong learners, scholars, noble practitioners and supervisors, and leaders in the profession who embrace scientific inquiry, technology, and innovative practices. Through authentic relationships with invested faculty who model intentional practice grounded firmly in theory and cultural advocacy, students develop the knowledge and skills necessary to be purposeful, effective practitioners, supervisors, researchers, instructors and leaders with a strong sense of personal and professional counselor identity.
Program Objectives
- Leading students to assume leadership and advocacy roles in the profession of counseling across a broad range of professional specializations and settings.
- Utilizing the most current, ethical, and innovative technologies for supervision, counseling and education.
- Emphasizing contemporary competencies in all aspects of professional practice with the overarching goal of mitigating social injustices and inequities.
- Preparing advanced professionals to offer exceptional clinical supervision for counselors and student affairs professionals at all stages of their development.
- Generating new insights and developing innovative approaches in clinical supervision.
- Consulting with their academic advisor, students design a multi-disciplinary “cognate” focus to distinguish their academic program.
- Increasing the knowledge base of the counseling profession in both physical and virtual scholarly environments.
- Preparing a doctoral-level community of practitioner/scholars to create and disseminate results of scholarly practice and research.
Course Sequencing-Ed.D. Counselor Education and Supervision
Fall
Quantitative Research I
Theories, Models and Practice of Clinical Supervision
Spring
Quantitative Research II
Instructional Theories and Pedagogy
Research Seminar I
Summer
Quantitative Research III
Cognate I
Fall
Developing and Leading Programs
Qualitative Theories and Methodologies
Practicum in Counseling-Qualifying Exam within course
Spring
Advanced Multicultural Counseling
Internship-Field I
Research Seminar II
Dissertation committee selected January/February
Topic and Proposal development to commence
Summer
Assessment and Evaluation in Clinical Practice
Continued development on proposal
Cognate II
Fall
Advanced Leadership and Advocacy
Advanced Group Work
Internship-Field II
Spring
Comprehensive Examination
Research Seminar III
Proposal Defense (February)
Cognate III
IRB submission/approval
Begin collecting data/interviews
Summer
Dissertation I
Fall
Dissertation II
Dissertation Defense
Graduate December
Spring
Graduate May Dissertation III
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