Counselor Education (PhD)

Welcome to Seattle Pacific University’s doctoral program in counselor education. Offered through SPU’s School of Education’s Department of School Counseling, the program is a rigorous 90+-credit, post-master’s degree. A 135+-credit, post-bachelor’s degree option is also available.

Please visit the main School Counseling web site or download the School Counseling Program Handbook for indepth program information.

Program Overview

SPU’s counselor education program is designed to educate and prepare doctoral students to serve primarily as college- and university-level school counseling educators — with an emphasis on teaching graduate-level students and conducting publishable research and other scholarly work. Supervision of master’s-level students is included in the course of study.

Additionally, the program is designed to meet standards for doctoral-level counselor education programs set down by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. These standards emphasize contemporary counselor education theory, research, and best practice.

For immediate information on application and admission, visit How to Apply.

Key Program Elements

Opportunities for paid graduate assistantships are available.

Emphases

The program’s key emphases are multicultural approaches to school counseling, collaboration with families, implementation and evaluation of comprehensive school counseling programs, and the intersection of counseling and spirituality. As such, the doctoral program features both cutting-edge counselor education theory and research. Best practice and supervisory skills are included as well.

Course of Study

The program begins in Autumn Quarter with an orientation retreat in the San Juan Islands, located in the Puget Sound. Students entering in autumn will be grouped as a cohort and move together through the degree program.

The doctoral program in counselor education program is designed to be completed within three or four years, including Summer Sessions. All students will have an opportunity to co-teach a school counseling graduate class as well as to supervise practicum and interns. Student competency evaluations are conducted in several places in the program.

See more information on course requirements and a suggested program sequence.

Colloquium

Students may register for the EDU 7990 leadership colloquium after they have completed 24 credits of coursework (approximately one year). The colloquium requires students to write a scholarly paper and present that paper in a formal setting to the educational community. Following the presentation, School of Education doctoral-level faculty members conduct an evaluation of each student’s scholarship and colloquium paper. The colloquium paper requirement must be passed before the student can take the comprehensive exams.

Comprehensive Exams

Upon completion of all courses, students must pass written comprehensive examinations. These examinations cover the foundations, professional and research components of the core, and the student’s area of specialization. Successful completion of the comprehensive examination advances the student to doctoral candidacy.

Degree Dissertation

The doctoral dissertation is the culminating experience in the program. It is a scholarly, highly individualized inquiry into an area of professional and intellectual interest. The dissertation process has three stages:

• Proposal: Students work with a dissertation advisor and faculty members throughout the coursework to develop a research question and proposal.
• Research/Writing: Using the expertise and knowledge developed in the research core courses and under the direction of a faculty dissertation advisor and committee, the student conducts research and produces a quality report of the findings.
• Defense: As a final demonstration of scholarly competence, the student conducts an oral presentation and defense of the research.

While it is expected that the dissertation will follow accepted research methodologies and format, the research topic may vary depending on each student’s professional goals and the expertise of his or her faculty members.

Exit Criteria

To complete the program and receive the doctoral program in counselor education, students must

• Receive passing marks on
  • Three comprehensive exams: research, foundations, and specialization.
  • A publishable colloquium paper (publication not required).
  • A professional counseling theory paper written during the Counseling Practicum Supervision Seminar.
• Demonstrate supervision competency The supervision of practicum and internship master’s-level school counseling students is evaluated in the Counseling Practicum Supervision Seminar and the Internship Supervision Seminar.
• Show instructional competency Teach a graduate-level counseling course under the auspices of the University Teaching Practicum Seminar.
• Complete a dissertation and receive passing marks.
• Pass the oral defense of the dissertation.

Program and Enrollment

At the time of admission, a student may transfer up to 15 post-master’s degree credits into the doctoral program with the approval of the director of doctoral studies. Requirements include

• Criteria. Courses transferred must be graduate-level courses; from a regionally accredited institution; relevant to the student’s doctoral studies; taken within the three years prior to admission; and part of a planned program leading to a graduate degree or a professional certificate.
• Minimum Grade Point. Courses with grades below a 3.0 ("B" average), or those receiving "pass" or "satisfactory" grades cannot transfer into the program.
• Substitutions. Transferred classes may be substituted for degree requirements if the student can document in writing that they are comparable to required courses offered through SPU.

Modifications to these transfer policies may be made at the discretion of the director of doctoral studies in consultation with the Doctoral Admissions Committee.

Residency Requirement

Students are expected to complete the required, 7000-level cohort courses in sequence during the first two years of the program. Once students begin their classes, continuous enrollment must be maintained throughout the program. Students who interrupt the residency requirement may be dropped from the program.

Grade Point Average

A 3.2 overall GPA is required for graduation.

Degree Completion Timeframe

All requirements for the doctoral degree must be completed within five years from the quarter the first post-admission course was taken. Students who need more than five years to complete the degree must file a time-extension petition with the director of doctoral studies.

HOW TO APPLY

Admission Requirements

A limited number of students are admitted to the program each year. All applicants will have at least a bachelor’s degree* or a master’s degree* from a regionally accredited college or university. In addition to the items listed in the Application Procedure section (below), admission decisions will be based on the following:

• Bachelor’s-level applicants who are highly qualified with majors in education, psychology, sociology, or related-disciplines are encouraged to apply.
• Master’s degree in school counseling, mental health counseling, counseling psychology, marriage and family therapy, or a related counseling discipline. Preferable: ESA certification in school counseling.
• Experience (two years is preferable) in school-related counseling and educational service (applicants with master’s degree). For applicants who have a bachelor’s degree, at least one year of experience (e.g., paid positions, internships, etc.) with students in a variety of educationally related settings is required.
• Personal interview with two graduate-level counselor education faculty members.

*Bachelor’s degree to doctorate requires a minimum of 135 quarter credits; master’s degree to doctorate requires a minimum of 90 quarter credits.

Application Procedure

Cohort classes for the doctoral program in counselor education program begin each summer. Students may also be admitted in the fall or other quarters in order to begin prerequisites, foundations, and elective courses.

Interested applicants must submit the following items to the Graduate Center.

• Application and application processing fee
• Official transcripts documenting excellent undergraduate and graduate GPAs from any institution where an academic degree was conferred. Includes post-master’s degree graduate coursework.
• Personal statement expressing one’s professional plans, goals, and focus of study, as well as a rationale for pursuing a degree in counselor education. No more than 500 words.
• GRE-Revised Test score taken within five years of application. Preferred minimum combined score of 303/60th percentile on verbal + quantitative or 1200 on old GRE test.
• Three recent letters of recommendation, including two that are academic recommendations.
• Writing sample that demonstrates graduate-level writing skills.

Following the submission of all of these items your file will be reviewed by the core graduate faculty. You will be contacted regarding the status of your application and to schedule an interview within approximately two weeks.

Application Questions

Submission of application components: Contact the Graduate Center at (800)601-0603 or gradadmissions@spu.edu.

School of Education admission questions: Contact program director Dr. Chris Sink at (206)281-2453 or csink@spu.edu.