PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision

• Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally-accredited institution or the international equivalent.
• Applicants must hold a master’s degree in counseling. Additionally, applicants must have successfully completed masters-level core curriculum aligned with CACREP curriculum standards as well as content in at least one CACREP-aligned specialty area.
• Applicants must be a licensed mental health counselor, or be license-eligible.
• In addition to the required degrees, we recommend applicants have work experience in the counseling field and experience with research.
• F-1 international students are ineligible to apply.  If you hold another type of non-immigrant status, please contact International Student Services.
• GRE scores are not required and will not be considered in the review of applications, even if students provide them.

We strongly recommend applicants have at least a 3.0 GPA.

TRANSFER CREDIT POLICY

• Graduate Level: Only graduate level courses are acceptable for transfer credit. A graduate level course is any course for which a student received graduate credit at their previous institution(s).
• Acceptable Grades: A grade of “B” or better is required in the graduate level course to be eligible for transfer credit.
• Accreditation: Previous graduate work must have been completed at a CACREP  accredited Counselor Education and Supervision program.
• Deadline for Requesting Transfer Credit: Requests for review of transfer credit must be submitted by Aug 1 of the year the student plans to enroll in the CES program.
• Maximum Credit Awarded: A maximum of 13.5 quarter units or 9 semester units may be transferred into the CES program.
• Transfer Unit Equivalencies: A student will be awarded the number of units the transferred course is equal to at Palo Alto University, which uses a quarter system. A 3 semester unit course will be awarded as a 4.5 quarter unit credit. A transferred course must be equal to or greater than the number of units of the corresponding CES course.
• Time Limit for Transfer Credit: In order to be eligible for transfer credit, the course must have been completed within five years of the student’s matriculation at Palo Alto University.
• Transferable Courses: Students applying for review of transfer coursework should indicate which course(s) they are applying to waive. It is not guaranteed that a course will be eligible for transfer credit.
• Appeals and Exceptions: A student may appeal transfer credit decisions in writing to the Department Curriculum Committee. Appeals must be submitted within one week after the incoming student is notified of the outcome of their transfer credit application.
• Please note that because the CES program is billed on a flat-rate, quarterly tuition schedule, transfer or waiver of units will not result in a reduced tuition rate. Additionally, because of our cohort model with required courses in each quarter, your time to completion of the program will not be reduced; however, students who are allowed to waive required coursework may have the luxury of more time available for supplemental internship, research assistantships, paid employment, etc.

• Applicants for the PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision program will provide three (3) professional references from individuals who have served in a supervisory, evaluative (e.g., professor/advisor), or managerial relationship with the applicant.
• References must have a current or recent (within past two years) relationship with the applicant.
• Of the three references, one must be from a current or most recent clinical supervisor.
• References from colleagues, friends, personal counselors, and/or family members are not permitted.

Estimated Cost of Attendance

General Graduate Program Requirements

This course introduces students to theories and practice of supervision in counseling. A focus of this course is understanding the role, responsibilities, and skills required of a clinical supervisor and applying that knowledge by concurrently co-supervising in a master’s counseling skills course. Theories of counselor development will be introduced, along with approaches to evaluation and issues of ethics in clinical supervision. 

A focus of this course will be helping students develop a personal style of clinical supervision that is culturally relevant. Strategies of evaluation, remediation, and gatekeeping in supervision will be further developed and applied. This course will also cover multiple modalities of supervision and students will learn to conduct effective supervision in virtual synchronous platforms. 

Prerequisite: none
Units: 4.5 Units

This doctoral level course introduces and applies adult learning theories. Students in the course will learn about the role and responsibilities of educating counselors, models of adult development and learning,   course development approaches, and evidence based teaching methods relevant to counselor education. 

Students will learn to develop culturally relevant coursework that effectively assesses learning outcome; specifically, they will be able to identify student learning outcomes (SLO) for a course, to develop syllabi that link SLO’s to assessments, and to create class activities and facilitation strategies that effectively foster and evaluate learning. 

This course will also introduce culturally responsive approaches for the delivery of courses in a variety of modalities. Students will be required to co-teach a master’s level counseling course concurrently while taking this course. 

Prerequisite: none
Units: 4.5 Units

A focus of this course is the application of advanced counseling theories and clinical skills in individual and group settings. Students will conduct an advanced review of counseling theories and their application to clients. 

Students will also gain knowledge and experience in group counseling leadership. Another focus of this course will be how students can apply the knowledge and skills gained to teaching clinical skills coursework. 

This course will include opportunities to support the training of masters-level counseling students at one of two skills-based Residencies.

Prerequisite: none
Units: 4.5 Units

This advanced course examines culturally responsive approaches to teaching, research, supervision, and leadership. By the end of this course, students will also understand decolonization of counselor education curriculum, scholarship, policies, and practices. 

They will learn how to facilitate difficult conversations around power and privilege. 

Prerequisite: COUN711, COUN702, COUN713
Units: 4.5 Units

This doctoral level course will prepare students for leadership roles in counselor education programs by developing their knowledge of program leadership responsibilities. It will introduce students to knowledge about the standards and process of accreditation. 

Students will learn how to apply theories of leadership and management in counseling programs and organizations. Another focus of this course is learning about current issues in the counseling profession and applying those issues to the daily work of leaders in counseling programs, including learning strategies of advocacy for these issues on behalf of students, clients, and counseling professionals. 

Prerequisite: Higher Education Leadership, Organizational Development, and Advocacy 

Prerequisite: none
Units: 4.5

The topic of this course will be focused on specific practices in supervision. Students will gain knowledge about specific supervision approaches. Current issues in supervision and counselor education will be covered. 

Prerequisite: COUN713
Units: 3 Units

The topic of this course will be focused on the understanding and application of learning theories and practices for counselors-in-training.. Students will gain knowledge about specific andragogical approaches. Current issues in andragogy for  counselor education and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning will be covered. 

Prerequisite: COUN702
Units: 3 Units

This course aims to acquaint students with the overall research process, assist them in discovering a feasible, publishable, and fundable research topic as well as develop a research proposal for conference presentation and/or grant application. 

This course covers a range of topics such as an overview of the research process, academic and professional writing for journal publication, conference presentation and grant application, developing research proposals, and incorporation of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the research process. 

Prerequisite: none
Units: 4.5 Units

This is an introductory course to the field of qualitative research in counselor education. The course reviews theoretical frameworks, methods of research inquiry, and issues related to the ethical practice of qualitative research (e.g., researcher positionality, representation, and objectivity. 

Students will have the opportunity to apply their knowledge by participating in various class activities and exercises that focus on different research methods, such as participant-observation, interviewing, coding, and memoing. Upon completion of the course, students will possess knowledge of qualitative research design, methodology, collection, and analysis. 

Prerequisite: COUN711
Units: 4.5 Units

This is an intermediate course in the design of quantitative research. The course covers a range of topics such as basic statistical concepts, analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation, multiple regression, Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and nonparametric statistics. 

It is important to understand that the course's aim is not to simply provide correct answers to statistical questions. Rather, the emphasis is on understanding the different statistical analyses, selecting the appropriate analysis for specific research inquiries, and accurately interpreting the statistical results.

Prerequisite: COUN711
Units: 4.5 Units

This is an advanced course in the design of quantitative research. This course will provide students with in-depth knowledge in scale development and validation processes (e.g., item development, factor analysis, and item response theory).  

While the word "advanced" may sound challenging, these analyses are frequently used in reputable counseling journals and students will be provided with plenty of opportunities to apply them into practice.

Prerequisite: COUN711, COUN712
Units: 4.5 Units

The purpose of this course is to guide students in designing a small‐scale research study within the field of counselor education. Building from Qualitative I, students will further their philosophical understandings of qualitative inquiry, develop a research proposal, and design a plan for data collection and analysis. 

The course will additionally prepare students to develop and submit a research protocol to the PAU Institutional Review Board. Students will also be guided through introspective exploration of their own positionality to facilitate ethical and responsible research practice. 

Upon completion of the course, students will have developed an executable qualitative research proposal and possess in-depth knowledge of the ethical and social justice implications of qualitative research. 

Prerequisite: COUN711, COUN716
Units: 4.5 Units

This research seminar will provide students with additional strategies and practice opportunities for data collection, data analysis, and results- and discussion-writing for quantitative and qualitative methodologies. 

This seminar is also an in-depth examination of the strengths and limitations of various quantitative and qualitative research designs. 

Thus, additional qualitative and quantitative research methodologies (e.g., consensual qualitative research, single-subject design, and structural equation modeling) will be also introduced and students will be provided with opportunities to apply these methodologies into their interested research topics.

Prerequisite: COUN711, COUN712, COUN714, COUN716, COUN721
Units: 3 Units

Students taking this class have arranged an internship experience, in coordination with their advisor, in the areas of teaching, supervision, research, counseling, or leadership and advocacy. 

This course provides group supervision to students in the course. 

Prerequisite: none 
Units: 3 -  4.5 Units classes taken over 3 quarters.

This course is focused on the development and facilitation of the dissertation process. The instructor will provide individual assistance and discussion, including literature review, hypothesis development, finding a dissertation chair and other committee members, the Institutional Review Board process, proposal preparation, and the proposal defense.

Prerequisite: COUN711, COUN712, COUN716
Units: 4.5 Units

This required dissertation course is taken by 3rd year students working on their dissertations. 

Dissertations will be supervised by the student’s dissertation chair. 

Prerequisite: none
Units: 19.5 Units

The accrediting body for Counselor Education and Supervision (CES) doctoral programs is the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). CES programs are not eligible to apply for CACREP accreditation until they have students entering the dissertation phase of their program. PAU has created the CES program to be in alignment with CACREP standards and will apply for CACREP accreditation as soon as we are eligible.

In addition to specialty accreditation, academic programs must be approved by regional accreditors to operate. The CES program is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), which is the regional accrediting body for PAU.
 

Students will attend class on campus in Palo Alto or Mountain View 1-2 days a week, so living a reasonable driving distance from campus is strongly recommended.

On-campus jobs, including administrative roles, Research Assistantships, Teaching Assistantships, and adjunct teaching roles are available, as well as limited Scholarship opportunities.

This is not a fully-funded program.

Admission to our program does not require submission of GRE scores. We believe that other indicators, such as your academic history, professional background, and volunteer engagement, can effectively demonstrate your suitability for our program.

Our program is designed for working professionals. Ideal candidates will have a schedule that allows them to attend class 1-2 days a week. 

At this time, the program does not allow for part-time students. If you have concerns about the schedule, please reach out so we can talk with you further about the plan of study and options that work for you. 

Our internship program focuses on the areas of teaching, supervision, research, leadership and advocacy, and counseling. Your faculty advisor will work with you to create an internship plan that fits your career needs. This may mean you can complete parts of your internship in a setting where you are currently employed, but you will likely need to do other internship hours across different settings during your program. 

This program is designed to advance the education of those with a CACREP-accredited master’s degree in Counseling. Please contact us if you have specific questions about your master’s degree curriculum. 

This program is designed to advance the education of those with a CACREP-accredited master’s degree in Counseling. Please contact us if you have specific questions about your master’s degree curriculum.

Our program does not require you to have any hours accrued towards licensure. You may be able to collect hours while you’re in the program, depending on your eligibility for California licensure laws.

Students with MA in Counseling degrees from non-CACREP-accredited institutions are not automatically denied, however, applicants must provide evidence that their curriculum meets CACREP standards. 

Transfer Credit Policy 

• Graduate Level: Only graduate level courses are acceptable for transfer credit. A graduate level course is any course for which a student received graduate credit at their previous institution(s).
• Acceptable Grades: A grade of “B” or better is required in the graduate level course to be eligible for transfer credit.
• Accreditation: Previous graduate work must have been completed at a CACREP  accredited Counselor Education and Supervision program.
• Deadline for Requesting Transfer Credit: Requests for review of transfer credit must be submitted by Aug 1 of the year the student plans to enroll in the CES program.
• Maximum Credit Awarded: A maximum of 13.5 quarter units or 9 semester units may be transferred into the CES program.
• Transfer Unit Equivalencies: A student will be awarded the number of units the transferred course is equal to at Palo Alto University, which uses a quarter system. A 3 semester unit course will be awarded as a 4.5 quarter unit credit. A transferred course must be equal to or greater than the number of units of the corresponding CES course.
• Time Limit for Transfer Credit: In order to be eligible for transfer credit, the course must have been completed within five years of the student’s matriculation at Palo Alto University.
• Transferable Courses: Students applying for review of transfer coursework should indicate which course(s) they are applying to waive. It is not guaranteed that a course will be eligible for transfer credit.
• Appeals and Exceptions: A student may appeal transfer credit decisions in writing to the Department Curriculum Committee. Appeals must be submitted within one week after the incoming student is notified of the outcome of their transfer credit application.
• Please note that because the CES program is billed on a flat-rate, quarterly tuition schedule, transfer or waiver of units will not result in a reduced tuition rate. Additionally, because of our cohort model with required courses in each quarter, your time to completion of the program will not be reduced; however, students who are allowed to waive required coursework may have the luxury of more time available for supplemental internship, research assistantships, paid employment, etc.

On-campus, student employee positions are available to our doctoral students. Additionally, students who have completed their teaching internship (scheduled during the first year), are eligible to teach as adjunct faculty within the master’s counseling program. 

Our multiple article dissertation format is designed to help launch your scholarship career early. Instead of a traditional dissertation, you will organize your research into 3 journal articles. Our curriculum is designed to help you be successful by providing intentional research opportunities from the beginning of the program.
The dissemination of knowledge holds significant importance in the counseling profession. By structuring your research into journal publications, you acquire a vital skill of effectively communicating your discoveries. Furthermore, this approach enhances the likelihood of your work being published and cited even before defending your dissertation

Unfortunately, PAU cannot issue I-20s for the PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision, due to the portion of the program that is delivered online. International students who are in the US on another type of eligible visa are welcome to apply.