Counselor Education and Supervision, PhD

PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision 
Location: AU Seattle
Credits for Degree: 60 semester credits
Standard Mode of Instruction: Low residency
Standard time to completion: 39 months

This program is not designed to lead to state licensure.

Program Overview

The PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision is designed for counselors who wish to enhance their professional competencies in research and evaluation, supervision, teaching, and counseling. Students develop competencies in counselor education and supervision or creative arts therapy counselor education and supervision. Students who complete the PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision most often go on to achieve positions in higher education as faculty and/or researchers; in community or governmental organizations as clinical supervisors and/or program administrators; or in research positions in public or private mental health sectors. There are also many opportunities for leadership positions within the profession of counseling.

Program Intent and Mission

The Counselor Education and Supervision Ph.D. program at Antioch University prepares ethically responsible clinicians, counselor educators, supervisors, researchers, and leaders who are deeply committed to promoting equity, belonging, and social justice in the global community.

Grounded in the professional counseling identity and a belief in the transformative power of education, we cultivate scholar-practitioners who lead with cultural humility, integrity, and a reflexive understanding of power, privilege, and oppression. In a learner-centered and justice-focused environment, students engage in critical inquiry, experiential learning, and collaborative scholarship that elevates wellness and liberation for all communities.

Our mission is to nurture equity-driven leaders who teach, mentor, and supervise with a commitment to a culture of belonging, accountability, and global responsiveness; engage in research-as-advocacy that amplifies marginalized voices and advances socially responsive practices; and advocate for systemic change that dismantles institutional oppression and amplifies collective well-being.

We honor the emotional labor carried by historically marginalized communities and commit to co-creating liberatory spaces of belonging. Recognizing systemic racism and oppression as global health crises, we train leaders to reconstruct counseling theory, practice, and pedagogy, with culturally sustaining, community-centered approaches that affirm human dignity and connectedness across all intersecting identities.

Distinct Curricular Themes

1. A counselor education curriculum that exceeds national standards by requiring core coursework in advanced clinical practices, trauma and crisis response, ethical and legal issues, advocacy and social justice, and counselor education program development and outcome evaluation.
2. A multicultural emphasis on leadership and supervision encourages a multicultural counselor identity that seeks an appreciation of diversity and human growth in context to social dynamics while also advocating for community justice and equity. This is concurrent with an emphasis on systemic leadership, and supervisory skills needed to assist with organizational change and transformation.
3. A research model that emphasizes not only the rigor of quantitative and qualitative methodologies consistent with doctoral level inquiry, but also program evaluation procedures and outcome driven decision making related to “best practices”.
4. A student-centered training curriculum based on andragogy where adult learners are invited into a collaborative learning experience of reflective practice, experiential learning, and shared inquiry into the best practices of counselor education, supervision, and creative arts training.
5. A cognate core focused on counselor education, counseling supervision, consultation and organizational change, and advanced professional seminar and inquiry

Program Goal and Objectives

The CES program aims to expand student abilities in adult learning andragogy specific to counselor training and supervision while developing critical thinking skills toward a focused research agenda. With an emphasis on multicultural and personal awareness, the program equips students with the leadership and consultation skills needed to address community and global inequities consistent with a social justice counseling orientation. These goals are accomplished through a combination of required coursework, practical experience, and a supervised internship.

To meet CACREP 2024 Doctoral Standards, students must demonstrate proficiency in five core areas: Counseling, Supervision, Research, Teaching, and Leadership & Advocacy. As such, the AUS CES program is designed with curricula that specifically addresses these five areas across multiple required courses as outlined in the student handbook and Ph.D./CES plans of study. Additionally, the AUS CES program specifically addresses expectations for student learning and competency via the following program objectives:

Objective 1 - Diversity and Change
Objective 2 - Counselor Education
Objective 3 - Supervision
Objective 4 - Advanced Practice
Objective 5 - Research
Objective 6 - Engagement and Advocacy

Program and Curricular Overview

The degree requires 60 semester credits over a minimum of three academic years. Students who have graduated from a CACREP accredited master’s degree will be considered to have met “entry level” requirements for the practice of counseling, depending on the CACREP alignment of their master’s degree program. Students who graduated from other counseling and related programs must document that they have met the equivalent requirements or will be required to complete those as part of their doctoral program.
The program allows students to pursue advanced study in Counselor Education and Supervision. Additionally, the program provides for advanced preparation in the following content areas:

• Theory pertaining to the principles and practice of advanced counseling, group work, consultation, and counselor supervision
• Instructional design and methods relevant to an andragogy consistent with the best practices associated with reflective learning and counselor training
• Design and implementation of quantitative and qualitative research methodology related to the inquiry of counseling practice and program delivery outcomes
• Advanced practices in counselor education leadership, ethics, social advocacy, and multicultural counseling, supervision, and training
• Advanced supervision techniques and practices

Career Choices for Counseling Graduates

With the advanced content area preparation, graduates of the PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision program will have expanded opportunities in counselor education, leadership, and supervision practices. They will find their scope of practice expanded in counseling and education settings. Graduates may work in private practice, for state or county agencies and at universities.

Admission Requirements

Applicants are assessed for judgment, potential and passion, not achievement alone. Admitted students enter an educational environment which models rigor, nurtures a desire to learn, and fosters collaborative relationships between faculty and students. Students admitted into doctoral study have been repeatedly assessed and have demonstrated that they have skills, knowledge, and abilities far above the average. The PhD candidate will demonstrate a high level of professional autonomy and the ability to work in collaboration with others - qualifications that are identified with professional leadership. Doctoral courses and experiences are designed to help the student leave the university. The Admission process is as follows:

Applicants will have completed a master’s degree in counseling or closely related field that includes the areas of competency required by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Those areas not covered in the student’s master’s program must be taken as part of doctoral study. Doctoral candidates are also expected to enter the program with competency in the use of technology.

1. Students are assumed to have achieved master’s level competence in counseling and/or the appropriate area of practice 
2. Doctoral candidates are expected to have the potential to write at a scholarly level.
3. Applicants to the program must demonstrate a commitment to and capacity to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds and adhere to the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics.