The Ph.D. in Education with a concentration in Counseling is intended to prepare professional counselors to provide leadership in the profession of counseling. Counseling leaders must be excellent counselors, supervisors, teachers, researchers, and scholars. The program is designed to enhance the counseling skills of doctoral students, prepare counselors for the roles of clinical and administrative supervision, develop the teaching skills of students, teach students to conduct research, and prepare students to become counseling scholars. The program prepares doctoral students to become university faculty members in counselor education programs and leaders in a variety of counseling specializations (e.g., clinical mental health counseling, school counseling).
Program Highlights
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Accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
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Study full-time or part-time
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Full-time students usually complete their degree in three years
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Part-time students usually complete their degree in four years
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Opportunities for research collaboration with nationally-known counseling faculty
Careers
Check out these ideas from ODU's Center for Career & Leadership Development and the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). A median salary is a midpoint of what people typically earn—half of those surveyed earned above the median salary, and half earned below.
Medical and Health Services Managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate medical and health services in hospitals, clinics, managed care organizations, public health agencies, or similar organizations.
Education Teachers, Postsecondary
Teach courses pertaining to education, such as counseling, curriculum, guidance, instruction, teacher education, and teaching English as a second language. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Survey Researchers
Plan, develop, or conduct surveys. May analyze and interpret the meaning of survey data, determine survey objectives, or suggest or test question wording. Includes social scientists who primarily design questionnaires or supervise survey teams.
Education Administrators, Postsecondary
Plan, direct, or coordinate research, instructional, student administration and services, and other educational activities at postsecondary institutions, including universities, colleges, and junior and community colleges.
Alumni Careers
Requirements
Students who are admitted to the Ph.D. program in Counseling must have a master's degree from a program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Program (CACREP) or the equivalent. Admitted individuals who do not have a CACREP-accredited master's degree in counseling must complete any missing master’s level coursework as part of their doctoral program of study as a part of their Ph.D. program. Upon reviewing application materials, counseling faculty will make a decision on each applicant’s potential for success and fit for the doctoral program. Then, selected applicants will be invited to participate in the following processes: Ethical Dilemma Writing Sample: Each individual applicant will be given an hour to respond to an ethical dilemma at a designated day and time. Live Interview: Applicants will attend a 30-minute online interview with faculty members and have an opportunity to interact with current doctoral students.
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Application Deadlines for Fall, Spring & Summer: The ODU Ph.D. program in Counseling uses a rolling admissions review process. Review of completed applications from domestic and international applicants will begin on October 1 and continue until April 1 or until all of the available positions in the new doctoral class are filled.
For Admission to the Counseling Program
Based on transcripts from all prior graduate programs
Minimum two, maximum three recommendation letters. If possible, include one from a former instructor in your master's program, and one from your internship or job supervisor (letters from others are also acceptable).
Write and submit an original double-spaced 3 to 5 page essay that will be reviewed for content and will be used to judge your written communication skills. Your essay should include a summary of your work experiences, reasons for wanting a Ph.D. in Counseling at ODU, evidence of cultural sensitivity and awareness, how you believe you have been, or will be a leader and advocate for the counseling profession, and ideas about scholarship you might pursue in your doctoral program (e.g., dissertation).
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Cost of Attendance
We believe in providing students with transparent and accessible information about the cost of attendance.
Review the estimated tuition rates for the 2024-25 academic year (subject to change). Non-resident rates are charged for anyone who is not a current Virginia resident, including international students.
Ways to Fund Your Degree
There are a few ways for you to save on the cost of attending Old Dominion University, including scholarships, assistantships, and student loans. For more details about financial aid at Old Dominion, visit the Financial Aid Office page.
Full-Time Students
Students who study full-time often are awarded assistantships which include tuition waivers.
Part-Time Students
Students who study part-time are eligible for student loans.
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