Doctoral (Ph.D.) Degree Counseling

The Counseling Graduate Program offers a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree. The Ph.D. degree prepares its graduates for faculty positions as counselor educators and for leadership positions in the counseling profession. The degree includes all the coursework in research and counseling required for students who desire careers as professional counselors in areas that require a doctoral degree. Students completing the Ph.D. degree take courses that prepare them to write either a qualitative or quantitative research dissertation with a conceptual framework.

The program leading to the Ph.D. degree consists of a minimum of 114 semester hours in length, which includes all coursework completed as part of a master's degree program and up to 15 hours completed after a master's degree was earned. If a student holds more than one graduate degree, all courses from each degree program may be transferred into the doctoral degree program. However, students may not transfer in more credits than will be completed in the doctoral program at UNO. Due to all of the specified counseling, minor, and research courses required for graduation, most doctoral programs are well over 114 hours.

The Ph.D. degree program must include an emphasis area. Emphasis areas require a minimum of 12 hours of specialized counseling coursework and require that the dissertation topic be closely related to the emphasis area. Emphasis areas must reflect areas of expertise held by one or more full-time faculty members. Students in the PhD program take core courses which include a minimum number of hours in each of the following areas:

• 48 hours of required masters' level counseling courses,
• 39 hours of doctoral level courses,
• 15 hours of research tools, and
• 12 hours of emphasis area courses

Examples of emphasis areas include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Counselor Education
• Community Counseling
• Counseling Children
• Group Counseling
• Multicultural Counseling
• Rehabilitation Counseling
• School Counseling
• Private Practice Counseling
• Play Therapy

Doctoral students complete a total of 27 hours in research; therefore the minor for all doctoral students will be in the area of research.

Additional Information, Requirements for the Doctoral Degree

The Counselor Education Ph.D. program prepares counselors for leadership roles in the counseling profession. Research competency, advanced counseling skills, and practice in the clinical supervision of other counselors are emphasized in the program. Graduates generally choose careers as university faculty members (counselor educators), administrators of counseling programs, private practitioners, and researchers.

Admissions

Prospective Ph.D. degree students must meet the admission requirements established by the Graduate School. In addition, applicants must complete the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination. Ph.D. degree applicants are considered based on criteria developed and published by the faculty. To be considered for admission to the program without probation, an applicant must have a graduate grade-point average of at least 3.50. Presentation of the minimum graduate grade-point average does not guarantee admission. Admission decisions are based on all criteria considered in relationship to the needs of the program and number of students who can be reasonably accommodated. Applicants who present graduate grade-point averages that are lower than those listed above may be considered for admission on probation. In addition to the UNO Graduate Application, applicants to the Ph.D. program in Counselor Education must also submit the following: transcripts from all post-secondary schools attended; Graduate Record Examination scores from the General Test taken within the last five years; a personal statement; a Counselor Education application for doctoral studies; a current resume; and three letters of reference. Finalists for admission who are invited must also interview with the program admissions committee. The interview process includes completion of a writing sample and a videotaped counseling interview.

Programs of Study

The Ph.D. program goes well beyond the accumulation of graduate course credits. It includes coursework, supervised field experiences, completion of examinations, a research project, and a dissertation. The degree program includes a minimum of 114 graduate credits beyond the bachelor's degree. There are 48 credits of entry-level core counseling courses (includes three credits in research), 12 credits of counseling courses in an area of concentration, 39 credits of doctoral-level core counseling courses (includes 12 credits in research), and 15 additional credits in research courses. Because of the number of credits completed in research (30 credits total), this area serves as the minor for doctoral students. The doctoral program includes a 100 hour practicum and a 600 hour internship. Concentration areas in counseling in the doctoral program are focused in a particular area of counseling such as college counseling, community counseling, or school counseling. A Program of Study must be completed at the end of the student's first year of enrollment in the doctoral program.

Research Tools

Ph.D. students must complete a minimum of 30 credits in research, which includes coursework and dissertation research. Students develop competency in both quantitative and qualitative research methods. They choose one primary method for their dissertation and complete advanced research courses in that area. It is also possible for students to employ a "mixed methods" approach to their research.

Retention Standards

Ph.D. degree students will be dismissed for any of the following academic reasons: they accumulate six or more hours of grades lower than B in graduate coursework required in their programs of study; their cumulative UNO graduate grade-point average for two consecutive semesters (fall and spring or spring and fall) is below 3.0; they fail the general or final (dissertation defense) examination twice.

Residency

A doctoral student must earn two consecutive semesters of a minimum of nine hours of residence. The doctoral residence requirement may be met alternatively by three semesters of enrollment at six or more hours, which may be non-consecutive.

Students who are in residence for the purpose of the above requirement are expected to devote all of their energies to graduate study under the direct supervision of a major professor and/or advisory committee. Transfer credit from other institutions may be accepted in partial fulfillment of the residency requirement if approved by the department and the Dean of the Graduate School.

Transfer of Credit

A student, with approval from the major professor and the department, may transfer all credits earned toward one or more master's degrees completed at other universities and up to 15 semester hours earned outside of a master's degree program. Only graduate credits in which grades of B were earned that were taken in residence at another university may be transferred. These transfer hours may be included in the program of study.

Continuous Enrollment

Doctoral students, after being admitted to the Ph.D. program, must enroll in graduate courses each fall and spring until being awarded the degree. A leave of absence must be formally requested from the faculty prior to any semester in which this requirement is not met. Students will be dismissed if they fail to meet this continuous enrollment requirement.

General Examination

Students must successfully complete a general examination to continue in the Ph.D. program. Students may take the general examination when they have completed most of their coursework, as defined by the faculty.

Time Limit

Ph.D. students must complete their degree within a 13-year period of admission to the program.