Doctor of Philosophy in the Field of Counseling

Balancing rigorous research with clinical field experience at mental health sites, the doctor of philosophy (PhD) in counseling program is uniquely designed to build students' capacity to conduct research, publish, provide clinical services, and teach at the graduate level by leveraging clinical, administration, management, advocacy, and leadership skills. Faculty bring world-class expertise in trauma, human sexuality, child and adolescent development, grief and loss, substance abuse, multicultural counseling, as well as a deep knowledge of diagnosis, assessments, interventions, and treatment approaches. During the program, doctoral students can enhance their skill sets by training as clinicians and supervisors at GSEHD's Community Counseling Services Center.

The program leads to careers both inside and outside of academia. Graduates are teaching in universities and practicing in a variety of settings, from directing high school counseling departments to leading county mental health treatment programs.

The program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). 

Visit the program website for additional information.

Admission deadlines:	Fall - November 15
Standardized test scores:	GRE general test (institutional code 5246) is optional.
Recommendations required:	Three (3) recommendations
Prior academic records:	Transcripts are required from all colleges and universities attended, whether or not credit was earned, the program was completed, or the credit appears as transfer credit on another transcript.  Unofficial transcripts from all colleges and universities attended should be uploaded to your online application.  Official transcripts are required only of applicants who are offered admission. Transcripts from institutions outside the United States must be accompanied by an official transcript evaluation from an accredited independent evaluating agency. Please be sure you request a detailed evaluation that includes all course titles, credit hours, grade-point average (GPA), United States degree equivalency, and date of degree conferral. Please see the list of acceptable foreign credential evaluation services.
Statement of purpose:	In an essay of 500-750 words, state your purpose in undertaking doctoral level study in counseling. Include your academic objectives, research interests, and career plans. We are interested in determining your fit with our program and faculty, so be sure to identify faculty that could serve as potential mentors to you in research. If you are applying for an assistantship or fellowship, you should also describe any research or teaching experience you have had.
Additional requirements:	A master’s degree and a resumé is required.
International applicants only:	Please review International Applicant Information carefully for details on required documents, earlier deadlines for applicants requiring an I-20 or DS-2019 from GW, and English language requirements.
Supporting documents not submitted online should be mailed to: Office of Graduate Admissions Graduate School of Education and Human Development The George Washington University 2136 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20052 Contact for questions: gsehdadm@gwu.edu ~ 202-994-9283 (phone) ~ 202.994.7207 (fax) 9:30 am – 6:00 pm, Monday through Friday

Applicants must possess a master’s degree by the time they start the program. If the master’s degree is not CACREP-accredited, then significant master’s-level course work will be added to the program plan outlined below.

A minimum of 75 credits, including 33 credits in core courses, 12 credits in research courses, 6 credits in human development courses, 9 credits in an area of specialization, 15 credits in dissertation courses, and successful completion of the comprehensive examination.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Required
Core courses
CNSL 8251	Advanced Psychopathology and Pharmacology
CNSL 8252	Leadership and Advocacy in Counseling
CNSL 8254	Advanced Multicultural Counseling
CNSL 8255	Supervision in Counseling
CNSL 8256	Doctoral Practicum in Counseling (taken for a total of 6 credits)
CNSL 8257	Doctoral Internship in Teaching
CNSL 8258	Advanced Theories of Counseling
CNSL 8259	Doctoral Internship in Supervision I
CNSL 8260	Doctoral Internship in Supervision II
CNSL 8961	Doctoral Internship in Research (taken for 3 credits)
Research courses
EDUC 8120	Group Comparison Designs and Analyses *
EDUC 8122	Qualitative Research Methods
EDUC 8171	Predictive Designs and Analyses
and 3 credits in Level B research methods coursework selected in consultation with advisor to coordinate with the dissertation.
Human development courses
Two courses selected from the following:
HDEV 6129	Cultural Effects on Human Development
HDEV 8100	Issues and Special Topics in Human Development (taken for 3 credits)
HDEV 8241	Emotional and Cognitive Development
HDEV 8244	Adult and Aging Development
HDEV 8253	Work, Identity, and Adult Development
Area of specialization courses
9 credits in courses selected in consultation with the advisor.
Dissertation
CNSL 8998	Predissertation Seminar
CNSL 8999	Dissertation Research (taken for a minimum total of 12 credits.)
An approved dissertation proposal is required.
Comprehensive examination
Successful completion of a comprehensive examination is required.

*Prerequisite statistics courses must have been taken during the student's master's degree program or must be completed prior to taking required advanced courses. For students who have not had an introductory statistics course, have not had such a course in recent years, or do not feel confident in their understanding and application of basic statistical techniques (i.e. through one-way analysis of variance), EDUC 6116 Introduction to Educational Statistics should be completed prior to enrolling in EDUC 8120 Group Comparison Designs and Analyses.

Doctoral Program Level B Courses

GSEHD's Level B research methods courses are advanced courses in a specific research methodology. All GSEHD doctoral students are required to take at least one Level B course in the methodology of their dissertation. The courses listed below are approved to meet this requirement. EDUC 8120 Group Comparison Designs and Analyses, and EDUC 8122 Qualitative Research Methods, must be completed before enrolling in a Level B course.

Some programs require more than one Level B course. Some Level B courses are taken in a predetermined sequence; for this reason, students should check each course description for prerequisites, as courses in the sequence build on others. More information regarding the Level B course sequence is available in the GSEHD Doctoral Student Handbook; students can also can consult their faculty advisor or research methods faculty for additional guidance.  

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
EDUC 8100	Experimental Courses (Mixed Methods Research)
EDUC 8130	Survey Research Methods
EDUC 8131	Case Study Research Methods
EDUC 8140	Ethnographic Research Methods
EDUC 8142	Phenomenological Research Methods
EDUC 8144	Discourse Analysis
EDUC 8147	Critical Methodologies in Educational Research
EDUC 8148	Qualitative Data Collection
EDUC 8149	Qualitative Data Analysis
EDUC 8170	Educational Measurement
EDUC 8171	Predictive Designs and Analyses
EDUC 8172	Multivariate Analysis
EDUC 8173	Structural Equation Modeling
EDUC 8174	Hierarchical Linear Modeling
EDUC 8175	Item Response Theory
EDUC 8177	Assessment Engineering