Ph.D. Counselor Education & Supervision

Through the core, research, and fieldwork components of the curriculum, you will engage with scholarly research, integrated learning, ethical leadership, effective communication, reflective practice, and community engagement applicable to your clinical supervision and expertise. A total of 60 units are required for completion of the program.

The Core Courses consist of 30.5 units of courses. Students complete 15 units of Research Courses and 2.5 units of Research Seminars that take place concurrently with the coursework, and allow you to meet with your dissertation chair to begin developing your dissertation.

Fieldwork

The practicum and internship experiences (Field Experience) are an integral part of your Ph.D. program. Following CACREP standards, a total of 700 hours must be fulfilled.

Residency

Only 2 face-to-face residencies are required throughout the program – one of which will be fulfilled during our popular 4-day Kickoff Conference with Dr. Townsend at our Concordia University Irvine campus in Orange County, CA. Your 700 hours of fieldwork will consist of both practicum and internship experiences and can be completed wherever you live and work.

Dissertation

Finally, the Dissertation (12 units) is the culminating project of the doctoral program. Under the guidance of a dissertation chair and committee members, you will prepare original research in the field of counseling with a primary emphasis in at least one of the five core content areas of Counselor Education & Supervision. Dissertation research involves implementation of the dissertation research design, collection and analysis of data, and reporting and discussion of research findings. Dissertation research culminates in the successful completion of the dissertation and dissertation oral defense.

Curriculum

Core Courses

• CES 700: Doctoral Studies Orientation in Counselor Education and Supervision (.5 Units)
• CES 701: Professional Orientation, Ethics, and Identity for Counselor Educators (3 Units)
• CES 702: Instruction in Counselor Education and Supervision (3 Units)
• CES 703: Advanced Counseling and Career Theories (3 Units)
• CES 704: Counselor Supervision: Theories, Techniques, and Technology (3 Units)
• CES 706: Leadership, Consultation, and Program Evaluation in Counselor Education (3 Units)
• CES 707: Advanced Multicultural Issues in Counselor Education and Supervision (3 Units)

Fieldwork

• CES 740: Counselor Education and Supervision Practicum (3 Units)
• CES 741: Counselor Education and Supervision Internship I (3 Units)
• CES 742: Counselor Education and Supervision Internship II (3 Units)

Research Requirements

• CES 750: Advanced Research Theory, Methods, and Design I (3 Units)
• CES 751: Statistical Analysis for Counselor Education (3 Units)
• CES 752: Advanced Research Theory, Methods, and Design II (3 Units)
• CES 753: Qualitative Research Design and Analysis for Leaders in Counselor Education (3 Units)
• CES 754: Advanced Quantitative Research and Statistics in Counselor Education (3 Units)
  OR
  CES 755: Advanced Qualitative Research in Counselor Education (3 Units)

Research Seminars

• CES 771: Research Seminar I (.25 Units)
• CES 771A: Research Seminar I (Continued) (.25 Units)
• CES 772: Research Seminar II (.25 Units)
• CES 772A: Research Seminar II (Continued) (.25 Units)
• CES 773: Research Seminar III (.25 Units)
• CES 773A: Research Seminar III (Continued) (.25 Units)
• CES 774: Research Seminar IV (.25 Units)
• CES 774A: Research Seminar IV (Continued) (.25 Units)
• CES 774B: Research Seminar IV (Continued) (.25 Units)
• CES 775: Research Seminar V (.25 Units)

Dissertation Seminars

• CES 781: Dissertation (4 Units)
• CES 782: Dissertation (4 Units)
• CES 791: Dissertation (4 Units)

Extensions (as needed)

• CES 792: Dissertation (1 Unit)

Optional Electives

• CES 705: Advanced Social Emotional Skills for Counselors and Special Educators (3 Unit)
• CES 724: Spiritual Formation and Issues in Integration (3 Unit)
• CES 725: Models and Application of Trauma Informed Practice (3 Unit)

For course descriptions, please see the Academic Catalog.

Doctoral residencies provide students an opportunity to meet with faculty, administrators, and industry professionals as they deepen their skills and knowledge of the profession of counselor education. Doctoral students will also connect with their cohort to continue building professional relationships. During each Residency, students will engage in relevant work to show skills in the five core areas (counseling, supervision, teaching, research, leadership, and advocacy) with faculty, peers, and students in other programs offered at Concordia University Irvine and the Townsend Institute.

Learn directly from our core faculty of experienced Christian professionals, while also enjoying access to the renowned Townsend Institute Fellows.

Your experience in the Ph.D. in Counselor Education & Supervision will be guided by core faculty in the Townsend Institute who are experienced professionals and faithful to the university’s mission of learning, service, and leadership.

The Townsend Institute is housed within Concordia University Irvine, a private, Lutheran university. Located in Southern California, Concordia serves over 4,000 students annually, on campus and online. Centered by a Christian worldview, and guided by the Great Commission, Concordia is home to a thoughtful and caring community of learners.

The Ph.D. in Counselor Education & Supervision serves learners whose goals are to become educators, supervisors, clinician-administrators, researchers, scholars, and/or leader-advocates in the field of mental health counseling.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, positions related to Counselor Education & Supervision are expected to grow at rates higher than the projected growth rates for all occupations in California and nationally through 2026. Furthermore, individuals in professions related to Counselor Education & Supervision experience both higher-than-average salaries and lower-than-average unemployment rates on both California and national standards. The bottom line? Earning your terminal degree in Counselor Education & Supervision affords you favorable job and salary outcomes throughout the course of your career.

Additionally, if your career desires include teaching, changes in the industry now require all hires in faculty positions to be from a program accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) – the “Gold Standard” in the field of counseling. Building on the strengths of the Townsend Institute's CACREP-accredited M.A. Counseling: Clinical Mental Health, our Ph.D. program has been developed to align with CACREP standards in order to pursue accreditation and allow you full access to hiring opportunities open to such a doctorate degree.