General Program: PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision

This course is part of Walden’s commitment to help prepare students to meet the university’s expectations for writing in courses at the doctoral level. In this course, students write a short academic essay that will be scored by a team of writing assessors. Based on the essay score, students will complete or be exempted from additional required writing support needed to meet writing proficiency standards. This required assessment course is free. Students will be enrolled automatically in it at the beginning of their doctoral program.

Students in this course are introduced to Walden University and to the requirements for successful participation in an online curriculum. Students work toward building a foundation for academic and professional success as scholar-practitioners and social change agents. Students engage in course assignments focused on the practical application of professional writing, critical-thinking skills, and the promotion of professional and academic excellence as they relate to counselor educators and supervisors.

Students in this doctoral-level course work toward preparing their professional identity as counselor educators and supervisors. They explore the professional orientation and characteristics of counselors, counselor educators, and supervisors as well as related ethical and legal issues encountered in daily work situations. Students engage in discussions and assignments designed to provide practical application of competencies and responsibilities of counselor educators and supervisors. Students also examine the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics and other relevant standards of practice as well as multicultural issues related to counselor preparation training. Through this course, students have the opportunity to gain professional awareness and create a professional development plan that can be implemented throughout their degree program. COUN 8001.)

In this course, students prepare to become competent teachers of counselor education through the examination of various adult learning theories and methods to work effectively with different learning styles, cultural dynamics, and diversity. Counselor educators in training learn how to help counseling students acquire and apply knowledge and skills, and they examine methods to evaluate learning outcomes. Students also have the opportunity to examine effectiveness within their personal teaching practice. Incorporating knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions learned throughout the course, students have opportunities to design curriculum, teach in a variety of settings, evaluate, and receive feedback as a counselor educator in training. COUN 8120.)

There are many counseling theories available for professional use in practice. It is the responsibility of the counselor, however, to understand these theories, know which to use in specific settings and situation, and decide which are best suited to his or her own style or methods. In this course, students explore and evaluate major traditional and contemporary theories of the counseling profession, including psychoanalytic, person-centered, rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT), multicultural, feminist, and solution-focused. Students apply these and other theories to diverse populations and settings. They also consider how they might advise students and supervisees who use these theories, and they analyze related challenges in teaching and supervising. In doing so, students consider the impact of their own psychosocial, racial, and ethnic identities. Finally, students develop a personal integrative theoretical orientation. COUN 8110 and RESI 8801.)

Clinical supervision of counselors and counselors in training requires in-depth knowledge of major conceptual approaches, methods, and techniques; evaluation; and ethical and legal issues related to supervisory interactions and responsibilities. Students in this course are provided with the opportunity to develop their professional identity and learn the skills of a clinical supervisor. Throughout this course, students engage in experiential applications, discussions, and self-reflective assignments that focus on the strategies for working with supervisees representing diverse backgrounds and developmental and learning styles. After a critical analysis of the purpose of supervision, theoretical frameworks, and models of supervision, students develop and apply their own theory of supervision in a practice setting in which each participant oversees a group of practicum students.

In this course, students work toward increasing their knowledge and skills related to the roles of consultant and program evaluator in community agencies, mental health settings, P–12 schools, and university settings. Through a variety of practical discussions and assignments, students explore leadership theory and skills; systems theory; consultation models and processes; program evaluation models and methods; ethical, legal, and professional issues; and availability of funding sources. Students synthesize knowledge and apply skills to case studies and real-life examples. They also apply the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) standards to an evaluation of the components of a counselor education program. COUN 8115.)

An in-depth study of a range of survey methods administered via in-person interview, self-report, phone interview, and Internet administration is introduced in this course. Topics will include survey design, administration, analysis, and addressing sources of bias. Students also review theoretical and empirical research on question and questionnaire effects. Students prepare in the practice of writing questions and designing questionnaires, both in general and in light of existing research.  RSCH 8100 and RSCH 8200.)

In this research course, students are provided with core knowledge and skills for understanding, analyzing, and designing research at the graduate level. Students explore the philosophy of science, the role of theory, and research processes. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research designs and data collection methods are introduced. The alignment of research components is emphasized. Students also explore ethical and social change implications of designing and conducting research. Students demonstrate their knowledge and skills by developing an annotated bibliography. RESI 8401.)

In this research course, students are provided with the opportunity to develop core knowledge and skills for designing and carrying out quantitative research at the doctoral level, including the application of statistical concepts and techniques. Students explore classical common statistical tests, the importance of the logic of inference, and social change implications of conducting quantitative research and producing knowledge. Students approach statistics from a problem-solving perspective with emphasis on selecting appropriate statistical tests for a research design. Students use statistical software to derive statistics from quantitative data and interpret and present results. RSCH 8110 or RSCH 7110 or RSCH 6110, and RESI 8401.)

Students in this research course are provided with the opportunity to develop basic knowledge and skills for conducting qualitative research at the doctoral level. Students explore the nature of qualitative inquiry, how theory and theoretical and conceptual frameworks uniquely apply to qualitative research, data collection procedures and analysis strategy, and how the role of the researcher is expressed in the ethical and rigorous conduct of qualitative research. Students practice collecting, organizing, analyzing, and presenting data, and they develop a detailed research topic for conducting a qualitative study. RSCH 8110 or RSCH 7110 or RSCH 6110, and RESI 8401.)

Students in this research course build upon knowledge and skills acquired in the prerequisite quantitative reasoning course and are presented with opportunities to apply them. They are provided with more specialized knowledge and skills for conducting quantitative research at the doctoral level, including understanding multivariate data analysis and applying more advanced statistical concepts, such as factorial ANOVA, mediation, moderation, logistic regression, ANCOVA, and MANOVA. Students explore existing datasets and apply suitable statistical tests to answer research questions with social change implications. In this course, they approach statistics from a problem-solving perspective with emphasis on selecting the appropriate statistical tests for more complex research questions and social problems. Students use statistical software to perform analyses and interpret and present results. They will apply and synthesize their knowledge and skills by carrying out a quantitative research project. RSCH 8110 and RESI 8402.)

Students build upon the knowledge and skills acquired in RSCH 8310 - Qualitative Reasoning and Analysis. and have experience applying them. Students develop a more sophisticated understanding of the theoretical antecedents and practical applications of eight contemporary qualitative approaches. Students gain experience developing qualitative interview guides, collecting data, and managing the process from transcription through analysis. The unique challenges of confidentiality and ethical issues are explored as well as implications for social change. Students will apply and synthesize their knowledge and skills by developing a qualitative research plan using a topic relevant to their capstone. RESI 8402.)

Students build upon knowledge and skills acquired in RSCH 8210 - Quantitative Reasoning and Analysis and RSCH 8310 - Qualitative Reasoning and Analysis for more specialized knowledge and skills to design mixed-methods research at the doctoral level. Students are provided with more specialized knowledge and skills for designing mixed-methods research at the doctoral level. They gain an understanding of the types of mixed-methods designs and how to select the most appropriate approach for the research question(s). The emphases of this course are on integrating quantitative and qualitative elements into true mixed-methods studies, practice in data analysis, and integration of qualitative and quantitative data within a research write-up. Students will apply and synthesize their knowledge and skills by developing a mixed-methods research plan that incorporates qualitative and quantitative elements appropriately. RSCH 8110 or RSCH 7110 or RSCH 6110, and RSCH 8210 or RSCH 7210 or RSCH 6210, and RSCH 8310 or RSCH 7310 or RSCH 6310, and RESI 8402.)

Counseling Doctoral Practicum is an advanced clinical experience as the first of a three-part practitioner capstone experience before dissertation. During the practicum course, students work toward gaining and applying new and advanced clinical knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions. Students must secure a field experience site, apply with the Office of Field Experience within the published application window, and earn approval before being eligible for practicum enrollment. Once enrolled, students will spend a minimum average of 8–10 hours per week at the site that they have secured. They will complete direct counseling hours using the new and advanced skills, weekly individual or triadic supervision with their site supervisor, administrative duties, and other activities as assigned by the site. Concurrently, students will participate in weekly case conceptualization activities, 2 hours of group supervision per week with their faculty supervisor, and other clinically relevant assignments directly related to the work at the site. There are multiple synchronous components of this course. Students must be prepared to be flexible in meeting the demands of this course. All core courses in the program of study, all residencies, and approval by the Office of Field Experience.)

Counseling Doctoral Internship I is the second of a three-part capstone experience before dissertation. During the Doctoral Internship I course, site contacts, and individual and group supervisors guide and evaluate students on their ability to synthesize and apply the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions in a minimum of three of five Counseling Educator domains (Teaching, Supervision, Leadership/Advocacy, Counseling, and Research). Students must secure field experience site(s) for each domain of focus, apply with the Office of Field Experience within the published application window, and earn approval before being eligible for Doctoral Internship I enrollment. Once enrolled, students will spend a minimum average of 25–35 hours per week at the site(s) that they have secured. They will complete activities directly related to the approved domains, weekly individual or triadic supervision with their individual supervisor, administrative duties, and other activities the site assigns. Concurrently, students will participate in weekly course discussion and assignments that promote developing a professional identity as a Counselor Educator, 2 hours of group supervision per week with their faculty supervisor, and other domain-relevant assignments directly related to the work at the site. There are multiple synchronous components of this course. Students must be prepared to be flexible in meeting the demands of this course. Successful completion of Counseling Doctoral Practicum and approval by the Office of Field Experience.)

Counseling Doctoral Internship II is the third of a three-part capstone experiences before dissertation. During the Doctoral Internship II course, site contacts and individual and group supervisors guide and evaluate students on their ability to synthesize and apply the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions in a minimum of three of five Counseling Educator domains (Teaching, Supervision, Leadership/Advocacy, Counseling, and Research). Students must secure field experience sites for each domain of focus, apply with the Office of Field Experience within the published application window, and earn approval before being eligible for Doctoral Internship II enrollment. Once enrolled, students will spend a minimum average of 25–35 hours per week at the site(s) that they have secured. They will complete activities directly related the approved domains, weekly individual or triadic supervision with their assigned individual supervisor, administrative duties, and other activities the site assigns. Concurrently, students will participate in weekly course discussions and assignments that promote on developing a well-rounded professional identity as a Counselor Educator, 2 hours of group supervision per week with their faculty supervisor, and other domain-relevant assignments directly related to the work at the site. There are multiple synchronous components of this course. Students must be prepared to be flexible in meeting the demands of this course. Successful completion of Counseling Doctoral Internship I and approval by the Office of Field Experience.)

The focus of this course is on the preparation for the dissertation phase of training. In this course, students identify a dissertation topic and potential dissertation committee members; begin to conduct a literature review; develop a problem statement and research questions; and evaluate research designs, methods, and types of analyses to use for their dissertation. Students also complete their initial premise in this course and an annotated outline of their prospectus. The prospectus is a brief paper, typically 15–20 pages in length, which helps students organize, delineate, and make decisions regarding their doctoral study and appropriate research methodology. It is strongly recommended that students take this course after they have successfully completed all research courses in their program of study. RESI 8802.)

Doctoral students have the opportunity to integrate their program of study into a research study through which they explore a specific area of interest in this course. Students complete the dissertation with the guidance of a chair and committee members through a learning platform classroom in which weekly participation is required. Students work with their dissertation chair to write the prospectus, complete an approved proposal (the first three chapters of the dissertation), complete an application for Institutional Review Board approval, collect and analyze data, and complete the dissertation. During the final quarter, students prepare the dissertation for final review by the university and conclude with an oral defense of their dissertation. Once students register for COUN 8561, they are registered each term until successful completion of the dissertation .for a minimum of four terms.Students take this course for a minimum of four quarters and are continuously enrolled until completion of their dissertation with final chief academic officer (CAO) approval.To complete a dissertation, students must obtain the academic approval of several independent evaluators including their committee, the University Research Reviewer, and the Institutional Review Board; pass the Form and Style Review; gain approval at the oral defense stage; and gain final approval by the chief academic officer. Students must also publish their dissertation on ProQuest before their degree is conferred. Learn more about the dissertation process in the Dissertation Guidebook.  Residencies 2 and 3.)