Walden offers new PhD in counselor education and supervision

Walden University is now offering a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision. The degree counseling professionals with the skills and experience they need to assume leadership positions in clinical, community, nonprofit, academic or research settings.

Earning a doctoral degree in this profession is important now more than ever with national standards that require new faculty members of Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Program (CACREP)-accredited programs to hold doctoral degrees in counselor education and supervision by 2013.

Aligned with national standards for counselor education and reflecting Walden’s mission of social change, the program helps mental health professionals:

• Advance their career in clinical, community, academic, or research settings.
• Conduct effective counseling-related program evaluations.
• Gain clinical and related experience to enhance their professional development by participating in both a doctoral practicum and internship.
• Develop counseling expertise in a relevant area, including forensic mental health counseling and crisis counseling.
• Design, implement, and analyze individual research related to the counseling profession.

“Whether counseling professionals want to advance their clinical counseling supervision skills or pursue a career in academia or research, Walden’s Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision can provide them with the skills and knowledge they need to implement change in their communities and organizations,” says Dr. Carl J. Sheperis, program director for Walden’s Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision. “As the demand for doctorate-level counseling professionals increases in the coming years, this program can help students expand their career opportunities and become true leaders in the profession.”

Students can choose from the General Program or five specializations to develop expertise in a focused, highly relevant area. The General Program allows students to choose two elective courses in their area of interest with the option of applying those electives to complete a specialization:

• Consultation
• Counseling and Social Change
• Forensic Mental Health
• Nonprofit Management and Leadership
• Trauma and Crisis