Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling
Ph.D. Program Overview
The Ph.D. Program in Counseling is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) as a doctoral-level counseling program in “Counselor Education and Supervision.” A unique aspect of the program is a specialization emphasis in the area of “Marital, Couple, and Family Counseling.”
Mission Statement
The mission of the Doctoral Program in Counseling at Barry University is to provide advanced education and training in clinical practice, leadership and advocacy, research, supervision, and teaching. Consistent with this mission is the goal of graduating doctoral-level ethical professionals with expert knowledge and skills in counseling, leadership, supervision, counselor education, and conducting and evaluating research relevant to the profession. These professionals are committed to continued development and promotion of the profession of counseling.
The Doctoral Program in Counseling espouses the four core values set forth in the mission of the Adrian Dominican School of Education and Barry University: knowledge and truth, inclusive community, social justice, and collaborative service. The Doctoral Program is a community of learners in which the study, development, and improvement of effective counseling theories are promoted through scholarly and critical analysis. The Doctoral Program fosters an inclusive academic atmosphere that encourages collaboration, respect, and sharing of ideas. In keeping with the importance of diversity and multiculturalism in counseling, the Program expects students to accept social responsibility and places great value on the function of social justice in the curriculum and society. The Program is also committed to offering services to communities for various human, social, economic, and environmental problems.
Program Goals
- Develop advanced knowledge and application of counseling theories and their respective skills and techniques in counseling relationships with individuals, couples, families, and groups within a variety of practice settings and contexts in a multicultural society.
- Develop advanced appraisal skills in the use of models and methods of clinical assessment and use of data in treatment planning.
- Demonstrate a counselor professional identity, adhere to ethical counseling practice, and promote social justice, advocacy, and wellness within clinical supervision and counselor education contexts.
- Develop understanding and application of instructional theories and methods relevant to counselor education.
- Develop knowledge of major and emerging theories and practices of counselor supervision.
- Evaluate, design, and conduct counseling research, particularly in the area of marriage, couple, and family counseling.
- Develop knowledge and skills to assume leadership positions in the counseling profession including academic, clinical, professional counseling organizations, and administrative.
Student Learner Outcomes
- Apply advanced knowledge of counseling theories and their respective skills and techniques in counseling relationships with individuals, couples, families, and groups within a variety of practice settings and contexts in a multicultural society.
- Apply, from a systemic perspective, knowledge of contextual elements and client behaviors to the processes of problem-formation and change.
- Demonstrate knowledge of major and emerging theoretical and practice models in marriage, couple, family counseling including social justice and multicultural implications of those models.
- Demonstrate advanced interviewing, assessment, and intervention skills in marriage, couple, and family counseling.
- Demonstrate knowledge and skills of wellness, prevention, and relationship enhancement programs in the practice of marriage, couple, and family counseling.
Admissions Requirements
- Completed application including statement of purpose which serves as an academic writing sample;
- Master’s or higher degree in counseling or a related mental health field from a regionally accredited or internationally recognized college or university;
- Graduate GPA of at least 3.25;
- Official Transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate programs attended;
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) in all three areas: Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical Writing; scores must be from a test date within five (5) years preceding application;
- Three (3) recent letters of professional recommendation [one (1) must be academic instructors or advisors] regarding the prospective student’s capacity to successfully complete a research-oriented doctoral program;
- A writing sample
- Resume; and
- Successful completion of an interview with faculty member(s).
Students who have limited academic credentials may be required to take Master’s level courses that will not be applied towards the doctoral degree.
This program can accommodate only a limited number of students; therefore, there is a possibility of being denied admission even when all criteria are met. The Counseling Program reserves the right to refuse student entrance or terminate a student after admission to the doctoral program if, in the judgment of the faculty, the student demonstrates unacceptable personal fitness to work in the counseling field with children, youth, and/or adults.
A two-step process is used for screening applicants for program admission:
- The Ph.D. program admissions committee will review application materials followed by a personal interview, and
- The Ph.D. program approves or disapproves the application and makes its recommendation to the Dean of the School of Education.
Additional Admissions Requirements
At the time of application to the Ph.D. program, students must identify transfer courses. Upon program approval, a maximum of six (6) post-master’s credits may be transferred into the student’s program of study. Courses must have been taken within eight (8) years of the date of admission and must have an earned grade of “B” or better. Graded course credits earned at institutions outside of the United States that are submitted for transfer consideration will be evaluated according to Barry University policies. Applicants must a) have graduated from a CACREP accredited Counseling Program or b) demonstrated that they have completed graduate coursework that meets (a) CACREP entry-level core curricular standards, (b) CACREP entry-level professional practice standards, and (c) CACREP entry-level curricular requirements of a specialty area (e.g., marriage, couple and family counseling) so that any missing content can be completed before or concurrently with initial doctoral-level counselor education coursework. Students without these co-requisites may be admitted into the doctoral program with deficiencies. A student admitted with deficiencies must meet with his or her doctoral advisor, prior to course enrollment, and outline a plan to take the required co-requisite coursework.
Orientation to Counseling
Crisis Intervention
Psychopathology: Diagnosis and Treatment in Counseling
Legal and Ethical Issues in Counseling
Research Methodology
Treatment of Substance Abuse in Counseling
Human Growth and Development
Psychological Measurements
Social and Cultural Issues in Counseling
Human Sexuality |
Individual Counseling Procedures
Career Development and Life Work Planning
Group Counseling Procedures
Family Counseling
Counseling Theories and Intervention
Marriage and Family Systems
Marital Counseling
Issues in Marriage and Family
Counseling Practicum
Counseling Internship (minimum of 600 clock hours) |
Ph.D. Program Curriculum Outline (minimum 57 credits)
Counseling Core Courses (18 credits)
Marital, Couple, and Family Counseling Cognate Courses (9 credits)
Research Core Courses (12 credits)
Clinical Courses (12 credits)
| CSL-786 | COUNSELING SUPV INTERNSHIP | 3 |
| CSL-792 | CSL LEADERSHIP & ADVOC INTERN | 3 |
| CSL-794 | ADV COUNSELING PRACTICUM | 3 |
| CSL-795 | COUNSELING TEACH INTERNSHIP | 3 |
Dissertation Course
Note:
*Any student who earns an IP in CSL-786, CSL-792, CSL-794, or CSL-795 must be enrolled in CSL-700 during subsequent semesters until hours are complete.
**Students are expected to enroll in CSL-800 every subsequent semester until the dissertation is completed.
#A lab fee may be assessed for all Internship courses.
Course Times
Doctoral courses are usually offered from 6:00–9:00 p.m. (Monday—Thursday). Summer classes typically meet for twelve weeks and meet from 6:00–9:30 p.m.
Additional Information
Criminal background checks, including fingerprinting, are typically required of students who are working with minor children in any capacity. At the Program’s discretion, criminal background checks, including fingerprinting, may be required. Costs encumbered through the criminal background checks and fingerprinting are the sole responsibility of the students.
Degree Requirements
The doctoral degree requires that students complete a minimum of 57 post-master’s credits as noted in the published curriculum. After completion of the three (3) dissertations credits, students must continually register for one (1) credit per semester until they have finished the dissertation and met all the requirements for the degree.
The Dr. Maureen Duffy Family Enrichment Center is the facility for supervised counseling and supervision-of-supervision. Rooms are set up for live viewing through closed circuit television with telephones and microphone-speakers for live supervision of counseling and live supervision-of-supervision.
Other Requirements for the Ph.D. in Counseling Include
Plan of study—The published curriculum must be completed to satisfy the pre-dissertation academic requirements. The faculty advisor must approve modification of the plan of study.
Standards of progress—All students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.25 or higher to remain in good academic standing and to be eligible for graduation. Any student who receives two (2) C’s in the program is subject to school action, including dismissal. Failing grades must be replaced by a passing grade in the same course or the student is subject to dismissal.
Scholarly paper or workshop proposal—Students are required to submit a scholarly paper to a counseling or counseling-related journal or a workshop proposal to a state, national, or international counseling or counseling-related conference. This must be submitted prior to student’s eligibility to take comprehensive examination.
Comprehensive examination—A written examination taken upon completion of course requirements. A 3.25 GPA is required to take the comps.
Admission to candidacy—Upon passing the comprehensive examination and verification that all coursework and other requirements have been satisfied, admission to candidacy status allows a candidate to formally begin the dissertation.
Research proposal and oral defense of said proposal—This requirement must be completed prior to proceeding with the dissertation.
Dissertation—A written thesis which adds substantively to the theory and/or practice in the field of Counseling.
Oral defense of the dissertation—A public presentation of the results of the dissertation at which members of the Dissertation Committee and others are given the opportunity to ask questions before approving or disapproving the dissertation.
Time limitations—Requirements, including the dissertation, must be completed by the end of eight (8) calendar years beginning with the date the student first registers as a student for the Ph.D. in Counseling.
All fees must be paid and requirements for the degree must be completed and reported to the faculty advisor no later than two (2) weeks prior to graduation. Counseling doctoral applicants must have a Master’s degree in Counseling, or in a closely related field, to be admitted to the Ph.D. program. To complete the Ph.D. in 57 credits, students must have the equivalent of a Master’s degree in Marital, Couple, and Family Counseling. Students matriculating in Counseling will be exposed to basic concepts and techniques in clinical intervention and treatment, research, and clinical supervision, and may apply these concepts and practices to employment in health and human service organizations, academic institutions, private practices, community mental health facilities, schools, addiction programs, and business settings where professional counselors are employed.
Students are required to complete a dissertation that demonstrates originality, creativity, and scholarship in the field of Counseling. Students who complete all the requirements for the Ph.D. degree will be properly equipped to lead and promote purposeful change in organizations, groups, and individuals.
Additional Requirements and Professional Standards for Matriculation and Graduation
All students are expected to uphold personal and professional ethical standards and practices both inside and outside of the classroom. Adherence to such personal and professional ethical standards is an intrinsic and essential component of the professional standards of the counseling field. All students must adhere to the “Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice” of the American Counseling Association.
Professional liability insurance coverage is required during enrollment in the clinical components of the Counseling Program. Please note: Student membership in the American Counseling Association currently provides professional liability insurance. ACA membership information may be found at www.counseling.org.
The Counseling Program faculty has a responsibility to society and to the profession to matriculate and graduate only ethical and competent counseling professionals. Therefore, the following professional standards are required for matriculation and graduation from the Counseling Program:
- The student must be able to participate in oral demonstrations, presentations, and role-plays of counseling situations and be video-recorded for the purposes of developing skills and receiving supervisory feedback;
- Because counseling professionals must be able to respond immediately in counseling and crisis situations, the student must be able to participate in role-plays or other practice simulations as a counselor without advance knowledge of the scenario or preparation of the role-play;
- The student must be able to conduct a counseling session with actual clients under live or video-recorded -supervision;
- The student must be able to participate in reflecting team processes during live clinical supervision;
- The student must be able to communicate and interact respectfully and sensitively with clients;
- The student must be able to communicate effectively in oral and in written form with all referral sources; e.g., court and community agencies;
- The student must be able to communicate effectively in oral and in written form with all members of a mental health care team; and
- The student must possess the emotional and mental health needed for the full use of one’s intellect, perception, and sound judgment; such emotional and mental health is required for the efficient completion of all responsibilities related to the diagnosis, treatment, and referral of clients, and to the communication with others in the mental health care network
The Counseling Program faculty reserves the right to refer a student to a qualified mental health professional for consultation, assessment, and treatment—as may be warranted, as a condition of continuation in the Counseling Program. Graduation from the program is recommended when students are determined by the School of Education to be personally, academically, and clinically ready for entry into the counseling profession.
Student Counseling Organizations
The Barry University Counseling Program sponsors and supports. The Beta Upsilon chapter of Chi Sigma Iota is an award-winning international honor society of counseling professionals dedicated to excellence in scholarship, research, and clinical practice.