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PhD in Counselor Education

Purpose of this guide
The purpose of this guide is to provide specific information that will assist students as they consider applying to the doctoral program in Counselor Education. Specific descriptions of courses are in the Texas Tech University Graduate Catalog . Additional information is in the PhD Admitted Student Handbook, which students may download from the Counselor Education website.


Program Purpose
The overall goal of the Doctoral Program in Counselor Education is to help the student develop the specific knowledge and experience bases necessary to become effective counselor educators, counselor supervisors, counseling researchers, school counselors, guidance directors, and /or leaders in counseling-related educational settings.
The Counselor Education Program faculty have defined their mission as training counselor educators, not psychologists. While the professions of counseling and psychology are akin, there are distinct differences. Thus prospective applicants desiring a degree in psychology and/or licensure as a psychologist are encouraged to apply to a psychology training program.


Program Accreditation
The College of Education is accredited by the National Council for Teacher Accreditation (NCATE). The Counselor Education Program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP).


Admission to the Graduate School
The prospective student must apply for admission to the Texas Tech University Graduate School. With the application, all undergraduate and graduate transcripts are required. Formal application materials may be obtained from the Office of Graduate Admissions, Texas Tech University, Box 41030, Lubbock, TX 79409-1030, phone (806) 742-2787. As soon as possible, register for and take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Admission materials will not be reviewed until all materials including the GRE are submitted. Information about the GRE may be obtained from the Educational testing Services (ETS) at www.ets.org or by contacting the Educational Testing Service, P.O. Box 6000, Princeton, NJ 08541-6000, phone (609) 771-7670. NOTE: The standards for admission to the Counselor Education Program are more extensive than those for admission to The Graduate School (see the Counselor Education application packet).
The Graduate School designates two admission statuses. These are described briefly below. The student is referred to the current Texas Tech University Graduate Catalogue for the official descriptions.

 

Graduate Admission Categories

  1. Full admission to the doctoral degree program in Counselor Education (EPCE).
  2. Graduate Temporary (GTMP). This temporary admission is designed to allow students to enroll in a maximum of 12 semester hours while the student finalizes his/her application to a degree program. Students may register in this classification for a maximum of 12 hours.

Admission to the Counselor Education Program
Please beware that the Counselor Education Program has admission standards and procedures beyond the minimum required by the Graduate School. These standards and procedures are outlined in the Prospective Ph.D. Student Handbook and the Admitted Student Handbook which may be downloaded from this Website (www.educ.ttu.edu/epce) or by contacting the COE Office for Graduate Study and Research at 806-742-1998 ext. 434.


Application Deadlines
The Counselor Education Program has established deadlines. The deadlines are October 1, February 1, and June 1. 
NOTE: Students should apply to the Graduate School 4-6 weeks prior to the above deadlines.


Admission Requirements
The Graduate School and the College of Education review multiple factors in considering admission to programs. Some examples are listed below:

  1. We review your scores on the verbal, quantitative and analytical writing sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Although there are no absolute minimum cut-off scores, all applicants must submit recent GRE scores.
  2. We prefer that our students have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (4.0 = A) and a 3.3 or higher on the last 60 hours of coursework.
  3. A master's degree in counseling or a related area is expected. If a student does not have a master's degree in a counseling or a related program, their application will automatically be reviewed for admission to the master's degree program in Counselor Education.

Retention Policy
Students who fail to demonstrate basic knowledge, communication, interpersonal, and/or counseling skills may be asked to seek remediation. Students who fail to grasp and to demonstrate effective communication and interpersonal skills will not be accepted for Advanced Practicum/Internship Placement.
In addition, those students who demonstrate personal limitations that might impede future performance, or who consciously violate ethical standards, and/or who are ineffective or harmful to clients, will be asked to leave the program. Any faculty member may bring retention concerns to the Program Coordinator. The faculty member bringing a report will first consult with the student in question before submitting a formal concern to the Program Coordinator.
Students may appeal the retention decision. Appeal procedures are described in the Student Handbook.


Advisors
Following admission to the Counseling Program, the Coordinator will assign an advisor for each student. The student may send a request in writing to the Coordinator to be assigned a specific faculty advisor. However, a student should not assume that a faculty member will be able to serve as advisor. Decisions will be made based on several factors, including faculty members' current advising loads, committee assignments, and special responsibilities.


Degree Plan and Preliminary Review
  As soon as possible after admission to a degree program, but no later than during the second semester of coursework, the student should contact his/her assigned departmental advisor to develop a “Program for the Doctoral Degree.” The departmental advisor will assist the student in the selection of courses related to the program option chosen. After the student's departmental degree plan is approved by the preliminary examination committee, Department chair, Dean of COE Graduate Admissions, and approved by the Graduate School, the student is expected to follow it as the basis of all subsequent course enrollment. Additional detail about the preliminary review is available in the Student Handbook.

Please note:  Students may not enroll in independent study classes to meet the coursework requirements for any area of study (Foundations, Research, Counselor Education Core,  Minor/Specialization) required to complete the Ph.D. program.


Transferred credit. Work completed in the doctoral program of another CACREP accredited graduate program will be considered on the recommendation of the student's doctoral advisory committee, but no assurance can be given that such work will reduce the course or residence requirements at Texas Tech University. In no case can transfer credit reduce the minimum residence. (Information concerning residence requirements is available in the current TTU graduate catalogue.) Further, transfer credit will not be accepted for the practicum, internship, group counseling and supervision courses.
Leveling coursework. In some cases, students entering the PhD program with a MEd degree from an institution other than TTU may be required by their preliminary review committee to complete coursework beyond the minimum courses required for the PhD degree.


Continuation of Enrollment
Students who have been granted admission are expected to register in the term for which admission is granted. Any student who fails to register during the semester he/she was admitted, is required to apply for readmission to the program according to the procedures and standards in effect at the time of reconsideration.


Practicum and Internship (Clinical Sequence)
The clinical sequence at the doctoral level provides for the development of advanced skills in clinical practice, counselor supervision, research in counseling, and counselor education.
Prerequisites. Students must have successfully completed the equivalent of EPCE 5360 and EPCE 5094 (6 hours) prior to enrolling in EPCE 6360, Advanced Practicum. Other prerequisites are outlined in the Student Handbook.
All students are required to produce proof of liability insurance for the duration of practicum and internship. Insurance may be obtained from any provider, including the American Counseling Association, 1-800-347-6647 ext. 222.


Qualifying Examination
All Counselor Education doctoral students must pass a qualifying examination prior to receiving their degree. Students are permitted to take the examination during their last semester of coursework, excluding the dissertation. The examination is offered once each semester. Students must apply to take the examination in the office of the College of Education Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research (Room 105). Since there are deadlines for applying to take the exam, students are encouraged to talk to their advisor about the procedures during their last year of course enrollment.
For a full description of the Doctoral Qualifying Examination, see the Student Handbook.


Statement of Intent to Graduate and Graduation Fees
All doctoral degree candidates must file a Statement of Intent to Graduate and pay graduation fees. Since specific deadlines exist for filing forms and paying fees, students should contact the Office of the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research for additional information (Room 105).


Licensure
Doctoral students may be eligible for licensure as counselors in the state of Texas. Students seeking to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) must submit a completed application packet to The Texas Dept. of State Health Services, P.O. Box 149347, Austin TX 78714-9347; 512-834-6658 or email lpc@dshs.state.tx.us. Only desginated staff of the LPC Board are authorized to do official transcript evaluation. Please contact the Board at the address listed above.
The LPC Board requires 3000 clock hours, of supervised counseling experience acceptable to the board after completion of the master's degree. This is referred to as “internship” and is not to be confused with the internship course required in one's graduate program. Before beginning this post-masters experience, the student must obtain a TEMPORARY LICENSE from the LPC Board. Consult with the LPC Board staff regarding obtaining the temporary license, which must be obtained after you graduate and before you begin the 3000 hour experience requirement. Be aware that it may take 2-3 months for the LPC Board to process your paperwork for a temporary license. You must have a temporary license before the 3000 hour experience begins.
Following the supervised experience described above, the student must pass the LPC Board's licensure exam to be licensed as an LPC. More information is available in the Student Handbook and from the Texas LPC Board.


Additional Information & Suggestions
Other important issues such as registration, financial assistance, ethics, and appeals procedures are outlined in the Texas Tech University Graduate Catalogue , College of Education Doctoral Student Handbook, and the Counselor Education Student Handbook.
Although counseling faculty are available to assist the student, the final responsibility for following correct procedures remains with the student. In addition to the Student Handbook, students must also follow the procedures outlined in the currentTexas Tech University Graduate Catalogue.
Before applying, talk to professionals in the counseling community to clarify your understanding of the rewards and demands of counseling careers. Following the discussion with counseling professionals, students should:

  • Assess how your personal strengths and weaknesses may impact your ability to be a competent counselor.
  • Join professional associations such as ACA, ACES, AMHCA, ASCA, IAMFC and TCA. Students should attend counseling conferences, network, and read journals published by counseling professionals. Students can greatly enhance their development by student memberships in professional counseling associations. Students can access information about the counseling organizations at www.counseling.org.
  • Join Chi Sigma Iota (CSI), the counseling profession's professional honorary society. A Theta Theta Upsilon chapter is active at TTU. Students may join Chi Sigma Iota after their first semester of coursework  if they have a 3.5 G.P.A. For more information and applications for membership, contact a faculty member. For more information about CSI, go to www.csi-net.org.
  • Volunteer for community organizations that provide support for at-risk populations to gain valuable human service experience with diverse populations. 

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