Counseling and Counselor Education, Ph.D.

The residential doctoral degree in Counseling and Counselor of Education prepares graduates who—through commitment, excellence, and humanistic engagement—will have meaningful and sustained impact in their communities, actively and diligently affirming the dignity and self-worth of all persons.

This rigorous CACREP-accredited program— taught by dynamic, student-centered faculty members who are experts in their field—prepares students to be practitioner-scholars within the academy, clinics, community agencies, and school districts. Students learn in person through the School of Education on the Syracuse University campus. 

Faculty are deeply engaged in scholarship, social justice, servant leadership, and advocacy activities across the profession, and they support students in the same through developmentally sequenced curricular, mentoring, and supervisory experiences.

Application Deadline: November 1 | More admissions information

Program Hallmarks

• Clinical Supervision—Gain the knowledge and skills necessary to train and supervise counselors and counselors-in-training and to teach supervision to others.
• College Mental Health Counseling—internships and assistantships across Syracuse University provide supervised, clinical experience working within a college counseling context with students who present with a wide range of developmental and mental health concerns.
• College Teaching Experience—prepare for academic, administrative, and professional leadership roles by participating in the Future Professoriate Program. This includes orientations, year-round services for teaching assistants, and opportunities to co-teach with fellow doctoral students and department faculty, guest lecture, and independent instruction.
• Counseling Technology—Learn to use technology for course development and delivery, counseling services delivery, and clinical supervision applications.
• Mixed-Methods Research—Explore both quantitative and qualitative research design. First-year doctoral students are also encouraged to participate in the research of advanced doctoral students. Research apprenticeships projects are completed with your advisor, and often serve as a launchpad for the dissertation.
• Social Justice—Identify and confront institutionalized discrimination that perpetuates disparities in social, academic, and career opportunities for urban youth, people with disabilities, and other marginalized communities. 

The Counseling and Counselor Education program has a 100% employment rate for graduates within 6 months, and has graduates working in areas such as:

• Clinicians and supervisors at university counseling centers, agencies, and schools
• Faculty in Counseling and Counselor Education programs
• Directors of counseling and behavioral medicine programs
• Hospitals, community agencies, and Veterans Administration
• K-12 schools and districts
• Private practitioners
• Part-time instructors or adjunct faculty
• Pursuing additional credentialing including Approved Clinical Supervisor, Mental Health Facilitator, or Registered Play Therapist

Program Contacts

Breana Nieves Vergara, Assistant Director of Graduate Admissions

bknieves@syr.edu|315.443.2505

Caroline O’Hara, Associate Professor (Professional Counseling), CACREP Accreditation Liaison

clohara@syr.edu|315.443.5266