Master’s Students
The program’s handbooks provide guidance for students as they navigate the program from start to finish and answer a great many questions that students are likely to have. All students are expected to download and review a copy of the Student Handbook at the beginning of their first semester in the program and download a new copy every semester or academic year as corrections, updates, etc. are often made to it. All students should download and review a copy of the Clinical Handbook at the beginning of the semester before they enroll in practicum to review requirements, the application process, etc. Any questions that students may have after reviewing either handbook should first be directed to and addressed with their assigned advisor.
Doctorate Students
Doctoral Program (Ed.D.) in Counselor Education and Supervision Student Handbook
The faculty in the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology are pleased to offer a doctoral program in Counselor Education and Supervision. The doctorate is an advanced professional degree that is designed for students who have completed a CACREP accredited master’s degree in counseling (or its equivalent). Preferred students enter the program with some practical work experience and some progress toward professional licensure and certification. The doctoral program has been designed in alignment with the 2016 CACREP Standards and we will pursue accreditation vigorously, as we have with our other programs. Graduates of our programs will be trained according to the highest standards within a culture that focuses on professionalism and personal attention. This handbook and the associated links will provide with further information about the program. As the fall of 2014 is inaugural semester, please keep in mind that this handbook is a “living” document. We will continue to improve and develop the program as it unfolds.
Counselor Education and Supervision is a unique area of training that includes doctoral level educational and experiential preparation to prepare graduates for careers such as advanced clinical practitioners and clinical supervisors, administrators in mental health agencies and school settings, and as educators in higher education in counselor education departments. Looking forward, the need for well-trained professionals in these areas is expected to grow. Our program includes a few unique components. First, students will specialize in either school counseling or mental health counseling and they will complete specialized coursework and experiential training in their chosen area (See Planned Program of Study). Second, all students will complete a series of courses in rural issues in counseling and leadership. Third, students will design a personalized internship experience, in conjunction with their advisor/chair and doctoral committee that will allow them to further develop a deeper area of concentration. The basic outline of the 63 hour doctoral program includes the following coursework and most students should be able to complete the program in 3 years of full-time study (3 classes per semester) or 4 years of part-time study (2 classes per semester).
Site Supervisors
College of Education Site Supervisor Handbook 2024
Site supervisors and their supervision of students during their practicum and internship experiences are vital to students’ clinical and professional development as well as the successful functioning of the program. The Site Supervisor Handbook provides these vital individuals with needed information about the program and its clinical requirements for students as well as an overview of its processes and handling of various scenarios that can occur at their sites and with their students/supervisees. Site supervisors are encouraged to review this handbook prior to beginning work with their student/supervisee and consult the program on any confusion or questions that they may have.
Student Liability Insurance
All doctoral students must have student liability insurance in place before the end of the first semester. Students will not be allowed to take second semester courses until proof of insurance has been provided.
Ethical Practice and Guidelines for Behavior
Students should carefully review all information in the EKU Graduate Catalog, the Doctoral Handbook, the ACA 2014 Code of Ethics, Best Practices in Clinical Supervision; and Standards for Counseling Supervisors. Violations of the ethical standards, best practices, or guidelines provided in any of these documents could be grounds for disciplinary action and/or grounds for dismissal from the program.
Advisor/Chair and Initial Committee
For the first semester of study, Dr. Carol Sommer, the Director of the Doctoral Program, will serve as the advisor for all incoming doctoral students. By the end of the student’s second semester, the student will choose a qualified member of the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology who may then take over the role of advising and assume the title of Chair for the student’s committee. Students should familiarize themselves with the faculty and carefully choose a chair who will match the student’s needs for guidance and professional interests. Then, the student and Chair will work together to shape the student’s initial committee which will consist of two additional faculty members. At this point, by the end of the second semester, the student should have a Chair and initial Committee of a total of three faculty members in place. Also, by the end of the second semester, the student and Chair, in consultation with the Committee, will develop the student’s Internship Plan. When the student is approaching the dissertation stage, a fourth Committee member will be chosen from outside of the Department.
Area Specialization
Early in the program, students will choose to specialize in either school counseling or clinical mental health counseling. Students should base this decision on the future career goals. The Planned Program of Study shares most common courses. One of the primary differences is that students specializing in clinical mental health counseling will complete COU 903 Advanced Issues in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and EDL 931 Leadership in Rural Settings whereas students specializing in school counseling will instead complete COU 904 Advanced Issues in School Counseling and EDL 930 Seminar on Rural Schools and Communities.
However, it is not just the difference in these two courses that create the specialization. Work during COU 980 Doctoral Practicum and COU 981 Doctoral Internship will strongly reflect the student’s specialization area.
Practicum and Internship
Students will further their specialization during COU 980 Doctoral Practicum and COU 981 Doctoral Internship. Whereas practicum may be somewhat similar at both the master’s and doctoral areas, the internship experience is very different. Students, in conjunction with their Chairs and in consultation with their Committees, will develop an Internship Plan during their second semester of study.
CACREP Standards for doctoral study require students to complete 600 hours in the following areas: Counseling; Teaching; Supervision; Research and Scholarship; and Leadership and Advocacy. All students will complete supervision practice during COU 887 Supervision of Practicum; however, these hours do not count towards the internship hours. Students who choose to accumulate more supervision experience can add further supervision practice into their plans.
An example of an Internship Plan appears below. Students should use this as a template and modify as needed. During any work related to internship students should keep a careful and accurate log of their completed hours along with a description of work completed.
In addition to the area of specialization (School Counseling or Clinical Mental Health Counseling), students may choose an area or areas of emphasis so that they can further develop experience and expertise related to their future career paths and goals. For example, students may choose Play Therapy, Career Counseling, in addition to other areas for focus during internship. Internship experiences will include co-teaching or assisting with a master’s level course (other than COU 902 which includes a teaching assistant component interfaced with COU 820); teaching on of the new undergraduate Human Services Completer Degree Classes; participating in scholarly investigations and research projects with faculty; scholarly writing towards publications; presenting at state, regional and national conferences; membership in professional organizations at all levels; assuming leadership roles in professional organizations.
Please note that the Internship Plan is considered a “living document.” This means that students are permitted to modify their proposed internship experiences. This format allows for students to incorporate internship opportunities that they may have not been aware of during the initial conceptualization of their Internship Plan. This format also allows students to eliminate proposed experiences from their Internship Plans if for some reason the opportunity becomes unexpectedly unavailable. All modifications to Internship Plans should be discussed with the student’s doctoral committee.