Counselor Education, PhD

Program Details

• UCF’s Counselor Education doctoral program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs.
• The doctoral program is a full-time “day program”, uses a cohort model, and is structured to be completed in three years (eight to nine semesters). Doctoral students learn together, present at conferences, support each other and form bonds that last throughout their careers.
• Each academic year, five to six highly qualified students (i.e. those who have completed a master’s degree in counseling and have obtained post-master’s experience) are selected to join the doctoral program. It is our goal to secure funding to support students’ journey throughout the doctoral program.
• Doctoral students hone their clinical skills and learn supervision skills in the UCF Community Counseling and Research Center (CCRC). The CCRC serves as an outstanding training facility for our masters and doctoral students and provides free counseling services to over 1,200 Central Florida residents.
• The Counselor Education faculty take an active role in mentoring the doctoral students in their research, teaching, supervision and professional development.
• The Counselor Education faculty and doctoral students are very active in service to the counseling profession and to both the local and global communities.
• Through attendance and presenting at such conferences as the American Counseling Association (and its divisions) and the Florida Counseling Association, doctoral students become recognized leaders for their service and research.
• The Counselor Education program hosts several events each year (e.g., the UCF Counseling Conference, the UCF Play Therapy Conference, the UCF Counseling Symposium on Integrated Care, etc.). Doctoral students help to coordinate these events and often present their research to attendees.

Faculty Research

Our faculty engage in impactful research. Over the last five years, our faculty received more than $10 million in external research funding. Three of our faculty members are American Counseling Association Fellows. Faculty research include but are not limited to:

• Addictions
• Counselor Assessment and Supervision
• Health Disparities
• HIV Education
• Military Counseling
• Marriage and Family/Couples Issues
• Multiculturalism and Diversity
• Neuroscience and Brain Health
• Play Therapy
• Trauma and Loss
• School Counseling

Student Success

In general, UCF doctoral students complete their degree having had opportunities such as:

• Publishing (or “in press”) one to two manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals.
• Co-teaching at least two to three core counseling graduate courses.
• Supervising master’s level counseling students in their practicum.
• Presenting their research at local, state, regional, national and international conferences.
• Serving in leadership positions for local, state, regional and national associations and their affiliated divisions, including the Florida Counseling Association and the American Counseling Association.
• Receiving national awards in areas of research and leadership.
• Being selected as NBCC Fellows, McNair Fellows, and National Holmes Scholars.
• Providing clinical services in the Community Counseling and Research Center.
• Securing faculty positions at nationally recognized colleges and universities (see FAQ for specific institutions).