Counselor Education and Supervision, Ph.D.

The newly restructured Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision with specialization in rehabilitation and disability program (former Rehabilitation Counselor Education Ph.D. program) began in the Fall 2023 semester.

Our Rehabilitation Counseling program at Michigan State University was established in 1956 and since that time has awarded over 1,300 master’s degrees and 200 doctoral degrees. These graduate programs are recognized as one of the best rehabilitation counseling programs in the nation per the U.S. News & World Report Education Schools rankings.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Counselor Education and Supervision’s Doctor of Philosophy degree program is to prepare graduates to work as counselor educators, supervisors, researchers, practitioners and leaders in academic and clinical settings. The program is designed to extend the knowledge base of the counseling profession in a climate of scholarly inquiry, and to prepare students to inform professional practice by generating new knowledge for the profession. It also supports faculty and students in publishing and presenting the results of scholarly inquiry, while equipping students to assume positions of leadership in the counseling profession.

The doctoral program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) till 2030. CACREP accreditation denotes a commitment to program excellence and indicates to the public at large that our program is fulfilling its commitment to educational quality. Students enrolled in the program are expected to abide by the ethical principles of the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) and American Counseling Association (ACA).

Program Objectives

Our doctoral program addresses professional roles in five doctoral core areas: counseling, supervision, teaching, research and scholarship, and leadership and advocacy. These five doctoral core areas represent the foundational knowledge required of our program graduates:

Counseling: To facilitate student acquisition of knowledge and skills related to counseling including theory, client conceptualization, evidence-based practice, effectiveness, and ethical and cultural considerations.
Supervision: To facilitate student acquisition of knowledge and skills related to clinical supervision including purposes, models, roles, skills, assessment, administration, legal and ethical issues, and cultural considerations.
Teaching: To facilitate student acquisition of knowledge and skills related to teaching including roles, pedagogy, learning models, curriculum design, online instruction, assessment, mentoring, and ethical and cultural considerations.
Research and Scholarship: To facilitate student acquisition of knowledge and skills related to research and scholarship including research design, statistical design, scale development, program evaluation, publication and professional presentation, use of human subjects, grant development, and ethical and cultural considerations.
Leadership and Advocacy: To facilitate student acquisition of knowledge and skills related to leadership and advocacy including theories, skills, development, administration, consultation, social justice, and ethical and cultural considerations.