Academics in Counselor Education
The Department of Counselor Education prepares entry-level "generalist" practitioners and doctoral level counselor educators and advanced clinicians. We offer three graduate degree programs: the dual-degree Master of Education and Education Specialist programs, the Education Specialist only program, and the Doctoral program. The Department has three specialty areas: Marriage & Family Counseling, Mental Health Counseling, and School Counseling and Guidance. At this time, all programs are campus-based, full-time programs, with the majority of courses offered during the day.
Student Handbook
Please link to the Department, College, and University Policy and Procedure Resources page for the current Student Handbook and related Department forms, including planned program forms.
Course Syllabi
Please link to Course Syllabi for a listing of current course syllabi.
Theses and Dissertations
Please link to Theses and Dissertations for a list authored by Counselor Education graduates.
Graduate Degree Programs within the Department
Entry-Level Master of Education and Education Specialist Dual-Degree Program
The entry-level program consists of a minimum of 72 credit hours, leading to the Master of Education (M.Ed.) and Education Specialist (Ed.S.) dual degrees. Students who elect to complete a master thesis are awarded a Master of Arts (M.AE.) rather than the Master of Education. A master's thesis is completed by students who are interested in further developing their research skills and who want to prepare for a doctoral degree. The entry-level program is so named as it prepares graduates to enter the counseling profession and pursue licensure or certification. Students are exposed to a variety of theoretical frameworks and are encouraged to develop their own theory of counseling. The 72-credit hour program is completed in an average of 2 1/2 to 3 years, with students enrolling full-time each academic term (i.e., 9-12 credit hours during fall & spring terms and 6 credit hours during summer term). Students complete both coursework and applied clinicial experiences. Coursework is completed in both general content areas and clinical areas unique to the program specialty. Students complete one practicum and one clinical internship, providing opportunities to learn about and assume counselor roles and responsibilities.
Education Specialist Only Program
Individuals who completed a masters degree at another institution and who want to complete coursework and clinical experience to pursue licensure in Florida may apply for the Education Specialist only (Ed.S.). The Ed.S. only is a minimum of 36 credit hours beyond the masters. Students' planned programs, developed with their academic advisors, build on their previously earned masters and ultimately complete the 72-credit hour requirements of our entry-level program. The Education Specialist only program takes an average of 1 1/2 years to complete.
Doctoral Program
The doctoral program prepares students for careers in academia and advanced clinical and administrative positions. Our program aligns with the University of Florida mission to prepare the next generation of scholars and professional leaders. Thus, our doctoral program is a good fit for individuals who want to fulfill the roles of counselor educators - research, writing, teaching, service, securing external funding to support scholarship, assuming professional leadership positions, etc. The doctoral program is ideally suited for individuals with previously earned masters and at least two years of clinical experience. Doctoral students complete coursework, a doctoral clinical internship, participate in teaching and supervision, and conduct research leading to the completion of a dissertation. Students average 3 to 5 years to complete the doctorate, many of whom balance work and school commitments.
Program Specialty Areas
Marriage and Family Counseling
The Marriage & Family Counseling/Therapy program specialization emphasizes an eco-systemic approach to understanding human problems and generating solution opportunities: Students learn to moderate solution-oriented conversations among interested parties (i.e., stakeholders) who are invited to seek "double descriptions" of mutual concerns and problems, to listen carefully to each other, to entertain and invent multiple solution possibilities, and to construct new narratives of cooperation and commitment.
The M.Ed./Ed.S. and M.AE./Ed.S. program in Marriage and Family Counseling is designed to equip students with the pre-professional competencies required for Registered Intern status and, following 2 years of post-degree supervised clinical experience, licensure in the State of Florida as Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT) and/or Mental Health Counselors (LMHC). The 72-credit hour entry-level program prepares entry-level Marriage and Family Therapists for careers in public and private social service agencies, hospitals, churches, businesses (e.g., Employee Assistance Programs), and independent practice settings.
The Marriage & Family Counseling/Therapy program specialization prepares graduates who:
- Establish a professional identity as Marriage and Family Therapists;
- Have specialized knowledge of and experience in assisting persons who present with a diverse array of couple and family problems (e.g., regarding intimate relating, marital discord, divorce, child-rearing, family/school conflicts, family violence, suicide, and medical/psychiatric distress);
- Have specialized knowledge and skills for mental health service delivery within a specific mental health service setting and/or with specific, targeted mental health service recipients;
- Have general knowledge of clinical, developmental, systemic, and social-ecological theories of human behavior, human development, and human relating;
- Have general knowledge of and experience with systemic and social-ecological intervention modalities appropriate for a broad range of mental health service recipients and mental health service settings;
- Have general knowledge of and respect for the influences of culture/ethnicity, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic class, and have experience in working with a broad array of clientele representing such diversity;
- Interact effectively with the full spectrum of mental health professionals; and
- Provide competent professional service and leadership within the mental health field upon graduation.
The doctoral-level (Ph.D. or Ed.D.) Marriage and Family Counseling program specialization challenges students to master comprehensive professional knowledge regarding mental health policy formation and service delivery, to enhance their clinical practitioner technique, and to develop efficacious consultative, leadership, managerial, research, supervisory, and teaching/ training skills.
In particular, doctoral students in the Marriage and Family Counseling program specialization are expected to develop advanced knowledge and skills in Clinical Supervision, Consultation, Counselor Education, Post-Secondary Teaching, Qualitative and/or Quantitative Research; and Specialized Clinical Practice (i.e., couple and family therapy). In addition, they are expected to develop advanced knowledge and skills in several of the following areas: agency/ budget/ department administration and management; advocacy; crisis intervention; employee assistance program management and service delivery; mental health policy formation, implementation & evaluation; personnel management; professional regulation; psycho-educational program development, program management & program evaluation; and staff development/team building/training.
The Marriage and Family Counseling program faculty are committed to helping students (a) develop knowledge and skill as “empirical practitioners”, that is, practitioners who can deliver effective clinical and psycho-educational services and can use a variety of research methods to evaluate the impact of clinical and psycho-educational practice; (b) enhance the breadth and depth of their professional competence; (c) utilize both individual clinical-developmental theoretical perspectives and systemic multi-cultural social-ecological theoretical perspectives in the design of mental health interventions and programs; and (d) gain in-depth exposure to a variety of modes of mental health intervention and service delivery.
The Marriage and Family Counseling doctoral program specialization encompasses all the requirements for the Counselor Education Department’s entry-level program in the Department and can provide Florida Registered Marriage & Family Therapy Interns the opportunity, as needed, to complete part of the 2 years of post-degree supervised clinical experience required for licensure as Marriage & Family Therapists and/or Mental Health Counselors in Florida and for Clinical Membership in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.
To view current planned programs, please link to the Student Handbook web page.
Mental Health Counseling
The M.Ed./Ed.S. and M.AE./Ed.S. program in Mental Health Counseling is designed to equip students with the pre-professional competencies required for Registered Intern status and, after 2 years of post-degree supervised clinical experience, (1) licensure in the State of Florida as Mental Health Counselors and (2) clinical membership in NBCC's Academy of Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselors.
The entry-level 72-credit hour Mental Health Counseling program prepares students for positions as Mental Health Counselors in community, state, federal, and private social service agencies and for EAP positions in business and industry. Graduates provide services such as child, youth, couple, family, employment, health, multicultural, gerontological, substance abuse, and/or wellness counseling.
Students who complete the program are eligible to take the National Counselor Examination (NCE) offered by the National Board For Certified Counselors (NBCC) in order to qualify for National Certified Counselor status. They are also eligible to become members of the American Counseling Association (ACA), and/or the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA).
The Mental Health Counseling program seeks to prepare graduates who:
- Establish a professional identity as Mental Health Counselors;
- Have specialized knowledge of and experience in assisting persons who present with a diverse array of couple and family problems (e.g., regarding intimate relating, marital discord, divorce, child-rearing, family/school conflicts, family violence, suicide, and medical/psychiatric distress);
- Have specialized knowledge and skills for mental health service delivery within a specific mental health service setting and/or with specific, targeted mental health service recipients;
- Have general knowledge of theories of human behavior, human development, and human relating and the influence of context on same;
- Have general knowledge of and experience with treatment modalities appropriate for a broad range of mental health service recipients and mental health service settings;
- Have general knowledge of and respect for the influences of culture/ethnicity, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic class, and have experience in working with a broad array of clientele representing such diversity;
- Interact effectively with the full spectrum of mental health professionals; and
- Provide competent professional service and leadership within the mental health field upon graduation.
The doctoral-level (Ph.D. or Ed.D.) Mental Health Counseling program specialization challenges students to master comprehensive professional knowledge regarding mental health policy formation and service delivery, to enhance their clinical practitioner technique, and to develop efficacious consultative, leadership, managerial, research, supervisory, and teaching/ training skills.
In particular, doctoral students in the program are expected to develop advanced knowledge and skills in Clinical Supervision, Consultation, Counselor Education, Post-Secondary Teaching, Qualitative and/or Quantitative Research; and Specialized Clinical Practice. In addition, they are expected to develop advanced knowledge and skills in several of the following areas: agency/budget/department administration and management; advocacy; couple and family therapy; crisis intervention; employee assistance program management and service delivery; mental health policy formation, implementation & evaluation; personnel management; professional regulation; psycho-educational program development, program management & program evaluation; and staff development/team building/training.
The Mental Health Counseling program faculty are committed to helping students (a) develop knowledge and skill as “empirical practitioners”, that is, practitioners who can deliver effective clinical and psycho-educational services and can use a variety of research methods to evaluate the impact of clinical and psycho-educational practice; (b) enhance the breadth and depth of their professional competence; (c) utilize both individual clinical-developmental theoretical perspectives and systemic multi-cultural social-ecological theoretical perspectives in the design of mental health interventions and programs; and (d) gain in-depth exposure to a variety of modes of mental health intervention and service delivery.
The Mental Health Counseling doctoral program specialization encompasses all the requirements for the Counselor Education Department’s entry-level program in the Department and can provide Florida Registered Mental Health Counseling Interns the opportunity, as needed, to complete 1 year of the 2 years of post-degree supervised clinical experience required for licensure as Mental Health Counselors in Florida.
To view current planned programs, please link to the Student Handbook web page.
School Counseling and Guidance
The M.Ed./Ed.S. and M.AE./Ed.S. program in School Counseling and Guidance is designed to equip students with the pre-professional competencies required for Florida Department of Education Certification in School Counseling. The entry-level, 72 credit hour program provides students with the specialized knowledge and skills required for placements as school counselors in public or private elementary, middle, or secondary schools. Students enrolled in the School Counseling and Guidance program, a state-approved and NCATE (National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education) and CACREP (Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs) accredited school counselor preparation program, must provide passing scores for all pertinent sections of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination (FTCE) including the General Knowledge test (math, English language skills, reading comprehension, and essay), the Professional Education examination, and the Subject Area Examination in Guidance and Counseling K-12 prior to graduation from the program. Questions about this requirement or any other certification related questions may be addressed to the College of Education Office of Student Services or the Department of Counselor Education.
The central purpose of the entry-level School Counseling & Guidance program is to teach students to conceptualize and organize a school-based program around the eight goals, which characterize developmental guidance and counseling. Therefore, the School Counseling program prepares competent graduates who:
- Understand and facilitate positive change in school environments;
- Understand and facilitate positive change in self and others;
- Understand and facilitate positive change in students' attitudes and behaviors;
- Understand and facilitate positive change in students' decision-making and problem-solving skills;
- Understand and facilitate positive change in students' interpersonal and communication skills;
- Understand and facilitate positive change in students' school success skills;
- Understand and facilitate positive change in students' career awareness and educational planning; and
- Understand and facilitate positive change in students' community pride and involvement.
Each goal has a set of objectives that specify the skills that our graduates acquire and are able to implement in a school setting. Graduates of the School Counseling and Guidance program are able to:
- Provide individual counseling;
- Provide small group counseling;
- Present large group/classroom guidance;
- Organize and implement peer facilitator programs;
- Develop counseling and guidance activities for students who are not succeeding in school;
- Provide leadership in organizing developmental guidance experiences for all students within a school;
- Lead parent education groups;
- Consult with teachers, parents, and administrators;
- Consult with child study teams; and
- Demonstrate counselor effectiveness through accountability studies.
The doctoral-level SCG program (PHD or EDD) prepares school counselors for administrative, coordinating, supervisory, or managerial positions such as school guidance coordinators, state supervisors, consultants in school guidance, or university professors who specialize in school guidance and counseling. The program encompasses the basic requirements of the entry-level SCG program, and extends preparation through advanced study which addresses consulting, professional accountability, providing professional leadership, research, specialized studies, supervised clinical and administrative experiences, teaching, and writing for publication.
To view current planned programs, please link to the Student Handbook web page.
