Have Questions? Want to Speak with Someone About Admissions in Counselor Education?
If you have questions, please email Eric Davis, Assistant to the Graduate Coordinator. You may also contact Candy Spires, Graduate Secretary, at 352-392-0731, Ext. 223.
Application to the Department of Counselor Education
The Department considers applications for Spring and Fall admissions each year. Applications are specific to a single program in the department. Entry-level Masters/Specialist and Specialist-only candidates may apply for Spring and Fall. Doctoral applicants may apply for Fall only. Following the application deadline, faculty review completed application files and select candidates to invite for campus interviews. Campus interviews are held approximately four to five weeks following the application deadline. Admission decisions are made approximately one to two weeks following the campus interviews.
College of Education College-wide Minimum Graduate Admissions Requirements (Adopted January 15, 2008)
Admission to graduate programs in the College of Educationis based on a comprehensive review of all application materials. Programs give strong consideration to the statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, relevant work and/or life experiences, performance in prior undergraduate and graduate coursework (GPA), and scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Admissions decisions are based on selecting outstanding applicants who demonstrate great promise for not only completing their degree, but for becoming a competent professional as well.
Minimum requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree: An earned bachelors degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or a comparable degree from an international institution. Applicants must have a minimum grade average of B for all upper-division undergraduate work and scores of at least 440 Verbal or at least 530 Quantitative on the GRE. These scores are used in the context of a holistic credential review process. Exceptions to the above requirements are made only when these and other criteria, including letters of recommendation, are reviewed by the academic unit, recommended by the college, and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School.
Minimum requirements for the Doctor of Education (EdD) and non-doctoral degrees: An earned bachelors degree from a regionally accredited U.S.institution or a comparable degree from an international institution. Applicants must have a minimum grade average of B for all upper-division undergraduate work and scores that are acceptable for the program to which the student is applying on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). These scores are used in the context of a holistic credential review process. Exceptions to the above requirements are made only when these and other criteria, including letters of recommendation, are reviewed by the academic unit, recommended by the college, and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School.
Department of Counselor Education Minimum Program Admission Requirements
Counselor Education faculty conducts a holistic review of candidate applications, considering academic criteria and criteria relevant to professional clinical performance. Listed below is information pertaining to minimum expectations as well as more contextual information based on accepted and enrolled students. Typically, the Counselor Education department receives three to five times as many applications as we have space available. Thus, the application process is competitive, and the department does not have the resources to accept all qualified candidates. Listed below are both minimum and competitive ranges for the University of Florida and the Counselor Education department.
All applicants must meet these requirements to be admitted to the Department of Counselor Education:
- A bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from an accredited United States college or university, or a degree deemed equivalent by the University of Florida Office of Admission
- 3.0 upper-division undergraduate grade point average (average upper division GPA of accepted candidates is 3.5)
- 3.5 overall graduate grade point average (average graduate GPA for accepted doctoral candidates is 3.9)
- Acceptable GRE Scores
- Between Fall 2006 and Spring 2008, for accepted and newly enrolling students, the average GRE scores were: Verbal 509, Quantitative 598, Analytical Writing 4.0. The high and low ranges were: Verbal 375-645, Quantitative 425-740, and Analytical Writing 3.0-5.5
- Demonstrated ability to perform Essential Functions Required of Matriculated Students
- A matriculating graduate student in Counselor Education must possess fundamental abilities and skills in five categories: observation, communication, motor movement, intelligence, and social efficacy. However, it is recognized that degrees of ability vary widely between individuals. Individuals are encouraged to discuss their disabilities with the Admissions Coordinator and, jointly, consider technological and other facilitating mechanisms needed in order to train and function effectively as a Marriage and Family Counselor, a Mental Health Counselor, a School Counselor, and/or a Counselor Educator. The Department of Counselor Education at the University of Florida is committed to enabling its students to utilize any reasonable means or accommodations to complete the course of study leading to a degree.
- Observation: Learning to be a professional Marriage & Family Therapist, Mental Health Counselor, and/or School Counselor necessitates the functional use of sensory modalities such as vision and hearing. For example, a student must be able to comprehend demonstrations of counseling skills and techniques and a student must be able to understand and represent clients accurately.
- Communication: Learning to be a professional Marriage & Family Therapist, Mental Health Counselor, and/or School Counselor requires that a student demonstrate computer literacy and the ability to read, write and speak efficaciously. For example, a student must be able to verbally communicate effectively and sensitively with clients and to send and receive messages accurately.
- Motor Control: Learning to be a professional Marriage & Family Therapist, Mental Health Counselor, and/or School Counselor necessitates that a student is able to execute such motor movements that may be reasonably required for the student to provide general care and emergency services for clients. Such actions include coordination of both gross and fine muscular movements, equilibrium, and functional use of the senses of touch and vision.
- Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities: Learning to be a professional Marriage & Family Therapist, Mental Health Counselor, and/or School Counselor necessitates that a student be able to use abilities required in measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis and the synthesis of information.
- Social Efficacy: Learning to be a professional Marriage & Family Therapist, Mental Health Counselor, and/or School Counselor necessitates that students must possess the emotional health required for the full utilization of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, the prompt completion of all responsibilities attendant to the development of mature, sensitive and effective relationships with clients, and the diagnosis and treatment of clients. Students must be able to tolerate challenging workloads and to function effectively under stress. Students must be able to adapt to changing multicultural environments, display flexibility, and learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the problems of many clients. Empathy, compassion, integrity, interpersonal skill, professional aspirations, and personal motivation are all qualities that are assessed during the admissions and education process
- A matriculating graduate student in Counselor Education must possess fundamental abilities and skills in five categories: observation, communication, motor movement, intelligence, and social efficacy. However, it is recognized that degrees of ability vary widely between individuals. Individuals are encouraged to discuss their disabilities with the Admissions Coordinator and, jointly, consider technological and other facilitating mechanisms needed in order to train and function effectively as a Marriage and Family Counselor, a Mental Health Counselor, a School Counselor, and/or a Counselor Educator. The Department of Counselor Education at the University of Florida is committed to enabling its students to utilize any reasonable means or accommodations to complete the course of study leading to a degree.
- Favorable review in an interview
- Non-US and Puerto Rican applicants must demonstrate English proficiency through one or more of the following means:
- All international students seeking admission to the Graduate School must submit satisfactory scores on the GRE General Test.
- International students must submit a satisfactory score on the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language:computer=213, paper=550, web=80), IELTS (International English Language Testing System: 6), MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery: 77) or successful completion of the University of Florida English Language Institute program.
- Students who meet the following conditions may be exempt from the English language test requirements:
- International students whose native language is English
- International students who have spent at least 1 academic year in a degree-seeking program at a college or university in a country where English is the official language, if their attendance was in the year immediately prior to UF admission
- International students with unsatisfactory scores on the TOEFL, IELTS, or MELAB; unsuccessful completion of the University of Florida English Language Institute program; or an unacceptable score on the verbal part of the GRE must achieve an acceptable score on an essay administered by the Academic Written English program at UF. If English skills are not acceptable, then performance on the essay will be used to place students in appropriate courses that will not count toward a graduate degree.
Application Deadlines
All application materials are due by 5:00pm on the application deadline date. Only fully complete application files are reviewed by faculty. It is the candidate's responsibility to check on the status of materials received by the Department and the University. To check on your status with the Department, email Eric Davis, Assistant Admissions Coordinator, at ceadmissions@coe.ufl.edu. To check on your status with the University, log on to ISIS.
Application Deadlines Starting Semester Application Deadline Spring 2009 September 3, 2008 Fall 2009 December 10, 2008 Spring 2010 September 1, 2009 Fall 2010 December 9, 2009 Spring 2011 September 1, 2010 Fall 2011 December 8, 2010
Application Procedures
Candidates complete applications both to the University of Florida and to the Department of Counselor Education. Procedures depend on the type of candidate (e.g., new applicant-U.S. citizen, new applicant-international, or former UF graduate student). The University of Florida has implemented an online application procedure, and all candidates are urged to complete the online application process. If you have questions, contact Eric Davis at ceadmissions@coe.ufl.edu or 352-392-0731.
Application to the University of Florida
All candidates are complete the online web application to the University of Florida Office of Admissions. Please note applying to the University of Florida Office of Admissions involves an application fee, which may be paid by credit card. New applicants to a graduate program at the University of Florida should click on the University of Florida Graduate Admissions link. Former graduate students at the University of Florida should click on the following appropriate link.
Application to the Department of Counselor Education
The following materials must be submitted to:
Admissions Coordinator
Department of Counselor Education
University of Florida
1215 Norman Hall
POB 117046
Gainesville, Florida, 32611-7046, USA
Mail a hard-copy printout of your online application.
Official or photocopies of official academic transcripts; all candidates, including current or former UF students, are required to submit transcripts
Official or photocopy of official GRE score report (Institution Code-5812; Department Code-3802). Allow 8 to 13 weeks for scores to be processed and received by the University of Florida
Official or photocopy of official TOEFL score report (Institution Code-5812; No Department Code) (See English Proficiency requirements and Test Score Requirements for more information) (International candidates only)
Statement of Goals: 2-4 pages, double-spaced, statement highlighting your career goals, interest in the counseling profession, and how you believe our department can help you achieve your goals. Note that although it is possible to complete this statement in your online application, technological problems may prevent access to the statement. We recommend you print and mail a hard copy of your statement.
3 Letters of Recommendation: a letter should accompany the form. Note that although it is possible for your referral sources to complete their references in your online application, technological problems may prevent access to your recommendations. We suggest you request referral sources to mail us directly the Letter of Recommendation form and attached letter on letterhead.
Application for Fellowship or Assistantship (Ph.D. candidates only)
Resume or Curriculum Vita (Ph.D. candidates only)
