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Deciding which college to attend can be a daunting task. For many, it will be the most important decision that they make in their lives. To make an informed decision, you have to consider a lot of variables, such as cost of attendance, financial aid, student/teacher ratio, academics, student life, and more. These factors will either positively or negatively impact the quality of education that you receive.

Do you want to acquire an online doctorate degree in counselor education, but don’t know what institution you should attend? Well, if you are as ambitious as I was in my late teens, then you want to attend a top school, instead of an average or mediocre one. Fortunately, we have already done the legwork for you. To help you find the right school for your interests and goals, we’ve compiled a list of 2022’s best online doctorate in counselor education programs.

What institution did we forget? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

1. Hampton University, Hampton, VA

Hampton University, which prides itself on being a dynamic, progressive institution of higher education, offers a broad range of technical, liberal arts, and graduate degree programs. The School of Liberal Arts Education at Hampton University centers on helping learners learn to utilize research, scholarship, and art to improve human living conditions, uplift communities, and serve the under-served. Within the School of Liberal Arts Education, the Department of Psychology has undergraduate and graduate programs that deliver knowledge of psychology and counseling via the study of substantial concepts, research, and applications.

Using the Hampton University Online platform, the Department of Counseling has an online doctor of philosophy in counselor education and supervision degree program for professionals seeking to get the necessary experience to lead in the counseling field. Learners can select concentrate in school counseling or community mental health counseling.

This degree program, intended for licensed counselors, builds on foundational counseling principles while cultivating clinical and supervisory skills. Graduates finish the degree program ready to advocate for counselors and clients, along with facilitating effective change in clinical, academic, and research contexts.

2. Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA

Regent University serves learners seeking advanced education in the areas of counseling, human services, and psychology. The university maintains a commitment to a core of Christian values in its programs. The School of Psychology and Counseling meets the unique needs of busy adults who wish to advance professionally by pursuing higher education. Using the Regent University online platform, the School of Psychology and Counseling has an online doctor of philosophy in counselor education and supervision degree program for learners wishing to advance their counseling career. The degree program, intended for currently licensed counselors who will finish an internship and dissertation, incorporates science and Christian faith into the coursework.

Career chances for graduates consist of licensed professional counselors, institution faculty and leadership, clinical professionals, directors of mental health services, leadership positions in school counseling and supervision, administrators, researchers, and writers. Learners in the PhD in counselor education and supervision online degree program must also finish an internship, a dissertation, and three one-week residencies at the Regent University campus in Virginia Beach, VA.

Candidates must hold a licensure-path, 48-hour master’s degree in counseling or a significantly related field such as psychology or social work, from a regionally sanctioned institution. Candidates with fewer than 48 hours or non-CACREP-sanctioned degrees may have to take additional classwork as a prerequisite to admission or concurrently with their first year in the degree program. Candidates have a higher chance of acceptance if they apply with at least one year of experience in a mental health field.

3. Liberty University Online, Lynchburg, VA

Liberty University readies future graduates to contribute to the fields of psychology, counseling, and social work. The Department of Counselor Education and Family Studies offers professional training of mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists from a Christian faith-based viewpoint.

The department has several graduate and professional degrees, with a focus on eLearning and technology, making its programs more available for nonconventional learners and busy professionals. The coursework centers on mentoring and preparing learners to practice ethical and effective counseling, counselor education, and supervision via research and scholarship. The degree program prepares graduates for careers as advanced clinicians, degree program directors, managers, developers, supervisors, and professors.

Learners in the online PhD in counselor education and supervision degree program must also finish a practicum, an internship, a dissertation, and required on-campus intensives on campus, VA. Candidates must possess a regionally or nationally sanctioned master’s degree that reveals evidence of fulfilling the current degree program prerequisite classes with a minimum 3.25 GPA. Candidates who have a regionally sanctioned master’s degree in a related field (such as counseling, psychology, or human services) may apply, but, if admitted, the institution requires that they finish prerequisite classes.

4. University of West Georgia, Carrollton, GA

The university has a broad spectrum of school- and community-related undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees. West Georgia promotes an overarching emphasis on preparing exemplary professionals who make meaningful contributions to the community and lives of the individuals with whom they work, whether as education, counseling, or community-focused professionals.

West Georgia offers a doctor of education in professional counseling and supervision online degree program via its online platform. The degree program stresses the application of knowledge via continued practice. Doctoral learners learn to assess and improve programs and interventions in the context of their current work setting. The EdD degree program has two paths: (1) a 36-credit-hour path for people who hold an EdS in counseling, which takes two years to finish and (2) a 60-credit-hour path for people without an EdS in counseling, which takes three years to finish.

The degree program begins in the summer term; learners enter the degree program as part of a cohort of 12 learners. Enrolled learners must make at least one on-campus visit during their studies. All learners must finish a dissertation that improves an existing counseling degree program; the dissertation is developed across the degree program’s classwork.

5. University of the Cumberlands, Williamsburg, KY

The University of the Cumberlands has an array of undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees intended to equip educators for successful careers. The online degrees offered via the Department of Education focus on pioneering solutions and providing alternatives for busy learners pursuing higher education. The Department of Education affirms the philosophy that teachers and administrators have a responsibility to ensure the welfare and enrichment of society.

Through the University of the Cumberlands online platform, the Department of Education has an online doctor of education in educational leadership degree program and an online doctor of philosophy degree program, with concentrations in counselor education and supervision. The online doctor of education in counselor education and supervision degree program comprises 60 credit hours, while the doctor of philosophy in counselor education and supervision comprises 66 credit hours. Learners in the online doctor of education and doctor of philosophy in counselor education and supervision programs must finish a practicum, internship, and dissertation. Candidates must hold a master’s degree from a regionally sanctioned institution.

6. Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, AZ

Grand Canyon University offers learners an array of doctoral programs across diverse fields, including business, psychology, and education. Placing a strong emphasis on the value of research, the College of Doctoral Studies seeks to prepare learners by developing holistic comprehension of the fields, and via a commitment to continual growth and discourse. Under the mission of Grand Canyon University, the College of Doctoral Studies incorporates the Christian worldview into the core of its programs. The college offers learners with an array of adaptable online programs.

The College of Doctoral Studies has an online doctor of philosophy in counselor education and supervision degree program via the Grand Canyon University Online platform for learners wishing to teach counseling learners and supervise clinical counselors. Applying a Christian viewpoint of vocation and counseling, the degree program centers on the areas of counseling, scholarship, and research. After completing the program, graduates emerge ready to serve as counseling professionals in roles such as faculty members; advanced clinicians; couples, family, or school counselors, director of school guidance; and director of counseling agencies.

Learners in the online doctor of philosophy in counselor education and supervision degree program must also finish an internship, two residencies, and a dissertation. Candidates to the doctor of philosophy in counselor education and supervision should have earned a doctoral or master’s degree from a regionally sanctioned institution with an overall GPA of 3.4 or higher. The university considers candidates with a lower GPA for admission with specifications.

7. Adams State University, Alamosa, CO

Adams State University has several programs that equip learners for careers in the counseling profession. The Department of Counseling Education  offers workshops and symposiums that cover an array of concepts concerning counselors and therapists. Learners gain knowledge and expertise by studying theoretical foundations along with practicums and internships and externships, giving them broad-based preparation for work as counselors and other professionals in the counseling field. Using the university’s online platform, the Department of Counseling Education has an online doctor of philosophy in counselor education and supervision degree program. The coursework stresses research, encouraging learners to expand their knowledge of the counseling profession. Graduates finish the degree program ready to work as counselor educators, supervisors, researchers, and professionals in diverse academic and clinical settings.

Learners in the online PhD in counselor education and supervision degree program must also finish four one-week summer residencies, a practicum, an internship, and a dissertation. Candidates must hold a master’s degree from a CACREP-sanctioned degree program and be license-eligible in their state of residence, or have a master’s degree in counseling, one year of full-time counseling experience, and meet the graduate coursework prerequisites in all the CACREP common core areas.