Program: Counselor Preparation and Research, PhD - East Carolina University

Mar 31, 2025

2024-2025 Graduate Catalog

Program Coordinator: W. Leigh Atherton (4425-K Health Sciences Building; 252-744-6290; athertonw@ecu.edu)

The Counselor Preparation and Research, PhD, program serves as a national and international leader in the education of excellent and responsible counselor educators, researchers, supervisors, and administrators. The doctoral program is a Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredited counselor education and supervision program and is designed to meet the critical need for doctoral prepared leaders in the counseling field across the nation and world. The primary obligations of the doctoral program include (1) extending the knowledge base of the counseling profession in a climate of scholarly inquiry; (2) preparing students to inform professional practice by generating new knowledge for the profession; (3) supporting faculty and students in publishing and/or presenting the results of scholarly inquiry; and (4) equipping students to assume positions of leadership in the profession and/or their area(s) of specialization.

Degree Requirements

The degree requires a minimum of 61 s.h. as follows:

Note:

*All students must complete doctoral comprehensive exams prior to enrolling in ADRE 9000 .

Retention Standards

Good academic standing in accordance with ECU Graduate School guidelines is required.

Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA in all required courses for the degree to graduate.

Students not maintaining the criteria above may be placed on academic probation in accordance with Graduate School policies.

In addition, the program has the following specific regulations:

A minimum grade of S or B or better must be earned in all required and elective courses;
A grade of U or C or lower must be retaken, with no more than six semester hours of U or C or lower grades being retaken.

Students receiving a grade of U or C or lower in more than six semester hours of required or elective courses will be dismissed from the program in accordance with departmental policies.

In courses graded on the S/U system, the grade of Unsatisfactory (U) is assigned when the equivalency of a C grade or lower is earned. If a student receives a U grade in a course, the student may repeat the course one time. If an S grade is not earned on the 2^nd attempt, the student is dismissed from the program.

Comprehensive Assessment Requirement

All ECU graduate programs require students to successfully complete a comprehensive assessment. The assessment requirement for this program is the successful completion of a doctoral comprehensive exam prior to enrolling in ADRE 9000.