Doctoral Admission Standards

Admission to Amberton University is a privilege not a right. Admission is granted only when, in the judgment of University officials, the applicant can benefit from our educational programs.

Admission to the doctoral program is highly selective and based on a comprehensive review of each applicant’s academic background, professional experience, and potential for success in advanced study. Meeting the minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee admission. The university reserves the right to limit the number of candidates admitted each term, and decisions of the admissions committee are final. Following are detailed admission requirements.

Non-Negotiable Admission Requirements:

• Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, or permanent resident, or have a valid visa if living in the United States.
• Applicants must have a master’s degree in counseling or a closely related field from a regionally accredited university. Students with a degree from a foreign institution will be evaluated on an individual basis.
• Applicants must submit official transcripts to the admissions office before being accepted.
• Applicants must be in good standing with their previous university, e.g., have not been expelled from a higher educational institution.
• Current resume or curriculum vitae (CV) highlighting academic and professional experience.
• Applicants must submit two (2) recommendation letters from previous or current professors or workplace colleagues.
• Applicants must provide an academic statement of purpose with a personal statement (1,000 – 1,500 words) outlining academic interests, research goals, professional objectives, and reasons for pursuing the doctoral degree.
• Applicants must successfully complete a virtual admissions interview with faculty members or the academic dean. See the list of interview questions on the following page.
• Applicants must be approved by the Doctoral Program Director/Coordinator.

Application materials:

 Completed online application form (see next page for example form).

• Official transcripts from all previously attended colleges and universities.
• Current resume or curriculum vitae (CV) highlighting academic and professional experience.
• Two (2) letters of recommendation from academic or professional references who can attest to the applicant’s readiness for doctoral-level study and research.
• An academic statement of purpose, included in a personal statement (1,000 – 1,500 words) outlining academic interest, research goals, professional objectives, and reasons for pursuing the doctoral degree.

All students applying to the Amberton University Doctor of Education in Counseling program must successfully complete a virtual admissions interview with faculty members or the Academic Dean.

Interview Questions
• Why are you interested in the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Counseling program at Amberton University, and what are your specific career goals after graduation?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses as a student and future clinician or professional in the counseling field?
• How do your experiences (research, clinical, personal) prepare you for doctoral-level study?
• How will you contribute to our program community and intellectual environment?
• Tell us about your experience with diversity and how you approach working with diverse populations.
• How do you manage stress and maintain a healthy work-life balance, given the demanding nature of a doctoral program?
• How have / will you address your own countertransference when working with clients?
• Describe an ethical dilemma you encountered, and how you handled it, to demonstrate your clinical or professional reasoning and ethical decision-making skills.

All new students in the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Counseling program begin their studies with a mandatory, one-time, university- and program-specific orientation. The orientations are held via Zoom at the start of each session. Students will attend orientation sessions before the start of their first session via Zoom. Additional orientation and advising sessions are offered throughout the first session to support students. The additional orientation or information sessions are strongly encouraged, but not mandatory.

The number of courses a student should take during a session must be determined by the individual based upon work obligations, family needs, and other commitments. However, a graduate student may not enroll for more than nine semester hours without an advisor’s approval. A full-time graduate student is one taking six or more hours in a session.

Grades are mailed to students at the end of each session. The following grades are used with the grade point value per semester hour of credit:

*Note that D grades are not counted as passing in graduate courses.

An “I” which is not properly removed within 30 days following the session enrolled will become an “F” grade. Incomplete grades are given when an illness or emergency prevents the student from completing course requirements. Any appeal for a grade change must be made within 30 days of the last class day of the session.

The student’s grade point average (GPA) is determined by dividing the total number of grade points by the total number of hours attempted (not the number of hours passed) at Amberton University. For repeated courses at Amberton, the most current grade will be the grade of record.

Each student has the opportunity to continue his/her education at Amberton University as long as he/she is making satisfactory academic progress and is complying with all University rules. The student’s cumulative grade point average is computed at the end of each session. Graduate students must maintain a grade point average of at least 3.00 to remain in good standing.

If a student fails to meet these standards, he/she will be placed on academic probation. If he/she fails to meet these standards during the session on probation, he/she may be suspended from the University. A student suspended from the University for Poor Academic Performance will remain suspended until the Vice President for Academic Services approves a written appeal for readmission.

Doctoral candidates must complete a minimum of sixty (60) credit hours, including six (6) hours for the Applied Doctoral Project. To be eligible for graduation, students must complete all required coursework with a GPA of at least 3.0, pass the Comprehensive Examination, be in good standing with the university, and complete and successfully defend the Applied Doctoral Project.

• As specified in the Course Catalog, the student must file for graduation in the Registrar’s Office by the deadline indicated in the Academic Calendar. A student is entitled to graduate under the degree provisions of the catalog in effect at the time of admission to the doctoral program or a subsequent year, provided that in all cases the student fulfills the requirements of the catalog within ten years of its currency.
• The fee and Application for Graduation must be submitted no later than the second Saturday of the session in which the student anticipates graduation to occur. The application can be located on the Amberton University website (www.Amberton.edu) or picked up at the Student Services office. The Graduation Fee can be found in the current Schedule of Classes.
• Students who have applied for graduation during the Fall and Spring sessions should receive a letter by week five of the session in which the application for graduation has been submitted, regarding the purchasing of regalia and other key dates to note for the graduation ceremony to be held at the end of those sessions.

The minimum requirements for a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Counseling degree are:

• Completion of 54 credit hours,
• Completion of 6 credit hours for the applied doctoral project.
• Satisfactory completion of an oral comprehensive exam.
• A minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00.

A student may meet the graduation requirements noted in the catalog in effect at the time of admission to Amberton University or the requirements in any later catalog published before the student’s graduation.

Changes in degree requirements made necessary by altered or discontinued courses or by requirements imposed by external accrediting or certification agencies become effective for degree audit purposes at the beginning of the academic term immediately following the academic term in which the changes are published in the Amberton catalog. The changes may include additions, deletions and other changes in prerequisite requirements for existing courses. Whenever possible, new requirements are implemented upon the expiration of the appropriate time limit.  Students may be required to meet new degree requirements as stated in the most recent catalog in order to satisfy current certification or licensure requirements.

All requirements for a doctoral degree must be completed within a period of six years from the date of initial enrollment in the program. Enrollment in the first course as a graduate student establishes the beginning of the six-year time allowance. Students who have been continually active in their program for longer than six years may seek a waiver of the six-year time allowance from the Vice President for Academic Services, who will convene the Admission Committee to review the request.  However, if a student has been inactive in a program for more than 36 months, the student must re-apply to the University and be granted readmission under the current admission requirements. The six-year time allowance then begins again with the date of enrollment at readmission. Previously completed courses older than six years may be used to satisfy current degree requirements with the approval of the Vice President for Academic Services.

All transfer credits will be evaluated by the Academic Dean’s office regardless of where the credit was obtained. No more than twelve (12) transfer credits will be accepted, and the courses must be earned at the doctoral level within the past ten (10) years. Grades of less than a B will not be accepted in transfer.

Prior to or during the first session of enrollment at Amberton University, the student must have official transcripts with the undergraduate degree posted as well as official transcripts for any previous graduate hours completed sent to the University. Graduate hours will not be evaluated for transfer until the official transcript of the master’s degree is received.

Each transcript received will be evaluated for Amberton University course equivalence, and a copy of the evaluation, the “Transfer of Credit Report” (TCR), will be provided to the student. The TCR will reflect both graduate hours accepted in transfer as well as program prerequisites that have been satisfied based upon the graduate major program declared by the student.

For degree advising purposes, students can have Amberton University transcripted work and all transfer work electronically evaluated against any degree in the Catalog. The Electronic Degree Plan (EDP) produces an evaluation of satisfied degree requirements as well as requirements which may be deficient relative to the degree selected. The EDP allows a student to compare his/her academic accomplishments against any or all degrees in the Catalog. The EDP is available through the “My Degree Audit” option in the CampusWeb Portal or by contacting an advisor in Student Services.

Admission to Amberton University is valid for three (3) years from date of last enrollment or acceptance to the University, whichever is later. If a Service member is required to cease attending Amberton University due to military service requirements, their admission will remain valid for three (3) years from the last enrollment date. If the Service member returns after three (3) years, they will be required to re-apply for admission.