Counseling

The mission of the Amberton Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Counseling degree program is to develop ethically, spiritually, and culturally aware mental health counselors and counselor educators. Amberton seeks to foster experts in the field who demonstrate values, knowledge, skills, and personal disposition to promote the mental health and holistic wellness of individuals, groups, couples, and families. Completing the Ed.D. in a Counseling degree program will offer students the opportunity to impart what they have studied to others and turn knowledge into wisdom. The degree focuses on applied research and management, making graduates ideal candidates for roles that drive systemic change and organizational improvement.

A graduate with a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Counseling will be able to (Program Learning Outcomes):

• Design, conduct, analyze, and disseminate scholarly inquiry that advances counseling practice and counselor education.
• Integrate and apply advanced counseling theories, assessment, and interventions to complex individual, couple, family, group, and systems-level cases.
• Exhibit ethical reasoning, legal compliance, reflective practice, and professional integrity across clinical, educational, supervisory, and leadership contexts.
• Demonstrate cultural humility and evidence-based advocacy to promote equity and access in diverse communities and institutions.
• Lead, evaluate, and improve programs, policies, and services using data-informed decision-making and continuous quality improvement.
• Design, deliver, assess, and continuously improve counselor education and clinical supervision grounded in adult-learning and developmental models.

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.

Program Requirements:

Students may take courses in any order they choose except for Quantitative Research & Statistics in Counseling (RGS7010) and Qualitative Research & Statistics in Counseling (RGS7005).

• The Qualitative Research course must be taken within the first 12 hours of the program.
• The Quantitative Research course will serve as preparation for the Applied Doctoral Project and must be taken after all other coursework is completed.
• Applied Doctoral Project I (students will complete, submit, and defend the Applied Project).
• Applied Doctoral Project II (students will defend the completed Applied Project).

The Applied Doctoral Project (ADP) involves applying theoretical knowledge and research methods to solve a real-world practical problem in a specific professional context, rather than generating entirely new knowledge. These projects may include creating a new curriculum, a program evaluation, a policy proposal, or a clinical protocol, culminating in a practical deliverable and a final report that demonstrates mastery of the subject and the ability to bridge theory and practice to benefit a profession or organization. The primary goal is to address a current issue in a professional field by applying existing knowledge and research to propose a tangible solution. Students will be required to submit and defend their research projects.