CHDS

310 White Hall

Kent State University

P.O. Box 5190

Kent State University

Kent, Ohio 442420-0001

Last Updated:

October 2005

Quick Links to CHDS Doctoral Program Information:

• Overview of the CHDS Program

• Mission and Objectives

• Characteristics of the Program

• Professional Organizations

• CHDS Program Statement of Expectations

• The Curriculum

• Characteristics of Applicants Admitted

• Retention of Students

• Employment of Graduates

• Endorsement

• Application, Admission, and Advisement

• Financial Aid and Student Employment Opportunities

• Policy Statement on Affirmative Action and Disabilities

• Academic and Personal Resources

• Contact Information

OVERVIEW OF THE

COUNSELING AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES PROGRAM

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The Counseling and Human Development Services (CHDS) Program offers the master’s degree in School and Community Counseling as well as the Ph.D. degree. These three areas are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The doctoral program area is accredited in Counselor Education and Supervision. Kent State University is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and the College and Graduate School of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. 

MISSION AND OBJECTIVES

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Doctoral study in CHDS in the College and Graduate School of Education at Kent State University is designed to provide advanced level preparation for counselors in various public and private human service and mental health settings as well as preparing individuals for the counselor education professoriate in colleges and universities. The CHDS doctoral program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and is approved by the State of Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board (CSW&MFTB). The CHDS doctoral program makes attempts to attract students from a national and international level. Individuals applying to the doctoral program typically possess or are about to complete a master’s degree in counseling and, so, the faculty works to identify and extend a doctoral student’s knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to become advanced practitioners and counselor educators. The faculty members believe that to perform effectively doctoral level counselors and counselor educators need to have an understanding of educational, supervisory, and counseling processes, competence in scholarly inquiry, and maturity in self development. The faculty believes it important to acculturate students into the high standards of professional behavior. As a result, educational requirements for psychology license are not to be met while pursuing a Ph.D. degree in the CHDS doctoral program. Broad objectives of the program include the following educational experiences that extend beyond the entry-level counseling program:

• study pertaining to theories related to the principles and practices of counseling, career development group work, systems, and consultation;

• study pertaining to theories and practices of supervision;

• study pertaining to instructional theory and methods relevant to counselor education;

• study pertaining to the pedagogy relevant to current social and cultural issues, including social change theory and advocacy action planning;

• study pertaining to design and implementation of quantitative research and methodology;

• study pertaining to design and implementation of qualitative research and methodology;

• study pertaining to models and methods of assessment and use of data;

• study pertaining to ethical and legal considerations in counselor education and supervision (e.g., the ACA Code of Ethics);

• study pertaining to the role of racial, ethnic, and cultural heritage, nationality, socioeconomic status, family structure, age, gender, sexual orientation, religious and spiritual beliefs, occupation, physical, and mental status, local, regional, national, international perspective, and equity issues in counselor education programs; and

• study and experiences pertaining to advanced clinical practice.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PROGRAM

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1.         The program is diverse in nature. The age range of our doctoral students extends from the mid-20's to the mid-50's. Professors represent various points of view in terms of philosophy of human services and modes of practice. 

2.         The program reflects its identity within the College and Graduate School of Education. That is, it is devoted to the problems of daily living.  Our focus is on situational crises, decision making, self-enhancement, social skills, adaptation to loss or to changed circumstances, career planning and changing, interpersonal relations, anxiety, loneliness, and other issues which most persons face during their lifetime.  Preparation, however, also considers problems of daily living within the context of mental and emotional disorders.

3.         There is a common base of knowledge, attitudes and skills which is expected of all our students. This appears in the prerequisites to the program and in the doctoral core requirements.

4.         Professional identity in counseling is fostered through mentoring, through involvement with professional organizations and activities, through participation in conferences and conventions, and through collaborative scholarship with professors and other students.

5.         The curriculum of studies includes the development of skills to be of direct service to clients, the development of theory and research competencies, and the development of instruction and supervision competencies.

6.         The practitioner aspect of the program integrates both theory and application. Students are presented with successive approximations to reality through in-class activities, then through controlled practica, and finally internship, all under supervision.

7.         Knowledge about oneself is maximized with experiential learning. Practicum and other hands-on experiences are laboratories for testing of one's skills, for confirming or disconfirming one's strengths and weaknesses, for identifying biases, and for developing professional integration.

8.                   Our teaching model assumes that the student is an active participant, not a passive learner. In this condition we expect receptivity to supervision; willingness to test one's assumptions and hypotheses; readiness to share insights and information with one's student colleagues; solicitation of feedback and critique; and willingness to consider and try out alternative behaviors. 

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

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The Counseling and Human Development Services (CHDS) Program is most closely identified with the American Counseling Association (ACA) and ACA divisions. The address for ACA is: American Counseling Association, 5999 Stevenson Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22304-3300 --- www.counseling.org. Eighteen divisions of the ACA are as follows:

• Association for Assessment in Counseling and Education

• Association for Counselor Education & Supervision

• Counseling Association for Humanistic Education & Development

• National Career Development Association

• American School Counselor Association

• American Rehabilitation Counseling Association

• National Employment Counseling Association

• Association for Multicultural Counseling & Development

• International Association of Addiction & Offender Counselors

• Association for Specialists in Group Work

• Association for Spiritual, Ethical, & Religious Values in Counseling

• American Mental Health Counselors Association

• Counselors for Social Justice

• Association for Counselors & Educators in Government

• Association for Adult Development and Aging

• Association for Gay, Lesbian, & Bisexual Issues in Counseling

• International Association of Marriage & Family Counselors

• American College Counseling Association

Students are urged to join ACA as well as the state branch (OCA). Membership in these organizations is for the purpose of helping to establish the identity of a counselor. Membership will help students gain knowledge through professional journals, newsletters focusing on current trends, and announcements pertaining to upcoming events. Involvement in committee work in these organizations, submissions of manuscripts to journals, and participation at conventions are encouraged. Faculty members are pleased to talk with students about the possibility of becoming active in these organizations.

Chi Sigma Iota, Counseling Academic and Professional Honor Society International, has a chapter, Kappa Sigma Upsilon, at Kent State University. The chapter sponsors continuing education and social activities. The chapter is open to students who have completed 18 hours of course work and who maintain a 3.5 GPA. See Drs. Steve Rainey or Lynne Guillot Miller for further details.

CHDS PROGRAM STATEMENT OF EXPECTATIONS

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The Kent State University (KSU) Counseling and Human Development Services (CHDS) Program is charged with the task of preparing individuals to become professional counselors in a variety of settings and to assume positions of leadership in the field. In order to fulfill these responsibilities, faculty must evaluate students based on their academic, professional, and personal qualities. The KSU CHDS Program attempts to establish a learning community where students can develop professionally. We do this by providing an environment in which students’ rights and responsibilities are respected and by respecting the dignity and worth of each student.

A student’s progress in the program may, however, be interrupted for failure to comply with academic standards or if a student’s interpersonal or emotional status interferes with education/training related requirements for self or others. For example, in order to ensure proper training and client care, a counselor-in-training must abide by relevant ethical codes and demonstrate professional knowledge, technical and interpersonal skills, professional attitudes, and professional character. These factors are evaluated based on one’s academic performance and one’s ability to convey warmth, genuineness, respect, and empathy in interactions with clients, classmates, staff, and faculty. Students should be able to demonstrate the ability to accept and integrate feedback, be aware of their impact on others, accept personal responsibility, and be able to express feelings appropriately.

THE CURRICULUM

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For students with an acceptable master’s degree in counseling, full-time doctoral study in the Counseling and Human Development Services Program usually involves two to three years of course work and an additional year for finishing internship requirements and completing a dissertation.

Our degree is available to both full-time and part-time students.  We do, however, require at least one year of full-time study as defined by the Graduate School of Education, i.e., enrollment in a 12-month period totaling at least 22 semester hours (e.g., two semesters of 11; two semesters of 9 plus a contiguous summer of 4).

Our curriculum is structured around the belief that doctoral level graduates should be well grounded in areas basic to the counseling profession.  These include:  theory, scholarly activity, supervision, teaching, provision of direct service to clients, and professional identity.  In addition, the program is structured so that students develop one or more areas of special knowledge.

The expectation is that doctoral students will be prepared with entry level knowledge and skills in their master's degree program, and that advanced work in basic areas and specialization will occur at the doctoral level.  Beginning with those individuals admitted to the Counseling and Human Development Services doctoral program in 1998, advisors will check to see that students have completed the coursework for the Professional Clinical Counselor license in Ohio.

A person whose prior master's degree was in counseling may already meet many of the doctoral prerequisites.  Persons from other fields are shifting their career direction and may need to make up considerable coursework that would normally be taken in a counseling master's degree.

Graduate coursework in the following content areas is considered prerequisite to the doctoral program.  Such coursework must meet CACREP standards in order to be approved.

• counseling theory

• counseling procedures

• counseling practicum (including authentic clinical experiences)

• group dynamics and group work theory and procedures for intervention

• measurement and appraisal

• career development theory and career guidance/counseling

• professional orientation appropriate to the counseling profession

• administration and coordination relative to some program area in human services

• consultation theory and procedures

• legal and ethical issues pertinent to counseling

• research methods appropriate to the behavioral/social sciences

• human growth and development (child, adolescent and adult)

• social/cultural foundations

• human psychopathology/diagnosis

The total program must include at least 110 semester hours of study, including approved master's level work but excluding dissertation credit.  Following are the coursework requirements and options comprising the doctoral program in CHDS.

A. Program Core (21 semester hours) This is designed to develop the counselor identity of the doctoral student, and to offer advanced training in fundamental areas.

• CHDS 80090 Doctoral Residency Seminar

• CHDS 87566 Advanced Counseling Theories

• CHDS 88281 Research Seminar in CHDS

• CHDS 88284 Supervision of Counseling

• CHDS 88294 College Teaching in CHDS

• *CHDS xxxxx An advanced practicum (individual, group, or marriage/family) * All students enrolled in an Advanced Practicum need to provide documentation to their instructor of current professional liability insurance before they can meet directly with clients.

• CHDS 6/78128   Individual Appraisal of Personality, Interest and Motivation

B. Specialization in the CHDS Major (at least 9 semester hours) The specialization area is a joint student and advisory committee decision structured around the following principles:

• that courses be organized around a theme or focus

• that courses have a depth beyond the eight (entry-level) CACREP core curriculum areas, and

• that the specialization reflects the student's  professional goals and interests.

We try to design specialization areas flexibly to meet the objectives of individual students and the needs of various work settings, and to maintain the integrity of particular fields of practice.  Typical areas of specialization include:

• small group work

• individual counseling

• research

• education and supervision of counselors

• marriage and family counseling

• multicultural counseling

C. Additional Coursework (at least 9 semester hours): You will choose electives to give greater depth or breadth to your program. If a student has had only one group work course prior to the doctoral program, a second one is required. Electives may be chosen in any area within or outside of counseling; for example, outside areas might include family studies, health education, etc.

D. Program Minor or Interdisciplinary Cognate (optional) A minor or interdisciplinary cognate is not required and is optional; the decision is made jointly by the student and her/his advisory committee.  A program minor or interdisciplinary cognate is a discipline-based or thematically planned sequence of study outside the offerings sponsored by the Counseling and Human Development Services Program, but clearly related to it.  Minor areas might include areas like administration and organization development, and family and consumer studies.  Illustrative interdisciplinary areas might include adolescence, human sexuality, and health and wellness.

E. College Core (18 semester hours as shown below).

• Students must take all Basic Research courses

• Students must select one Advanced Research course

• Students must take two Foundational courses

BASIC RESEARCH

• EDUC 75510 Statistics I for Educational Services, 3 cr.

• EDUC 85515 Quantitative Research Designs and Application for Educational Services, 3 cr.

• EDUC 85516 Qualitative Research Designs and Application for Educational Services, 3 cr.

ADVANCED RESEARCH

• EDUC 85517 Advanced Quantitative Research for Educational Services, 3 cr. OR EDUC 85518 Advanced Qualitative Research for Educational Services, 3 cr.

FOUNDATIONS

• EDUC 85535 Interprofessional Studies, 3 cr.

• EDUC 85591 Advanced UPR Seminar (selected from an approval menu), 3 cr.

F. Internship (at least 6 semester hours)

The internship consists of at least 600 clock hours at the doctoral level of professional work in counselor education or human service setting under approved field supervision.  (Those not having an acceptable master’s internship will be required to complete an additional 600 hours. Such additional work may well be engaged in early in the student’s doctoral program.)

The doctoral internship is a culminating experience, with no more than eight hours of coursework (excluding dissertation) to be completed.  An internship may be pursued on a full- or part-time basis (not less than 20 hours per week).

A student who is already employed in a human service position is not automatically required to change positions for the internship; however, modifications in the present position may be necessary to reflect opportunities to test and implement program learnings. It is the purpose of the internship to offer an opportunity for integrative learning and to add breadth and depth to a student’s experience.

All students planning to enroll in internship need to provide documentation to their instructor of current professional liability insurance before they can begin their internship experience.

Internship activities may include teaching, supervision, research, administration, counseling, consulting, and/or other professional activities related to Counseling and Human Development Services.  The doctoral internship must include at least 240 hours of direct service. Direct service includes counseling, clinical supervision, scoring and interpreting tests, and doing psychoeducation in groups.

G. Dissertation (at least 30 semester hours over two terms)

The dissertation is an empirical, philosophical, theoretical, or historical investigation on a topic consistent with this program and with faculty scholarly pursuits.  Students are expected to be familiar with procedures for entering data into a computer and for analyzing the results.

CHARACTERISTICS OF APPLICANTS

ADMITTED TO THE PROGRAM

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We have compiled some information about individuals admitted to the CHDS doctoral program that may be helpful to other individuals who are considering whether to make application.

RETENTION OF STUDENTS

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The CHDS doctoral program works with students who desire to have the professional identity of counselors. As part of the effort to acculturate students to professional behavior, students are reviewed at least once a year to evaluate their progress in the development of a professional identity. Students are reviewed along the following dimensions: (1) potential success in forming effective interpersonal relationships; (2) aptitude for graduate study including technological competences and computer literacy; (3) career goals in relationship to the program; (4) openness to self-examination; and (5) openness to personal and professional development. If faculty believe a student is experiencing difficulty on any of these dimensions, a meeting may be scheduled with the student and advisor or co-advisors to discuss ways of responding to concern(s) or to possibly consider the appropriateness of the student for the CHDS doctoral program.

EMPLOYMENT OF GRADUATES

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Graduates of the CHDS doctoral program have held a number of positions in academic, administrative and clinical settings. An illustration of employment sites of graduates follows:

Results of evaluations of the Counseling and Human Development Services Doctoral Program are contained in the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) Self Study.  A copy of the Self Study is available through the secretary in room 310 of White Hall for review.

ENDORSEMENT

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It is not the practice of the CHDS Program faculty to automatically provide reference letters to graduates for employment applications or for admission to further education, nor to supply evaluations of competencies for individual credentials. However, the faculty is happy to provide such service to students on a request basis. Please do not hesitate to ask for a letter of reference, if it would be helpful to you. It is the faculty member’s decision whether or not to provide the letter. Endorsements will be written only if the student’s program of studies in fact prepared him or her for the position or credential in question.

APPLICATION, ADMISSION, AND ADVISEMENT

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Applicants are sought both from Ohio and from other states.  The CHDS doctoral program selects students only once each year.  The deadline for receipt of complete application materials is February 1st.

Both KSU Graduate School of Education requirements and CHDS Program requirements must be met for admission.  Quantitative eligibility requirements include a graduate GPA of 3.5 or higher and a GRE Aptitude Test score of at least 550 verbal.  While it may be possible to be admitted with somewhat lesser quantitative data, other qualifications such as work experience, professional achievements, letters of reference, interviews, etc., then become increasingly significant in the determination of admission.

Additional CHDS application procedures include:

1.         Applicants complete a data form supplementary to the Graduate School of Education forms.

2.         Applicants are interviewed by the Coordinator. During this time applicants will complete a Preliminary Written Exam. Applicants will also interview with faculty of the CHDS doctoral program.

3.         Faculty review application materials. In reviewing materials and interviewing applicants the faculty assess the applicants with regard to: (a) potential success in forming effective interpersonal relationships; (b) aptitude for graduate study including technological competencies and computer literacy (see note below); (c) career goals in relationship to the program; (d) openness to self-examination; and (e) openness to personal and professional development.

NOTE: Technological competence and computer literacy include using software to develop web pages, presentations, and professional papers; using audiovisual equipment such as video recorders and playback units; using computerized testing programs; using e-mail; helping clients search for various types of counseling-related information via the internet; being able to subscribe and participate in and sign off counseling related listservs; and using the internet for continuing education opportunities in counseling (ACES Technology Interest Network, 1999).

4.         Applicants admitted to the CHDS doctoral program are expected to return a post card indicating whether or not they intend to matriculate in the program.

Advisor

Admitted students are assigned two faculty advisors who will work with them in the selection of an advisory committee to assist in and oversee each student's course of study. Students are expected to form an advisory committee and file a prospectus by the end of their second semester of study.

FINANCIAL AID AND STUDENT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

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A limited number of graduate assistantships or teaching fellows  are available in the CHDS Program to full-time doctoral students.  Assistantships and fellowships, which award about $9,500 per academic year plus waiver of all tuition costs, require 20 hours of service per week. Students from outside of Ohio will have out-of-state fees waived if they receive a departmental assistantship or fellowship.  Students may want to consider alternative possibilities for employment on campus; for example, the following offices may consider applications:

Feel free to contact the Doctoral Program Coordinator with questions pertaining to assistantships and fellowships.

POLICY STATEMENTS ON AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND DISABILITIES

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Kent State University is committed to provide all persons equal access to its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, physical disability or mental disability (unless the disability is essential to the practice of counseling), and identification as a disabled veteran

Kent State University recognizes its responsibility for creating an institutional climate in which students with disabilities can thrive. If you have any type of disability for which you require special accommodations to promote your learning in this program, please contact your instructor as soon as possible to discuss your needs. Student Disability Services is the organization on campus which can help with special accommodations (e.g., extended exam time). You may wish to contact Student Disability Services at 330-672-3391 to verify your eligibility and the options for accommodation related to your disability.

ACADEMIC AND PERSONAL RESOURCES

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The University, the City of Kent, and Northeastern Ohio offer many academic, personal and cultural resources to students. Following is a description of some of the academic and personal resources.

Program: Counseling and Human Development Services (CHDS) occupies 8,500 square feet of classrooms, study rooms, practicum facilities, offices, and service areas, all housed together as one unit on the Kent campus. We are also associated with the Counseling and Human Development Center (CHDC – Room 325), an on-campus practicum facility for counseling. Eight group, family and individual rooms are maintained. The CHDC has facilities for live observation and audio/video recording and playback.

The University: Kent State University is a publicly supported center of undergraduate and graduate education located in Northeastern Ohio in the large urban triangle that includes Cleveland, Akron/Canton, and Youngstown. The University has been designated a Doctoral/Research University – Extensive by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. There are approximately 22,000 students on the Kent campus where this program is located. The College and Graduate School of Education is one of the University’s main units in size. Graduate students comprise about 45% of the College and Graduate School of Educations’ enrollment.

The Kent Campus of KSU includes 2,466 acres. The focal point of the 105-building campus is the University Center with its plaza, 12 story open-stack library, and Student Center. The University library is a member of the Association of Research Libraries, it has continuing subscriptions to many of the journals directly related to counseling, and it is a member of OhioLINK which provides cooperative resource sharing through online circulation of materials. The University is well known for its student-operated Campus Bus Service. Special transportation services and accessible facilities open the campus to individuals with disabilities.

A wellness program exists for the benefit of the Kent State University Community, and many recreational and athletic opportunities are available to students. A full range of cultural activities is also available to students. The University maintains a graduate level residence hall with single rooms and one and two bedroom apartments for married students and students with families.

Students in need of personal counseling are encouraged to use the University Psychological Services (UPS). UPS is located in the DeWeese Health Center on campus. To make further inquiries call 330-672-2487.

Instructional Resource Center (IRC): IRC services are now available through the desk (TSL) in room 221 White Hall. If you need to make equipment reservations, put items on reserve, purchase supplies, make color copies and transparencies, or any other IRC services, please call 672-2256, or come to room 221. The service area will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday.

Computer Labs: There are three computer labs in the College for classes and individual use. Each lab has 20 student computers, a teacher station, and projection equipment. Internet access and Microsoft Office are available in all labs. The labs are open for individual use during the hours not scheduled for classes. Class times are posted near each lab and can change weekly. Typical hours of operation are 8:30am - 8:00pm Monday - Thursday and 8:30 - 5:00pm on Friday. Please consult http://irc.educ.kent.edu/roomavail.php for room times. Assistance for technical issues in the labs is provided through room 221.

Three computer laboratories are maintained for student use:

• Windows Lab, located in room 203

• Macintosh Lab, located in room 205

• Multimedia Lab, located in room 213

Curriculum Materials: Over 10,000 computer, CD-Rom, print, and media titles covering all levels of education and related areas are included in the collection. Assessment materials are available to student in specific classes. Faculty may place materials on reserve for students to access. Students with a valid KSU ID may borrow most materials free of charge for a one-week period. Fines are charged for materials returned late.

Printing: Printing may be done in any lab in the IRC through the UniPrint system with a flash card. Color printing is available through the 221 service desk and can be accessed from any computer in White Hall. Copies can also be made from print materials.

Flex Lab: Windows and Macintosh computers are available for special projects in this lab. The room can also be used for short term computer classes with addition of a wireless computer lab. Scanning, v