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Counselor Education, Ph.D.

College of Education

Prepare to become a counselor educator, supervisor or researcher in an academic setting. Our program emphasizes advanced knowledge and skills in counseling, supervision, teaching, research and scholarship.

Counselor educators and supervisors promote awareness, cultivate knowledge and continually build skills in their interactions with economically, socially and culturally diverse members of the communities they serve. Let us help you further develop your identity as a scholar and contribute to the body of professional knowledge in this field.

Program Highlights

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    A Notable Faculty

    Learn from faculty members who are leaders in state, regional and national professional counseling organizations.

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    Research Leaders

    Benefit from conducting research with a faculty that has secured more than $15 million in federal funding from a variety of sources.

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    Design Your Program

    Create an individual plan of study tailored to your unique research interests and career goals.

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    Ranked Program

    Be part of a college ranked in the top 15 percent nationally for graduate programs of education by U.S. News & World Report.

What You’ll Study

The program features graduate-level training in qualitative and quantitative research design, implementation and data analysis. Choose your own research topics, and engage with faculty members who have expertise in a wide range of research methodologies. Help prepare the next generation. Program graduates are sought after for faculty positions in higher education.

Building Skills

Gain the professional and personal intelligence it takes to have a successful career.

  • Interpersonal Skills

    Communicating and interacting effectively in a variety of social and professional situations

    Research

    Gathering and analyzing information to increase knowledge or solve problems

    Data Analysis

    Examining and interpreting information to uncover insights and inform decision making

  • Teaching

    Foster learning by conveying knowledge, skills and concepts to students

    Writing

    Creating professional written content for inclusion in scholarly journal articles, books and reports

    Responsibility

    Being accountable for one's actions and decisions and fulfilling obligations and duties

Using your degree

Make your college experience the foundation for a successful future.

Learn how alumni use degrees with outcome data from Gamecock GradStats, a service of the University of South Carolina Career Center.

Potential Careers

  • Faculty Member
  • Professor
  • School Counselor
  • Counselor
  • Family Counselor
  • Researcher

Job Titles of Alumni

  • Assistant Professor
  • Associate Professor
  • Counselor
  • Director of Student Services
  • Consultant/Therapist
  • Therapist

Average Alumni Salary

Five to 10 years after graduation without additional education $115,958

Workplace Settings

  • Education
  • Private Practice

Employers of Alumni

  • Vanderbilt University
  • Palo Alto University
  • NC State University
  • Magellan Health Services of Arizona, Inc.
  • Imara Counseling Services
  • Kolmac Outpatient Recovery Centers
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