PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision Bridge – Qualitative

Bridge (Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision - Qualitative Research)

Offered By: College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Advance Your Counseling Skills With a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision Bridge Online Program

The bridge to the Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision program at Grand Canyon University (GCU) provides an abridgment of the professional counseling program to ensure that master’s-level professionals meet the qualifications of the PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision program.

This online PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision qualitative bridge program is for master’s or entry-level mental health professionals who want to advance their counseling skills, teach or supervise counselors in training and become leaders and/or researchers in the behavioral health field.

Qualitative counselor education and supervision PhD programs focus on research methods that analyze the way people think and behave. Qualitative data is commonly collected through interviews, focus groups and/or observations. A quantitative-focused PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision uses research methods involving numbers and statistics. Quantitative data can be collected through surveys, interviews and/or document reviews. 

While this PhD bridge program will introduce various research methods, learners will not select or implement their research design until they enter the PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision program.

Course Topics in the Qualitative Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision Bridge

The PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision online bridge program connects curriculum from GCU’s MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling to the Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision. You will have the opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of individuals at different developmental levels, while addressing assessment methods and statistical concepts. In this bridge program, you will be taught the following topics:

  • Qualitative research methods
  • Various counseling methods and techniques for individuals and groups
  • Counseling and cultural diversity
  • Ethics and legal standards in counseling

To assist applicants with meeting the professional practice standards, the online PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision bridge program offers a supervised counseling practicum, which aids in obtaining direct client experience.

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Career Opportunities With a Qualitative PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision Bridge

Upon completion of the bridge program, you will have satisfied the requirements to enter the PhD program where you can become a scholar-practitioner and apply your skills in a clinical or scholarly environment.

Graduates of the Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision degree program, who possess the necessary licensures and certifications, may pursue roles as a:

  • Counseling faculty member
  • Advanced clinician
  • Mental health counselor
  • Family counselor
  • School counselor
  • Correctional counselor
  • Director of school guidance
  • Director of a counseling agency

PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision Online Bridge FAQs

If you would like to earn an online PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision degree, get started by acquiring foundational skills in counseling through this PhD bridge program. Read through the below frequently asked questions to learn more.

Graduates of counselor education and supervision PhD programs may seek roles as leaders and advocates for social justice, as well as scholars who want to use their research for the advancement of the counseling field. Graduates with this doctoral degree may also use their knowledge and skills to teach counseling or related courses at the university level.

The online PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision bridge program is designed for those who want to advance into the PhD program and make a difference in the counseling profession as a scholar-practitioner. If your career goals involve research, advocacy and teaching future counselors at the university level, the PhD bridge program is the first step in your doctoral journey.

The time it takes to complete the PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision online bridge program at GCU is situational and based on each learner’s master’s-level education. This PhD bridge program is designed to help learners fill in specific gaps in their master’s education and satisfy the admission standards for the PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision program.

If seeking licensure or certification, applicants to the program are responsible for contacting their state department of education for licensure requirements and program approval. In addition, fingerprint and background clearance is required.

TOTAL CREDITS & COURSE LENGTH:
Total Credits: 26
Online: 8 weeks
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TRANSFER CREDITS:
Up to 12 credits or 1/3 of the total program requirements in transfer (whichever is less)
TUITION RATE:

Time to Completion and Dissertation Process

To learn more about time to completion and the dissertation process at GCU, visit our doctoral page.

Course List

Major:
26 credits
Degree Requirements:
26 credits

Core Courses

Course Description

This course provides an understanding of the nature, needs, and differing abilities of individuals at all developmental levels. Theories of individual and family development, transitions across the life span, theories of learning, theories of personality development, and ethical and cultural strategies for facilitating optimum development over the life span are addressed.

Course Description

This course provides an introduction to basic tests and appraisal in counseling. Individual and group approaches to testing, assessment, evaluation, behavioral observations, computer-managed and computer-assisted methods are addressed. The following statistical concepts are also addressed: scales of measurement, measures of central tendency, indices of variability, shapes and types of distributions, correlations, reliability, and validity.

Course Description

This course introduces research methods and basic statistical analysis, including the following: the importance of research, opportunities for research, and difficulties in conducting research. Research methods such as qualitative, quantitative, single-case designs, action research, and outcome-based research are addressed.

Course Description

This course provides a broad understanding of career development and related life factors including psychotherapy, career counseling techniques and processes, career development theories, decision-making models, issues of diversity, and interrelationships between work and family.

Course Description

This course provides a broad understanding of group development, group dynamics, group counseling theories, and ethical standards with reference to professional and substance use disorders counseling. The course addresses group process components, appropriate selection criteria, developmental stage theories, group members’ roles and behaviors; and group leadership styles and approaches. The course includes didactic and experiential group learning. Required synchronous group experience: 12 hours. Prerequisite: CNL-515.

Course Description

This course provides a broad understanding of counseling ethics, legal standards, and responsibilities, including professional identity, report writing, record keeping, and service reimbursement for clinical mental health and school counselors. Additionally, the history of and current trends in counseling are addressed. Important goals of this course are to help students develop a strong personal and professional ethic, as well as an appreciation of the value of professional collaboration and identity.

Course Description

This course provides a broad understanding of issues and trends in a multicultural and diverse society. Studies in this area include the following: attitudes and behaviors based on such factors as age, race, religious preference, physical disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity and culture, family patterns, gender, socioeconomic status and intellectual ability; individual, family, group, and community strategies for working with diverse populations; theories of multicultural counseling and identity development; multicultural competencies; and issues such as substance use disorders. Students examine a variety of cultural populations, exploring issues and trends that are associated with each population. Cultural considerations for immigrants, refugees, and undocumented citizens are also addressed.

Course Description

This course provides a broad understanding of counseling processes, including characteristics and behaviors that influence the helping processes. Included are age, gender, ethnic differences, verbal and nonverbal behaviors, personal characteristics, and orientations. The development of counseling techniques is emphasized, including establishing and maintaining the counseling relationship; diagnosing and identifying the problem; formulating a preventative, treatment, or rehabilitative plan; facilitating appropriate interventions; and successfully terminating the counseling relationship.

Course Description

The practicum course is a distinctly defined, supervised clinical fieldwork experience in which the student develops basic counseling skills and integrates professional knowledge under the supervision of a faculty member or an on-site clinical site supervisor approved by the college or university with a minimum of 1 hour per week of individualized and/or triadic supervision throughout the practicum. Practicum students participate in an average of 1 ½ hours per week of group supervision via Zoom with a counseling faculty member or student supervisor who is under the supervision of a counselor education program faculty member on a regular schedule throughout the practicum. Documentation of a minimum requirement of 100 hours of counseling-related activities, which includes 40 direct client contact hours, is submitted directly to the college’s Office of Field Experience for verification and tracking. The practicum is completed prior to the internship; therefore, students may not progress to CNL-664A without the required amount of hours submitted, the required amount of individual and group supervision, and proper approval. This course has multiple synchronous required activities. Students must be prepared to be flexible in meeting the demands of this course in order to progress to the internship. Practicum/field experience hours: 100. State licensure requirements may mandate additional hours. Students must review and adhere to their state board's additional requirements. Prerequisites: Completion of all didactic coursework in the program; a GPA of 3.0 or better; and maintenance of student professional liability insurance in the amount of $1 million, $3 million.

GCU Online Student


Pursue a next-generation education with an online degree from Grand Canyon University. Earn your degree with convenience and flexibility with online courses that let you study anytime, anywhere.

* Please note that this list may contain programs and courses not presently offered, as availability may vary depending on class size, enrollment and other contributing factors. If you are interested in a program or course listed herein please first contact your University Counselor for the most current information regarding availability.

* Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Programs or courses subject to change.