PhD in Counselor Education & Supervision (Low-Residency)
Counselor Education Degrees
Antioch’s low-residency PhD program in Counselor Education and Supervision (CES) is a 63-credit doctoral degree program. As a low-residency program, this PhD is primarily composed of online coursework with two four-day residencies. Accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling Related Education Programs (CACREP), this degree is designed to prepare doctoral students for advanced competency in, a) graduate-level teaching and counselor training, b) research and contributing new knowledge to the field, c) counseling supervision, d) leadership and advocacy, and e) multiculturally responsive counseling practice.
This program is NOT designed to lead to state licensure. This degree is offered by Antioch University's Seattle campus.
CES Mission
The Counselor Education and Supervision PhD program at Antioch University prepares ethically responsible clinicians, counselor educators, supervisors, researchers, and leaders who are deeply committed to promoting equity, belonging, and social justice in the global community.
Grounded in the professional counseling identity and a belief in the transformative power of education, we cultivate scholar-practitioners who lead with cultural humility, integrity, and a reflexive understanding of power, privilege, and oppression. In a learner-centered and justice-focused environment, students engage in critical inquiry, experiential learning, and collaborative scholarship that elevates wellness and liberation for all communities.
Our mission is to nurture equity-driven leaders who teach, mentor, and supervise with a commitment to a culture of belonging, accountability, and global responsiveness; engage in research-as-advocacy that amplifies marginalized voices and advances socially responsive practices; and advocate for systemic change that dismantles institutional oppression and amplifies collective well-being.
We honor the emotional labor carried by historically marginalized communities and commit to co-creating liberatory spaces of belonging. Recognizing systemic racism and oppression as global health crises, we train leaders to reconstruct counseling theory, practice, and pedagogy, with culturally sustaining, community-centered approaches that affirm human dignity and connectedness across all intersecting identities.
*This mission reflects Antioch University's enduring values of ethical leadership, lifelong learning, and a deep commitment to building a more just, inclusive, and empowered society.
Additional Information
Program Length & Courseload Expectations: CES is a three-year semester-based program, with two years of core course requirements followed by the third year of dissertation courses. Students with a master’s degree in counseling, aligned with the standards of the CACREP, are encouraged to apply to this program. Students should expect to have three semesters of around three courses each term.
Low Residency and Online Learning: All classes will have an online component to teaching and learning, and that will be a blend of both synchronous and asynchronous. Students should be comfortable with classes with mixed delivery formats and should be prepared to do group work and other activities through Zoom.
Residential Weeks: In-person attendance at Residency is required of all students for the completion of their degree. The residential weeks are an essential element to the educational experience in this program, providing critical time to connect with faculty, advisors, and peers, consist of large portions of curricular hours, and may also hold specific advising requirement benchmark meetings. Additionally, Residencies provide opportunities for intensified face-to-face training and supervision, community enrichment, and a seminar format for rich discourse and meaning making. This collective experience is consistent with an infused emphasis on multicultural discourse, resilience, civil enrichment, and social justice. Failure to attend in person will result in failure of coursework in related courses during that term.
In order to earn a PhD degree in Counselor Education & Supervision, you will be required to complete a total of 63-semester doctoral course credits, including all required courses, internship, and dissertation. Residency is a required course requirement of the program.
First Year
- Advanced Theories & Application in Counseling
- Scholarly Writing & Research Development in Counselor Education
- Professional Identity & Leadership Philosophy
- Culturally Sustaining Models of Supervision
- Qualitative Inquiry & Research Ethics
- Residency One
- Quantitative Research Design
- Culturally Sustaining Application of Supervision Models
Second Year
- Andragogy & Culturally Responsive Teaching
- Program Design & Evaluation
- Counseling Internship
- Curriculum Design & Instructional Delivery
- Internship
- Global Impacts & Public Service in Counseling
- Residency Two
- Inclusive Assessment in Teaching & Supervision
- Transformative Community Engagement & Leadership Practices
- Comprehensive Examination
- Internship
Third Year
- Dissertation
- Scholarly Writing & Dissertation Development
- Dissertation
- Dissertation
For detailed curriculum, degree requirements, and course descriptions, please visit the Antioch University catalog.
Accreditation
Antioch University Seattle's Counselor Education and Supervision (CES) program is now accredited by the Council of Accreditation for Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). As the "gold standard" in counselor education, this accreditation is a recognition of the quality and standards of Antioch University Seattle's CES program and, as such, provides particular distinction to students and alumni when seeking licensure and employment.
Faculty Spotlights
Keiko Sano, PhD
Contributing Faculty
Anthony Vajda, PhD
Core Faculty
Katherine Fort, PhD
Core Faculty
Najla Hrustanović, PhD, LMHC
Core Faculty
Admissions / Cost / Aid
Admissions
How to Apply
- Complete the online admissions application
- Applicants must have completed a master’s degree in counseling that is aligned with the competency areas required by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Submit official transcripts from ALL colleges/universities you have attended to the Admissions Office. Transcript evaluations are required for all coursework completed outside of the U.S. or Canada (except Quebec). See the Transcript Evaluation section on the International Students webpage for details.
- OPTIONAL: Two letters of recommendation from people who are in a position to evaluate your professional (e.g., supervisor, colleague) or academic (e.g., faculty) work. The person making the recommendation may not be related to you.
- Current resume/CV detailing educational, work, and volunteer experience as well as relevant skills. Include documentation of professional affiliations, publications, and licensure.
- Admission Essay. Submit a typewritten, double-spaced, one- to two-page response for each question and clearly number your response for each question: 1. Why are you interested in pursuing a doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision? 2. In what ways have your academic and practical experiences prepared you for becoming a counselor educator and supervisor? What do you see as your potential strengths and areas of growth? 3. Why do you wish to attend Antioch for your doctoral studies? What will be your areas of greatest challenge in undertaking doctoral study at this time? What forms of support will you use to meet those challenges?
- International Students have additional admission requirements. See the International Students page for details.
- Select applicants may be invited to participate in an interview with faculty.
Requirements
Applicants are assessed for judgment, potential, cultural sensitivity, and openness, not achievement alone. Admitted students enter an educational environment that emphasizes rigor, nurtures a desire to learn, and fosters collaborative relationships between faculty and students. To enter the program, applicants must have completed a master’s degree in counseling or a closely related field that includes the competency areas required by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Those areas not covered in the student’s master’s program or through continuing education must be addressed with their doctoral plan of study. Furthermore, Doctoral candidates are also expected:
- To be license-eligible as a counselor (LMHC)
- To have achieved a master’s level of competency in counseling or other mental health fields of practice (e.g., couples and family therapy, clinical social work, or creative arts therapies)
- To have the potential to write at a scholarly level
- To enter the program with competency in the use of technology.
Finally, applicants to the program must demonstrate a commitment to and capacity to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds and adhere to the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics.
Application Deadline
UPDATE: Applications for consideration are due May 1; however, prospective students are welcome to submit their applications at any time. The program faculty and team engage in a review process after the deadline, followed by an invitation to interviews, which is concluded by admission decision letters. This process takes several weeks, and prospective students are notified by the end of June. The fall term typically begins in August.
| Semester | Application Deadline* |
|---|---|
| Fall | May 1 |
| *Complete admission files (all required documents) received after the Deadline date may be considered if space is still available for that term. | |
| Please review the Academic Calendar for additional details. | |
Cost
| PhD in Counselor Education & Supervision (Low-Residency) | |
|---|---|
| Cost per Credit | $1,134 |
| Total Program Credits | 63 |
| View the Cost of Attendance Components | |
Financial Aid
Financial Aid is also available to most students.
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