DIGEST-Volume10.4-FULL

7 TPC Digest Components of a High-Quality Doctoral Program in Counselor Education and Supervision Jennifer Preston, Heather Trepal, Ashley Morgan, Justin Jacques, Joshua D. Smith, Thomas A. Field | TPC Digest A doctoral degree in counselor education and supervision (CES) has been a growing pursuit, with a 27% enrollment increase in a recent 4-year span. The increase in student enrollment has led to program expansion, development, and creation to meet the current demand. The number of p rograms accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs has grown in response to this influx of students seeking doctoral education. However, no literature currently exists for how counseling faculty define a high-quality doctoral program. The current study sought to identify and examine what qualities define a high-quality doctoral program in CES. P rior literature has noted that students enter doctoral programs with motivations that may not align with departmental culture, goals, and expectations of doctoral training. The differences between student, alumni, and faculty perceptions regarding doctoral training led to the development of the current study. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of which components counselor education faculty believe comprise a high-quality doctoral program. T his study was conducted as part of a larger comprehensive qualitative study of CES doctoral programs organized by the last author. Maximum variation sampling was utilized to identify and recruit 15 CES faculty members from different programs. Through data analysis, we found five themes that emerged as a result of the interview process: relationships, mission alignment, development of a counselor educator identity, inclusiveness of diversity, and Carnegie classification. Participants discussed the importance of faculty–student mentoring relationships, student–student supportive relationships, having a clear mission statement that includes faculty buy-in and commitment, program and institutional mission alignment, securing university financial support for faculty lines and student assistantships among other costs, establishing a learning community with faculty and students who possess diversity in cultural background and ideological thought, helping students to develop a counselor educator identity, and producing high-quality research as factors contributing to high-quality doctoral programs. R esults from this study have implications for administrators, program faculty, and prospective doctoral students. Administrators and faculty members should be intentional when designing a mission statement that aligns with the broader institutional mission and have a clear plan for recruiting and retaining a diverse learning community, developing professional identity, and providing leadership opportunities. Prospective doctoral students should consider program type and classification, in addition to program goals, to determine if they align with their own personal and professional motivations and needs. In conclusion, as doctoral programs are increasingly developed and maintained, administrators and faculty may benefit from insights about how to build a program that is of high quality. Jennifer Preston, PhD, NCC, LPC, is a program director and department chair at Saybrook University. Heather Trepal, PhD, LPC-S, is a professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Ashley Morgan is a doctoral candidate at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Justin Jacques, ACS, LPC, CAC II, is a counselor at Johns Hopkins University. Joshua D. Smith, PhD, LCMHCA, LCASA is a counselor at the Center for Emotional Health in Concord, North Carolina. Thomas A. Field, PhD, NCC, CCMHC, ACS, LPC, LMHC, is an assistant professor at the Boston University School of Medicine. Correspondence may be addressed to Jennifer Preston, Saybrook University, 55 Eureka Street Pasadena, CA 91103, jpreston@saybrook.edu.