The Warner School offers doctoral programs in counseling and human development: The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Mental Health Counseling or Counseling and Human Development, with a concentration in either Counseling or Human Development, and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Education, with a concentration in Human Development in Educational Contexts or Counseling and Counselor Education.

Counseling programs are marked by a contextual and ecological perspective of professional counseling that acknowledges the importance of individual development while recognizing that individual lives are embedded in a variety of personal and extended relationships and social systems. The preparation of advanced counseling professionals hinges on a holistic and inter-relational view of the counseling process and promotes the development of critically reflective researchers and practitioners. The program is built on a scientist-practitioner/theory-to-practice model and uses this to focus on the preparation of doctoral-level professionals who are proficient in the training and supervision of master’s-level practitioners, as well as in research and practice in a specialized area of counseling.

Doctoral programs in human development study human development from infancy through adulthood, considering philosophical, historical, sociological, and psychological perspectives. The link between developmental processes and the contexts in which they occur is explored throughout the course of study. While the primary emphasis is on schools and educational contexts, socio-historical, cultural, and familial contexts will be considered. There is strong emphasis on research methodologies appropriate for the study of development and change in real-world contexts.

Choose a degree to learn more:

Doctoral Degrees
Ed.D.- Counseling
Ed.D.- Counseling (accelerated option)
Ed.D.- Human Development
Ed.D.- Human Development (accelerated option)
Ph.D.- Counseling and Counselor Education
Ph.D.- Human Development in Educational Contexts
Ed.D.- Mental Health Counseling