Counselor Education

The Ph.D. program, accredited by CACREP (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs), prepares students to work as counselor educators, clinical supervisors, and advanced practitioners in academic and clinical settings.

Counselor Education at Penn State is a graduate program within the College of Education that offers professional preparation at the master's degree level (M.Ed. only) for qualified persons wishing to become a professional counselor in a range of emphases, each accredited by national and, where appropriate, state credentialing boards. See links below for more information on specific emphases within the program.

The Counselor Education master's program advocates for the provision of services to all people, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, religion sexual orientation, ability level, or values. As such, our program prepares you to honor and respect human diversity. Our program emphasizes professional competency, a respect for human diversity, and evidence-based practices. Our program provides students the opportunity for experiential learning that often results in significant changes. The Counselor Education faculty expects our students to change as they develop in the program. We aim to instill in each student the capacity to not only understand and respect his or her own experiences, values, and identity, but the capacity to respect others' experiences, values, and identities that are unlike their own. We believe the capacity to know and respect self, and to know and respect another is a cornerstone of our profession. Counselors use a range of evidence-based interventions with individuals, groups, and in communities, to facilitate meaningful change in the lives of people seeking our services.

BASIC PROGRAM DATA FOR 2024-2025 CACREP ACCREDITED PROGRAMS (Source: CACREP Vital Statistics)

Career Counseling

Graduates: 1
Completion rate: 100%
Licensure pass rate: 100%
Job Placement rate: 100%

Clinical Mental Health Counseling in Schools and Communities

Graduates: 25
Completion rate: 100%
Licensure pass rate: 100%
Job Placement rate: 100%

School Counseling

Graduates: 6
Completion rate: 100%
Certification pass rate: 100%
Job Placement rate: 100%

Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision

Graduates: 6
Completion rate: 100%
Licensure pass rate: 100%
Job Placement rate: 100%

COUNSELOR EDUCATION PROGRAM EVALUATION

Program evaluation, which is a continuous activity for the Counselor Education program, is based on data from a variety of sources including (a) surveys of alumni, employers of graduates, and supervisors that occur at least every three years; (b) yearly evaluations of the program that students submit anonymously with their annual self-evaluations; (c) feedback from members of the Counselor Education Advisory Board; (d) other meetings and interactions with students, supervisors, and employers throughout the academic year; and (e) other appropriate evaluative data.

The 46 alumni who responded to the surveys in 2024-2025. The majority (89%) described the program as good or excellent. The age ranged from 25 to 69 years old.

The majority of alumni were certified in their respective specialization areas (e.g., Certified Elementary School Counselor or Secondary School Counselor, or Licensed Professional Counselor) and/or as Nationally Certified Counselors.

The majority of the respondents were currently employed in a counseling field or in a profession where they utilize their counselor training:

Examples:

• School Counselors (Elementary and Secondary)

• Mental Health Counselor

• Career Counselor

• Academic Advisor

• Assistant/Associate Professor

• Vocational Rehabilition Extension Associate

• Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor

• Clinical Director

• Coordinator of Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence Services

• Disability Coordinator

• Compliance Coordinator 

Alumni ratings for practicum and internship were consistently high, as were their ratings of their counseling training and learning counseling competencies (averages within the 4 to 5 range).

Alumni, in general, were satisfied to very satisfied with their advising experience (averages within the 4 to 5 range).

Alumni reported membership includes ACA, ACES, ACSSW, ASCA, ATTS, CTA, EMDRIA, ICA, NACAC, NCDA, NCACES, OSCA, PSCA, SAIGE, SCA

The majority of the alumni were very satisfied with the opportunities to interact with faculty during the completion of their program (averages within the 4 to 5 range).

Alumni rated the program very highly (averages within the 4 to 5 range).

Testimonials:

• "I enjoyed my time at PSU and feel very much prepared for my current role as a counselor educator"
• "I wish I could go back and I would do it again if I could. Some of the better years of my life for sure."
• "Thanks so much for helping to prepare me for my career as a school counselor! I have successfully and happily worked in the elementary, middle, and high school settings!"
• "The diversity of professors (in background, age, previous employment, etc.) and extremely high levels of expertise made the program incredibly strong while I was there, and is the standard by which I measure and to which I strive to hold myself."
• I appreciated the flexibility as a part time student (I was a classroom teacher and dual enrolled in the Ed Leadership program)"

On a scale from Very Good (5) to Very Poor (1), the employer ratings were Excellent or Good (averages within the 4 to 5 range) for the following areas:

• Overall Preparation for the Position

• Overall Counseling Skills

• Overall Listening Skills

• Knowledge of Current Issues

• Knowledge of Ethical/Legal Issues

100% of surveyed employers were very satisfied with the education of our graduates and reported will have our students again.

Areas noted as strengths for interns and graduates:

• Strong communication skills

• Clinical skills

• Strong multicultural awareness and training

• Professionalism

Suggestions for improvement:

• Better understanding of a worldview

Currently enrolled students complete the CNED Student Annual survey in coordination with their annual review and retention procedure. Students respond to items within domains: engagement with CNED faculty members, CNED classroom experiences, fieldwork placement, and overall satisfaction with the CNED program.

• The majority of respondents (71.4%-78.6%) reported course instructors were available to answer questions, advisors were available to answer questions, advisors helped navigated concerns or needs, and faculty members engaged in conversations related to procession interests and development. Qualitative feedback indicated an area of growth for the program is faculty availability for meetings.

• The majority of respondents (92.9%-100%) reported faculty demonstrate enthusiasm for teaching, knowledge of the topic areas, respect students’ ideas and worldviews, offer relevant course content, and provide supportive, ethics, and culturally responsive clinical supervision.  Qualitative feedback indicated an area of growth for the program is deeper integration of commonalities among MEd emphasis areas.

• MEd and PhD students reported a 100% placement rate for practicum and internship.

• The majority of respondents (71.4%-78.6%) reported satisfaction with the program mission and vision, accessibility to faculty, accessibility to program administrative staff, course sequencing, handbook information, and opportunities to engage with other students in the program. Qualitative feedback indicated an area of growth for the program could be to capitalize on the online, available resources for program updates (e.g., program CANVAS page).

*Please note, due to survey technical issues, the AY24-25 survey data yielded a smaller sample than usual (N = 15).

The different constituents valued the program but also offered the following areas for improvement: The following table shows those suggestions and the way program and faculty members--- individually or collectively -- responded to feedback regarding the Counselor Education program at Penn State: 

Suggested Area for Improvement: Need of more racial and cultural sensitivity among faculty, students and staff, including stopping microaggressions from students.  

Program Responses (Implemented Changes):

- Multicultural Trainings: Faculty participated in an equityl training led by Kathy O’Bear offered at the department and program level.

- Book Club: CNED faculty implemented a book club reading and discussing the books:  My Grandmother’s Hands, and Me and White Supremacy. 

- Affinity groups: Affinity groups led by faculty were organized for Students of Color, Chinese International Students and Queer and Non-Binary International Students. One faculty member developed and facilitated a college-wide affinity group for students of color. These groups were co-facilitated with CNED graduate students and others outside of the program. It included wellness activities (yoga, games), panels comprised of faculty of color providing guidance, and weekly community time (

- Curriculum Enhancement: Faculty engaged in evaluating current curriculum. RHS 433 – Trauma Informed Care become a new course that includes race-based trauma, gender-based trauma, and intergenerational trauma. 

- Racial Trauma Taskforce: A special taskforce was created and has been building training for responding to microaggression. 

- Support Groups for CNED students and the State College Community: The Herr Clinic held community support events in response to national natural disasters (e.g., earthquake in Turkey) and other national upheaval (e.g., death of Tyre Nichols).

- Restorative Justice: Faculty utilized a restorative justice model in the multicultural counseling course. In this course, restorative justice modeled how they can hold each other accountable for microaggressions and also welcome them to hold the faculty accountable. In one instance, a student made a misstep and utilized a culturally insensitive term on the discussion board. The professor met with that student individually, discussed how the student wanted to repair and helped them to develop goals to expand their awareness. 

- Honoring Feedback: One faculty met with students who expressed experiencing issues in their courses. The faculty member created a report, shared with other faculty, and the faculty worked to respond. They responded by having an outside trainer come in to provide equity/cultural sensitivity workshops, invited an outside person to meet with the students gain to facility racial healing, and the faculty created goals around how we can adjust our practices/policies to better meet the needs of the students.  

Suggested Area for Improvement: More knowledge of curriculum and consistency among faculty.  

Program Responses (Implemented Changes):

- Transitional Support: There has been retirement of long-time faculty and hiring of new faculty hired. We will be updating everybody about checklists and handbooks. 

Suggested Area for Improvement: Timely responses to emails.  

Program Responses (Implemented Changes):

- Explicit Communication: Explicitly communicating response time expectations and utilizing away messages have been encouraged so faculty can provide clear communication around electronic communication.  

Suggested Area for Improvement: Feeling a general lack of connection and support with faculty/professors.  

Program Responses (Implemented Changes):

- Faculty-Student Liaison: Planning faculty liaison through CSI and faculty check-ins with students on a weekly basis is now in place. For example, one faculty held weekly advising hours for students to join to ask questions. Also sent emails to advisees 3x across the semester to inform them of opportunities, deadlines, and wellness tips. 

Suggested Area for Improvement: Lack of support in/frustrations with Practicum, DAP notes, and clients missing sessions.  

Program Responses (Implemented Changes):

- Sources of Support: The Herr Clinic updated handbooks, updated communication to clients about missing sessions.

- The Herr Clinic offered recorded videos and step-by-step instructions on most policies and ways of completing DAP notes. DAP note guidance from the clinic was updated and streamlined.  

Suggested Area for Improvement: Lack of internship guidance.  

Program Responses (Implemented Changes):

- Improved Resources: The program Implemented information sessions for students approaching internship.

- Tevera: The program implemented Tevera for student organization of materials and documents.

- Faculty began Tevera training and guidelines for internship information in the summer of 2023. 

Suggested Area for Improvement: Needing more organization within the program and the curriculum. 

Program Responses (Implemented Changes):

- Updates: Program handbook revisions were completed last summer. 

Suggested Area for Improvement: Experiencing Stress/Burn-out/Mental health concerns.  

Program Responses (Implemented Changes):

- Advising: Required and optional advising hours are now available for students experiencing academic distress.

- Stress Management: Faculty agreed to embrace flexibility with class assignments and due dates. 

- Orientation: Students were encouraged to maintain open communication during last and this years’ Orientation Program.

- Student Appreciation: The Herr Clinic hosted a Counselor Appreciation Week with snacks, drinks, gratitude wall, de-stress tools and items.  

For more information on Counselor Education accreditation, please contact Dr. Julia Green Bryan:

Email: [email protected] 

Phone: (814) 863-2402

Office address:

327 CEDAR Building
University Park, PA 16802

(Updated 12/2024)

RAM Fall 2022.pdf

RAM Spring 2023.pdf

RAM Report Fall 2023.pdf