Doctorate Degrees in Counseling

Two Candidates for Counseling Doctorate Degrees

Professionals who want to specialize in their field are candidates for doctorate degrees in counseling.

A doctorate in counseling instills trust with the public and allows you more opportunity to become an authority in your area of specialty.

People also pursue doctorates in counseling for academic careers and to become involved more deeply in research.

Why Pursue a Doctorate Degree in Counseling?

A doctorate opens more career opportunities, particularly in governmental, educational or human resources jobs.

Having a PhD in psychology puts you at a distinct advantage over an MS or MSW. It also gives you more versatility in your private practice to work with insurance companies and HMOs.

Not surpisingly, statistics clearly show that the earning potential for people with doctorate degrees is much higher than those with master's degrees.

Most importantly, a doctorate in counseling gives you deeper knowledge and expertise in your specific area of counseling psychology.

The various doctorate degrees in counseling include:

• PhD - Doctor of Philosophy in psychology or counseling
• PsyD - Doctor of Psychology
• EdD - Doctor of Education

More information is available on doctorate degrees in counseling in the Clinical Psychology Resource Center.

Differences Between PhD, PsyD and EdD

A PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) is the traditional psychology degree which places an equal emphasis on research and clinical training. PhD programs are offered by traditional universities and are highly competitive - some programs select only six students per year.

A PsyD (Doctor of Psychology) is a newer professional degree, offered by professional schools of psychology, and emphasizes clinical practice with a minimum of research training. Entrance into PsyD programs is less competitive than PhD programs.

The EdD is normally offered by an education department and usually signifies expertise in educational counseling and related psychology.

Doctorate degrees in counseling generally require two to four years to complete and focus on research. Some doctorate degrees require oral and/or written dissertations.