John King is studying to earn his online Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University. He holds a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Kutztown University and a Master of Divinity from Biblical Seminary. He also earned his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from Bluffton College in Bluffton, Ohio.
John chose to study online because the online format allows him to fulfill his pastoral and family duties while pursuing his educational goals. After earning his PhD, John hopes to incorporate his passion for helping people into a teaching career.
I chose to pursue my PhD in counselor education and supervision online because I have a busy schedule as a pastor and husband. Studying online allows me to continue working while I take classes. Since I take most of my classes at night, I don’t have to commute, and can even wear my pajamas to class. p>
In addition to flexibility, my online program gives me the opportunity to interact with a diverse student population. I am in classes with people from all over the world, including Japan, Africa and Thailand.
I chose Regent University’s PhD program in counselor education and supervision because of the school’s accreditation and its religious affiliation. The program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs, or CACREP, which is the gold standard for counseling programs. Additionally, I could tell that Regent emphasized a Christian perspective that would allow me to integrate my faith into my academic pursuits.
At this stage in my academic career, I do not have an advisor, but I am blessed with professors and program directors who understand the dynamics of the cohort model. They highly encourage student interaction during the once-a-year residency in the summer. This is critically important for the development of relationships and many of these colleagues will become lifelong friends.
I also made an excellent choice during my first on-campus experience by purposely making 2 friends that I talk with at least once a week. This was probably the best decision I made in my PhD studies since we hold each other accountable and help support each other. I consider the students in my program to be my mentors just as much as Regent’s advisors are.
The field of counselor education and supervision trains students to focus on the strengths, passions and capabilities of their patients and teaches students how to motivate patients to succeed. The program also prepares students to be counselors in areas such as marriage and family counseling, school counseling and mental health counseling. Graduates can conduct quantitative and qualitative research in the social sciences, as well as train professional counselors in various graduate programs.
After completing this program, I am hoping to work in a field that combines teaching and ministry, perhaps my own private counseling, coaching, and consulting agency. I hope to write and present seminars on parenting along with my wife. So there are many options for graduates of this program.
The curriculum in my counselor education and supervision program is composed of 60 credits of research courses, dissertation work and clinical work. The last third of the program is devoted to the dissertation.
In terms of class materials, online learning is facilitated through online classrooms, phone calls, Skype, email conversations and project collaboration with other students. In addition to 51 weeks of online work per year, I am required to attend a 1 week residency on school property. This requirement enables me to develop relationships, work on classwork and meet professors in person. I also perform work in my church setting as part of the clinical component of my program.
A typical week consists of online classroom work, homework assignments and professional commitments. I spend about 20 hours each week, usually at night, navigating online classrooms, completing homework and collaborating and discussing with other students. Occasionally, I will have a 1 to 2 hour meeting with a professor on Skype.
My PhD program offers students ample freedom in choosing their dissertation topics. The topic of my dissertation is the meaning and staging of becoming a man. In order to collect data, I am conducting a phenomenological study, in which I talk to people who might say that they matured after their father died when they were 18.
At this point, I am still in the process of proposal defense. It is crucial to choose a topic as early as possible in your PhD program so that it can inform your assignments throughout the program. Reading widely on the topic during the first 2 years of study is helpful as well.
In my online PhD program, I spend a lot of time communicating with other students. I converse on the phone, Skype, and email conversations. I usually communicate with study partners 3 to 4 times a week online and 3 to 4 times a week on the phone. Obviously, I think that living closer to one another would be optimal, but I enjoy the opportunity to interact with classmates from all over the world.
The program requires a 1-week residency on the school property in Virginia. Although it is intense, I find the residency requirement valuable because I am able to develop relationships with other students, work on classwork in an engaging setting and talk to my professors in person.
I believe my psychological assessment classes, as well as my immersion project for a multi-cultural counseling class, will be most valuable for my future goals. Assessment classes, such as developmental psychology and psychopathology, will help prepare me for clinical work. And my immersion project will help me better relate to my clients. For my immersion project, another student and I entered the homeless population by spending time on the streets of Washington D.C. for 2 days. This experience gave me a window into the life of a homeless person and was both informative and insightful.
I wouldn’t say any classes have not been useful, but I sometimes find the intensity of an online program in general to be difficult. It can be quite challenging to coordinate phone calls, Skype dates and email conversations with other students in real time.
My teachers have been excellent. Because I am nearly finished with my degree, I do not currently receive much formal instruction, and instead work on large projects. The role of a professor in this type of program is very different than it would be in an on-campus undergraduate program, for example. In an online PhD program, the professor serves as a facilitator of learning rather than a lecturer. The professor stimulates discussion, designs projects that require independent study and communicates regularly with students if they need direction.
I communicate with my professors using a number of methods including Blackboard, Horizon Wimba for virtual online classes, Skype, cell phone and email.
My interaction with my professors is also not confined to the virtual world. The professors take care to design diverse work groups. They interview each of the students for a day on campus, and get to know us personally. During the week-long residency period, I am able to see them and meet the other students.
I do not think I would have done anything differently with regards to this program, but if I could go back to college, I would try to get my professional counseling license in the state of Pennsylvania. When I was pursuing my masters degree in counseling, I did not have the option to get licensed as a counselor at that time. Instead, I should have considered getting my masters in social work because it would have allowed me the opportunity to get licensed. Of course, I can still get my licensure today, but I need to earn a certain number of clinical hours to be eligible. I would advise prospective counselor education and supervision students to review the licensure requirements in their state since they can change regularly.
I would also remind students to prepare their families and friends for the huge time commitment and numerous obligations of an online program. A PhD program is a challenge for the student and the student’s loved ones.
