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SECTION I. ADMISSION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Applicants for the Ph.D. in CES must be admitted to both the Graduate College and to the Ph.D. in CES program in the Department of Counselor Education at Boise State University. There is one application for both the Graduate College and the Department of Counselor Education. All application materials should be submitted online starting at the link below:

https://www.boisestate.edu/graduatecollege/howtoapply/

If you have any problems uploading documents, please contact the Graduate College.

  • Complete the Application for Admission to the Graduate College (link above)
  • Send official scores for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
      • Include verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing
      • Please note that the GRE must have been taken within seven (7) years of the application date and/or prior to the start of the program
      • GRE scores are just one data point, but they are important. Therefore, it is worth preparing for the test. Ideally scores will be at or above the 50th percentile in each area of the test
  • Official transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate coursework. Transcripts must verify the following:
      • Minimum GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale for all previous graduate work
      • Completion of a Master’s Degree in Counselor Education from a CACREP accredited institution or the functional equivalent
  • A letter of application that includes
      • Description of professional experiences and the relevance of those experiences to doctoral study in CES
      • Statement of career goals
      • Statement addressing how our apprentice program will be a good fit for your educational and professional goals.
      • Description of research interests that overlap with faculty research areas.
      • Prior to applying for Ph.D, students should communicate with and research faculty with whom they would like to work. This will assist students in selecting an advisor upon admission to the program.
      • Please indicate if you would like to be considered for a graduate assistantship position.
  • A professional resume or vitae
  • A recent sample of scholarly and/or professional writing (e.g., Master’s thesis or project, scholarly papers or publications, project reports, grant proposals, etc.)
  • Three letters of reference attesting to the applicant’s aptitude for and commitment to doctoral study in CES, professional effectiveness, potential for influencing the field, scholarly abilities and dispositions, personal and professional integrity, and any other relevant information. The online application system will send your references a link to upload their letter to your application. You (the applicant) will not be able to upload reference letters to the system.

Once all the required application materials have been received, the application packet will be forwarded to the Department of Counselor Education Doctoral Admissions Committee Chair. After initial screening, the Committee Chair will contact qualified applicants for a formal in-person or electronic interview.

After the interview process, the application materials along with the interview recommendation will be reviewed by the Department of Counselor Education Doctoral Admissions Committee. The Committee will determine all admissions/denials decisions for the Ph.D. program.

Applicants will be notified via email of the Committee’s admissions decision. Letters will include the name of your initial advisor. As students progress through the program and select a specific area of research, the student can choose a new advisor to guide their research if appropriate.