Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision program, a candidate must at minimum meet the following standards:

  • A master’s degree in Counseling or a related field
  • A minimum GPA of 3.30 or higher on a 4.0 scale in master’s degree coursework. 
  • Be licensed as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) or School Counselor in Wisconsin, or be LPC, LPC-IT, or School Counselor eligible.
  • Submit all required application materials (see details below)

International Students: See additional application requirements and procedures or contact your graduate admission counselor for questions.

How to Apply

Priority Application Deadline: January 1

General Application Deadline: February 1

1. Complete and submit the Doctoral Student Application.

2. Submit the nonrefundable application fee. Note: The application fee is waived for Mount Mary alumni. Contact your graduate admission counselor to obtain the waiver code for alumni.

3. Be licensed, or licensed eligible, in Wisconsin as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), School Counselor, or Licensed Professional Counselor – In Training (LPC-IT).

4. Submit three letters of recommendation. The recommendations should be from professionals and/or professors able to comment on abilities and commitment to Ph.D. scholarly work. Letters should also be addressed to the MMU Ph.D. Admissions Committee. Recommendation forms and instructions are included in the Doctoral Student Application.

5. Submit a Curriculum Vitae (CV).

6. Submit an application essay. Doctoral degree programs in Counselor Education and Supervision are intended to prepare graduates to work as counselor educators, supervisors, researchers, and practitioners in academic and clinical settings. The purpose of this essay is to gauge your critical and analytical thinking as well as your writing, editing skills, and general reasoning skills, your ability to reflect on your education and work experience as they related to a social justice philosophy of counselor education.

Writing Guidelines

  • Provide a 6-9 page response to the prompts below. Approximately two – three pages per writing prompt
  • Text should be double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 point font with 1 inch page margins
  • Running header on each page with applicant name and page numbers
  • Use major heading for each question prompt and subheadings as appropriate for your response
  • Submit PDF file format document

Using the above criteria as a guide, please answer the following questions:

  • Please identify and discuss your personal, educational, and career goals. How do you think a Ph.D. in Counselor Education & Supervision will help you achieve your career goal(s)? Please discuss your previous academic and clinical training that will provide the foundation of your doctoral studies. How will these inform your doctoral program?
  • What does multiculturalism, social justice, and intersectionality of identity mean to you? How do you practice this in your professional counseling?
  • Please share your research interest/s, any professional leadership you have engaged in, and any advocacy experiences/projects that you have been a part of. 

7. Complete and submit a criminal background check. Submit a criminal background check received from the Wisconsin Department of Justice (or student's state of residence) or through CastleBranch. If completed via CastleBranch, the Professional Counseling Department will have access to the results of your background check. It is not necessary to email the results of your background check if completed via CastleBranch.

8. Complete an interview with the Professional Counseling department.

Application materials can be upload in your application portal or sent via postal mail or email to:

  • Mount Mary University, Office of Graduate Admissions, 2900 N. Menomonee River Parkway, Milwaukee, WI 53222-4597
  • mmu-admissop@mtmary.edu

Once you submit all application materials, the Program Director will contact you to schedule an interview. Admission decisions will be made after all application materials are received and the interview is completed.

Contact us to hear from your Admission Counselor: