Counseling and Student Personnel Services - College Student Affairs Administration
Program Information
Information Session
Click here to review the information that was covered at the October 8th information session.
Historical Overview
The University of GeorgiaChartered by the Georgia General Assembly January 27, 1785, in Savannah, the University of Georgia is America’s first state chartered university and the birthplace of the American system of public higher education. The University of Georgia, a land grant and sea grant university with statewide commitments and responsibilities, is the state’s flagship institution of higher education. It is also the state’s oldest, most comprehensive, and most diversified institution of higher education. Its motto, “to teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things,” reflects the university’s integral and unique role in the conservation and enhancement of the state’s and nation’s intellectual, cultural, and environmental heritage. The university attracts students nationally and internationally as well as from within Georgia, with a total student population of approximately 34,000. The graduate school of the university coordinates the graduate programs of all schools and colleges of the university. The graduate council establishes policies and procedures effecting graduate training throughout the university. The graduate council is composed of the top scholars from the thirteen schools and colleges.
The College of Education
Formally joining The University in 1908 as The Peabody School of Education, and named The College of Education in 1932, our college has grown in size and distinction over the years. One of the largest and most diverse institutions of its kind in the nation, the University of Georgia College of Education offers 16 undergraduate majors and more than 34 graduate programs leading to careers as educators, counselors, psychologists, administrators, researchers, educational and health-related specialists. The College enrolls a student body of nearly 5,000 students each year, with half of those in graduate programs, and employs more than 200 full-time members. With annual external funding of about $10 million per year, the College pursues a rigorous commitment to excellence in instruction, research and service.
The Department of Counseling and Human Development Services
As one of nine departments within COE, The Department of Counseling and Human Development Services prepares professionals for a changing and increasingly complex world. Incorporating a combination of academic, clinical and practical experience, along with the expertise of its faculty, supports the department’s perennial ranking by U.S. News and World Report as one of the nation’s top 10 graduate programs in its field. The Department of Counseling and Human Development Services offers one of the largest graduate programs at UGA. The department has a rich history of service for over fifty years as a primary state, regional, and national training site for students who have pursued careers in counseling and related educational fields. The Department of Counseling and Human Development Services offers doctoral, specialist and masters degrees across three main areas: Counseling, Student Affairs and Recreation and Leisure Studies. There is also an undergraduate degree in Recreation and Leisure Studies. Each program has its own established criteria for admission, curriculum and program requirements.
Doctoral Program in Counseling and Student Personnel Service
Professional school counselors and student affairs professionals within the state of Georgia indicated the need for a part-time doctoral program to enhance skills and content knowledge as a method of improving services and programming within their current positions as well as providing opportunities for professional advancement. This program would offer two unique aspects: (1) It would offer a P-16 perspective in counseling and student services unavailable at other institutions within the state and region, and (2) It would offer a part-time terminal degree program in a geographic area currently untapped. As a direct result of this growing need, on August 8th 2008, The University of Georgia initiated the formation of the Doctoral Program in Counseling and Student Personnel Services at the UGA, Gwinnett Campus. This program is offered through the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services within the College of Education.
Mission Statement
The Doctoral Program in Counseling and Student Personnel Services at the Gwinnett Campus is a part-time program designed to meet CACREP standards to prepare graduates to be counselor educators and/or to assume positions of leadership in P–16 educational settings. The primary areas of specialization beyond the counseling core are school counseling and student affairs administration. The intent of the program is to provide a vehicle for advanced graduate study to individuals holding master’s degrees in counseling or college student development who have a preferred three years of post-master’s experience and are currently employed at least one half-time in a pK – 12 school or in a college or university setting. The areas of focus for the degree are P-16 educational counseling and social justice.
Social Justice is an overarching emphasis within the program; therefore, please read the statement below to learn more about what social justice means in our program.
When we talk about social justice we are referring to the incorporation of comparable principles and ideals within various facets of our program. More specifically, within this program, the concept of social justice signifies:
“Scholarship and professional action designed to change societal values, structures, policies and practices, such that disadvantaged or marginalized groups gain increased access to these tools of self-determination (Goodman, Liang, Helms, Latta, Sparks, & Weintraub, 2004).”
Students are challenged to focus on the inequalities that impede access and opportunities for all to engage equitably within society, and attempt to alter the status quo by becoming agents of change. Individuals are called upon to foster this idea through an increase in awareness and personal reflection, which leads to the acknowledgment of broad, systematic, societal inequities and oppression. As advocates for social justice, individuals are also encouraged to focus on topics such as power, privilege, and access to resources within society. It is assumed that students will take reasonable action to eliminate systematic oppression in the forms of racism, sexism, heterosexism, classism, ableism, nationalism, and other biases. Ultimately, one leads by example and highlights social justice principles in their daily lives.
For more information on the implementation of social justice principles within the program, please click on the Social Justice Statement link in the purple box.
Objectives/Goals
To prepare students who are culturally sensitive
To train students to work with diverse and underserved populations
To encourage students to address issues of social justice
To encourage student involvement in professional organizations and other activities
To ensure that students are trained to understand professional guidelines and practice within the highest of ethical and legal standards
To ensure that students will be trained as scholar-practitioners who are proficient in research related to the counseling profession
To assist students in designing and completing an individualized internship experience that compliments their chosen career objectives
To train students to become professionals who are responsible for providing leadership to their institutions by creating programs, policies, and experiences that will enhance the educational atmosphere.
