Program Overview
Degree abbreviation
Ed.D. in Divinity, Major in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Total program length
120 semester credit hours
Maximum approved transfer credit
Up to 40 semester credit hours
Minimum credits completed through the University after maximum transfer
80 semester credit hours
Normal completion time
Three to six academic years, depending on approved transfer credit, enrollment status, academic progress, and completion of the doctoral project
Advanced divinity and clinical mental health counseling specialization courses
30 credit hours
Leadership, administration, and professional practice
21 credit hours
Research methods and program evaluation
18 credit hours
Professional application and doctoral residency
15 credit hours
Advanced electives or concentration courses
12 credit hours
Comprehensive examination and doctoral candidacy
6 credit hours
Applied doctoral project and defense
18 credit hours
Total
120 semester credit hours
The Doctor of Philosophy in Divinity, Major in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, is a rigorous terminal degree designed for professionals seeking to integrate advanced clinical theory with a foundation of servant leadership and ethical stewardship. This program emphasizes the intersection of psychological science and the holistic needs of the human person, preparing scholars for high-level academic, clinical, and administrative roles. Students engage in a comprehensive curriculum that bridges theoretical inquiry with practical application, fostering a deep commitment to the welfare of communities and individuals alike.
Rooted in an academic environment that values intellectual integrity and social responsibility, the program challenges students to examine complex human behaviors through a multidisciplinary lens. Scholars are encouraged to develop a sophisticated understanding of contemporary mental health paradigms while maintaining an unwavering commitment to the values of dignity, justice, and compassion. Through advanced research and clinical training, the program cultivates the capacity to address multifaceted challenges in diverse organizational and community settings.
The Doctor of Education in Divinity, Major in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is an applied professional doctorate emphasizing advanced divinity and clinical mental health counseling knowledge, organizational leadership, ethical stewardship, program development, community-care systems, higher-education instruction, and evidence-informed professional practice.
Students may receive up to 40 semester credit hours of approved graduate or doctoral transfer credit. Accepted transfer credits are applied toward the 120-credit graduation requirement and may reduce the number of courses and the amount of time required to complete the degree. A student receiving the maximum transfer-credit award must complete at least 80 semester credit hours through the University.
The applied doctoral project must address a documented divinity, Major in Clinical Mental Health Counseling-support, educational, organizational, or community-care need. The project must include scholarly research, an implementation model, measurable outcomes, ethical safeguards, an evaluation plan, and a successful oral defense.
DOCTORAL TRANSFER-CREDIT POLICY: The Doctor of Education and Doctor of Philosophy programs each require 120 semester credit hours. Students may transfer up to 40 semester credit hours of eligible graduate or doctoral coursework toward either degree. Transfer credit is not automatically awarded. Each request is evaluated individually according to: The academic level of the previous coursework; The relevance of the coursework to the doctoral curriculum; Course content and learning outcomes; Credit-hour equivalency; Grades earned; The age of the coursework; Official institutional documentation; The University's residency and transfer-credit policies. Accepted transfer credit may reduce the number of courses and the amount of time required to complete the degree. Students awarded the maximum 40 transfer credits will have 80 semester credit hours remaining in the 120-credit doctoral program. Comprehensive examinations, doctoral candidacy, doctoral residency, the applied doctoral project, dissertation research, and the final oral defense must ordinarily be completed through the University. These requirements may not be satisfied through transfer credit unless expressly permitted under a published University policy.