A new Ph.D. program in counselor education and supervision has been established at Bowie State University, the oldest historically Black university in Maryland. The new program is the third of its kind at a historically Black college or university, with other degree offerings established at North Carolina A&T State University and Hampton University in Virginia.
In 2019, the National Science Foundation reported 7 percent of Ph.D. recipients are Black, with an even smaller percentage representing those with counselor education and supervision degrees. The doctoral program was created to address the high demand of mental health professionals in the United States, as well as increase Black representation in the field. Students who complete the new degree program will be prepared to serve in numerous facets of the mental health industry including mental health supervision, research, and school counseling and administration.
“Bowie State is positioned to fill the gap by training the next generation of counselor educators who will engage in social justice, leadership, and advocacy teaching, training, and preparation of counselors,” says Otis Williams, chair of the department of counseling and psychological studies at Bowie State University. “The new program will help to increase the number of counselor educators within the counseling field and the number of competent Black counselor educators.”
