The Ph.D. in Education with a major in counseling prepares students for leadership roles within the field in the areas of advanced clinical practice, advanced school counseling practice, administration, research and supervision.

The program allows students to pursue one of six cognate areas: career counseling, child and adolescent counseling, couple and family counseling, wellness counseling, school counseling, and mental health counseling. Additionally, in compliance with the CACREP guidelines, the program provides for advanced preparation in the following content areas: theories pertaining to the principles and practice of counseling, career development, group work, systems, and consultation; theories and practices of counselor supervision; instructional theory and methods relevant to counselor education; pedagogy relevant to current social and cultural issues, including social change theory and advocacy action planning; design and implementation of quantitative research and methodology, including univariate, multivariate, and single-subject design; design and  implementation of qualitative research, including grounded theory, ethnographic, and phenomenological methodologies; models and methods of assessment and use of data; ethical and legal considerations in counselor education and supervision (e.g., the ACA Code of Ethics); and the role of racial, ethnic, and cultural heritage, nationality, socioeconomic status, family structure, age, gender, sexual orientation, religious and spiritual beliefs, occupation, physical and mental status, local, regional, national, international perspective, and equity issues in counselor education programs.

Oakland University is accredited as a doctoral degree-granting institution by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Both the PhD and MA programs in Counseling at Oakland University are accredited by the Council on the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).