Written by Will Jones
For 55 years, Amberton University has awarded bachelor's and master's degrees to working adults. Students who wanted a doctorate had to earn it somewhere else.
That changed this fall. The Garland, Texas, university received approval for its first doctoral program, the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Counseling. The milestone makes Amberton a doctoral-granting institution for the first time.
"It now puts us on a whole different level of academics," Dr. Ken Johnson, the program chair, said.
A Step Few Universities Take
A doctorate is the highest degree a university can award. "It's set apart from other programs because it's the highest level of academics," Dr. Johnson said. "You can't get any higher than a doctorate."That status demands close review from accreditors. Reviewers want no doubt that a school exceeds every requirement for doctoral study. "It's very demanding for faculty and staff and administrators," Dr. Johnson noted. He stressed that the commitment has to be from the top to the bottom of that university.
The achievement carries extra weight for a school of Amberton's size. Dr. Johnson is most excited by the idea that a small private university, relatively unknown other than locally, can pull this off.
Dr. Johnson credits the university's steady finances for making growth possible. "Since we're financially stable, we can offer more programs," he said.
A Campus-Wide Effort
The approval followed extensive work across the university. Amberton President Dr. Carol A. Palmer asked Dr. Johnson to write the proposal.Dr. Johnson drafted the proposal, the student handbook, and the Applied Doctoral Project handbook. A colleague with years of experience working with accrediting bodies reviewed his drafts. Faculty members wrote the courses and their competencies, and additional committee members played key roles.
Dr. Johnson described the process as a team effort. Amberton had taken programs through accreditation before, including its clinical mental health counseling program. "So we've done this in a sense, but never at this level," he said.
Keeping the Next Step Close to Home
Amberton's own data show how often its alumni pursue doctorates. A university survey of roughly 3,000 graduates from a seven-year period tracked the credentials they earned next. Among interdisciplinary graduates who added credentials, almost 25% completed a doctoral degree.Business graduates reported a rate of 18%. Until now, every one of those doctorates came from another school.
Current students have pushed for a doctoral option for years. "We had a lot of inquiries," Dr. Johnson recalled. "We're able to give them what they've been asking for for many years."
The new program keeps that next step within Amberton. "We can maintain that in-house, and we can give our students the highest level of training right under one roof," he said.
Dr. Johnson also expects the doctoral program to keep the close faculty support Amberton students know and expect. "Students will feel that same closeness that they felt in their undergraduate and master's level program," he said.
Inside the Ed.D. in Counseling
The Ed.D. in Counseling is offered 100% online and totals 60 credit hours. Students complete 18 core courses worth 54 hours, plus six hours of Applied Doctoral Project work. They must also pass an oral comprehensive exam and keep at least a 3.00 GPA.The program aims to develop ethically, spiritually, and culturally aware counselors and counselor educators. Graduates train to work with individuals, groups, couples, and families. Their settings can include community agencies, social services, academic institutions, and private practice.
The curriculum incorporates standards set by the American Counseling Association. Students may take most courses in any order. Qualitative research must fall within the first 12 hours, and quantitative research follows all other coursework.
The Applied Doctoral Project applies research to a real problem in a professional setting. Students might build curriculum, evaluate a program, propose a policy, or design a clinical protocol. They defend the project in two stages.
Many graduate teaching roles require a terminal degree, which the Ed.D. provides. "Now they can apply for teaching jobs at other universities, local and national," Dr. Johnson said.Tuition is $625 per credit hour, which is far below what most institutions charge. The degree does not meet the academic requirements to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Texas. Students seeking that license must also take Professional Orientation to Counseling, pass the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam, and complete two practicums.
A Stronger Position for Graduates
Dr. Johnson expects the degree to change how Amberton graduates compete for jobs. Counselors outside private practice often apply to agencies and government offices. There, they go up against candidates who hold doctorates. "Constantly, they're being compared to people who have a doctorate," he said.Dr. Johnson described that gap in plain terms. "You're competing with a person who has the same thing that you have, except they've got one more thing." The Ed.D. closes the gap. "So now we will see Amberton students as being more competitive."
The credential also opens leadership tracks, including administrative roles in universities and counseling centers.
What Comes Next
Applications for the winter term close Friday, November 20, 2026. For Dr. Johnson, the approval and launch of this new program is a shared win. "We see this as a victory for the university and our students," he said.
