Voices from the HyFlex Classroom: Understanding the Graduate Counseling Student Experience

Counselor education and counseling master’s Programs face a changing landscape in higher education. This includes balancing the demand for a high-quality HyFlex program that prepares students for the counseling field. This qualitative exploratory study utilized a phenomenological approach to understand the counseling master's student experience in a hybrid program. The research questions focused on the students' experience attending the program either strictly on zoom, in person, or a combination of both and how that impacted them and their learning. The study consisted of eight participants who were alumni from one CACREP accredited counseling masters program. The findings included themes of accessibility, flexibility and convenience, importance of adequate technology, and instructor knowledge and preparedness that is amenable to HyFlex/hybrid modality. Implications for the profession and counseling master’s Programs include best practices in HyFlex/hybrid classrooms, adequate preparation and knowledge on technology for instructors, and further research on HyFlex/hybrid counseling master’s Programs.