M.A. in Pastoral Counseling – Discipleship and Church Ministry
Help Others Emotionally and Spiritually with a Degree in Pastoral Counseling
Meet the needs of the hurting through earning an M.A. in Pastoral Counseling – Discipleship and Church Ministry with Liberty University. While the pastoral counseling master’s is a non-licensure online degree track, it is an excellent option if you are a professional ready to further your career or just entering the field with a desire to help people work through life’s challenges.
Liberty University’s Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling – Discipleship and Church Ministry will prepare you to serve in a number of positions both in the church and with other Christian ministries. You will be equipped with the skills to understand and improve actions in ministry, discipleship, and administration.
What Will You Study in Our Discipleship and Church Ministry Pastoral Counseling Degree?
This graduate counseling program will equip you with the skills to understand and improve actions in ministry, discipleship, and administration, as well as:
- Family discipleship
- Small group ministries
- Church administration
At Liberty, each of your counseling master’s professors is committed to your academic success and spiritual growth. Our student-to-faculty ratio means you will have the opportunity to develop a relationship with your professor and receive mentorship. You may also be interested in exploring our master’s degrees in addiction counseling, human services counseling, marriage and family, or professional counseling.
Potential Careers for M.A. in Pastoral Counseling – Discipleship and Church Ministry Graduates
- Chaplain
- Church counselor
- Ministry worker
- Pastor
Benefits of Pursuing Your M.A. in Pastoral Counseling with Liberty University
As a leader in distance education since 1985, we understand what it takes to create a flexible and affordable education for busy people. Since we have been investing in distance and online learning for decades, our experience has taught us how to streamline our degree options so you can focus on what really matters to you. While many schools offer online degrees, we believe Liberty stands out.
Here’s what sets us apart:
- Our online programs are backed by our brick-and-mortar campus – ranked among Niche.com’s Top 5 College Campuses in America – and that commitment to excellence extends to our online students as well. Earning your online counseling Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling – Discipleship and Church Ministry degree from a nonprofit university with this kind of recognition can help set you apart from others in your field.
- The majority of tuition for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs has not increased in 9 years. While many other online colleges have raised tuition, Liberty has been able to keep costs low as a nonprofit university.
- Your ministry matters – so when you take 9-15 credit hours per semester in your divinity program, you’ll pay a discounted block rate of $2,750. It’s our way of supporting all you do to serve others.
- Gain hands-on experience in your own community with the online M.A. in Pastoral Counseling program’s internship.
- You’ll be able to complete our Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling online degree in as little as 1.5 years.
Military Benefits
Service is important to us, so whether you’re currently serving in the Armed Forces, have served, or are married to someone who serves, we’re here to serve you. Liberty’s military benefits are available to:
- Active duty service members of the U.S. Armed Forces
- Reserve/National Guard
- Veterans/retirees
- Spouses of service members and veterans/retirees
- Current Department of Defense employees
We are proud to support you in your pursuit of a flexible and affordable online education by offering you the following benefits:
- Tuition discounts – $275 per credit hour for graduate courses.
- Additional discount for veterans who serve in a civilian capacity as a First Responder (less than $625 per course).
- Discounted divinity block rate: $2,475 per semester – only $165/credit at 9-15 credit hours*
- 8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences).
*Credits taken above 15 credit hours for the online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling are charged at the part-time rate.
Credit Hours

Class Type
100% online, 8-week courses
Transfer Credits
Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total
Next Start Date
Jun 23, 2025
Accreditation
Liberty University is accredited by SACSCOC