M.A. in Pastoral Counseling — Marriage and Family
Help Heal Broken Marriages and Families by Earning Your Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling – Marriage and Family
Mental health professionals are in high demand. Organizations, businesses, and churches need Christ-centered counselors to provide biblically-based services for community betterment. If you have a natural inclination to help others through personal ministry or in agency-based settings, then Liberty University’s online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling — Marriage and Family is the perfect degree option for you!
Our graduate degree in pastoral counseling with a specialization in marriage and family will equip you with the knowledge and skills that are critical for effectively counseling families and individuals in a variety of church and para-church settings. This online degree is also a valuable option if you are seeking to further your education and counseling skills as an avenue for professional promotion. It is important to note that this is a non-licensure program that is suitable for ministry and agency-based professionals, as well as students just entering the field.
What Will You Learn in the Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling – Marriage and Family?
Each of the courses within our marriage and family degree are designed to equip you with a biblical worldview of human behavior and the application of helping skills. You will be introduced to the theories and skills required to provide pastoral crisis intervention and counseling, as well as knowledge on how to address specific psychological issues that apply to men, women, and children throughout their lifespan. Three specific courses that play an important role in this degree are spiritual formation in pastoral counseling, theories and techniques in pastoral counseling, and pastoral counseling Internship.
You will also integrate biblical perspectives into a pastoral outlook on counseling, as well as acquire knowledge in:
- Counseling adolescents and their families
- Healthy sexuality
- Premarital and marital counseling
Provided in a flexible and affordable, 100% online degree format, you can customize our online M.A. degree in marriage and family for your convenience. You may also be interested in exploring our master’s degrees in addiction counseling, human services counseling, or clinical mental health counseling.
M.A. in Pastoral Counseling – Marriage and Family Program Highlights
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:
- We are recognized by multiple institutions for our academic quality, affordability, and accessibility. Our commitment to excellence also helped us rank in the top 10% of Niche.com’s best online schools in America. Earning your online master’s in pastoral counseling 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.
- Liberty University values your previously earned college credit, training, military, and on-the-job experience by offering potential course credit for life experience.
- Gain hands-on experience in your own community with the online M.A. in Pastoral Counseling program’s internship.
- You can complete our online M.A. in Pastoral Counseling degree with a specialization in marriage and family in 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 below 9 and above 15 credit hours for the master’s of pastoral counseling – marriage and family degree program are charged at the part-time rate.
Potential Career Options in Pastoral Counseling
Upon completion of this master’s degree, you can pursue careers in many areas, including:
- Chaplaincy
- Church counseling
- Marriage and family counseling
Credit Hours
Transfer Credits
Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total
Next Start Date
May 13, 2024
Accreditation
Liberty University is accredited by SACSCOC
“In the times in which we’re living today, Liberty University’s mission, the mission of training up a generation of
FORMER VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE
Experience That Matters to You
As an accredited Christian college with a 7,000-acre campus in Lynchburg, Virginia, Liberty University offers you an education that is both academically challenging and rooted in a biblical worldview.
At Liberty, you’ll benefit from 35+ years of learning, growing, adapting, and innovating for the distance learner — and more than a decade of researching the needs of the online student. You can be confident that we’ve taken the time to learn what’s important to you.
And what’s that?
- Affordability
- Accessibility
- Academic Quality
These important factors challenged us to find new financial solutions, get ahead of industry trends, and blaze trails into cutting-edge career fields — and it’s paid off. That’s the difference experience makes.
Ranked in the top 10% of Niche.com’s best online schools in America and recognized by multiple institutions for academic quality, affordability, and accessibility.
Why Choose Liberty University?
Enjoy Flexible Courses
Choose from a wide variety of programs at the associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral level, most of which are 100% online*. With an 8-week format and 8 start dates per year, it’s easy to fit your courses around your schedule!
* Some exclusions apply. Please refer to our exclusions page for more information.
Maximize Your Time
Start and finish your degree faster! Liberty requires no standardized testing for admission, and you can transfer previous course credit — transfer in up to 75% of a bachelor’s degree and up to 50% of a master’s, postgraduate, or doctoral degree — or discover how your life, career, or military experience may count toward your college degree.
Grow in Your Faith
All of our courses are taught from a Christian perspective, and our faculty see themselves as mentors. Our mission is to Train Champions for Christ — we’re committed to championing you as you study to go further in your field, become a leader in your industry, or start a new career.
Access Academic Support
Throughout your educational journey, you will have access to academic resources that will aid in the completion of your degree. Services include our Jerry Falwell Library, writing center, tutoring, study aids, IT assistance, 30+ tutorial videos, live webinars, and personalized help from our academic advising team.
An Online Education with On-Campus Benefits
Cheer on 20 NCAA Division I
games that air nationwide
Graduate with your peers
Be inspired by world-renowned
speakers at Convocation
As a nonprofit (not-for-profit) university, Liberty is in the business of training skilled professionals to make a difference in the world – not gaining profit, revenue, or producing dividends for shareholders. In keeping with our commitment to your education, we invest our resources back into degree programs and into your student experience.
While many other online colleges have raised tuition, Liberty has been able to keep costs low as a nonprofit university and has not increased tuition for 9 straight years. Lower tuition means less student loan debt for students.
For Liberty University, nonprofit is more than a status; it is a valuable opportunity to invest in the lives of students who will go out and impact the world.
Financing Options
Financial Aid
Nearly 80% of all Liberty students in an online program are awarded financial aid. Virginia residents may qualify for additional aid — learn more!
Corporate Tuition Assistance
Deferred – If your company reimburses you for the cost of your education, you pay only a portion of your balance up front. You submit your grades to your employer who pays you, and then you pay the remaining balance for your classes.
Tuition Discounts
Qualified military service members, veterans, and their spouses can receive up to 55% off their tuition rate for eligible programs!
Contact one of our Admissions Counselors for more information by calling (800) 424-9595.
