Take Part in Changing Lives by Earning Liberty University’s Online Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Community Care Counseling
Our online Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Community Care and Counseling can help you refine your approach to research, educational methods, diagnosing, treatment, counseling techniques, and scholarly writing while allowing you to maintain your personal and professional life. Our doctoral counseling degree is offered 100% online, giving you the flexibility you need to earn a degree and remain involved with your career, family, and other commitments.
Our Ed.D. in Community Care and Counseling online degree offers specializations in traumatology, pastoral care and counseling, and marriage and family. Each area of study has 5 unique courses that provide advanced training in the issues, best practices, and opportunities for improvement in areas of community care.
Please note: This EdD degree is not designed to meet state counseling licensure requirements. If you are interested in a state counseling license, please see our Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, or Master of Education in School Counseling.
Compare Our Doctoral Counseling Degrees
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Community Care and Counseling
- 100% online format
- Non-licensure
- Terminal online education doctoral credential in community care counseling
- Designed to add practical application and relevance to an established career
- Opportunities to publish academic research and pursue college-level teaching
- Learn to address many areas of counseling and Christian ministry
- Flexibility to pursue roles in counseling and human services
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Counselor Education and Supervision
- Intensive based, as well as a practicum, internship, and dissertation
- Accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
- Practice-focused with a clinical approach
- Clinical prerequisites and professional clinical experience required for admission
- Prepares students for leadership positions in clinical settings, higher education, and counseling associations
Why Choose Liberty’s Online Ed.D. in Community Care and Counseling Degree?
Liberty University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), so you can trust that your program can help equip you for your future career in Christian ministry, counseling, or social work. The Department of Community Care and Counseling created this Ed.D. degree to help you get ahead of emerging trends in community care and counseling and develop fresh insight into the field of Christian ministry, counseling partnerships, and treatments.
Liberty’s online Ed.D. in Community Care and Counseling allows you to evaluate how you can make a greater difference in your community. With an emphasis on research-based instruction and preparation for a broader set of practical counseling techniques, Liberty’s online counseling degree affords you the opportunity to study online or engage in one of our two optional on-campus intensive courses (EDCO 735 and EDCO 745). By choosing to complete an intensive course, you can take advantage of a face-to-face learning environment that can help provide you with professional networks and greatly strengthen your community care counseling degree experience.
Ed.D. in Community Care and Counseling Specializations
Customize your degree with one of our community care and counseling specializations. You can explore information about each specialization in the list below.
Marriage and Family
Use your counseling degree to examine best practices used with married couples and families.
Pastoral Care and Counseling
Pursue this online Ed.D. to enhance your current career as a pastor, LPC, licensed MFT, or clinical social worker.
Traumatology
Learn about community care counseling to address the needs of others during times of trauma.
What Will You Learn in Our Online Ed.D. in Community Care and Counseling Degree?
We want you to be equipped to face the challenges and opportunities of a career in Christian ministry or counseling. So we have designed 3 unique areas of study that focus on research-based practice to provide you with the training you need and want. You can choose from traumatology, pastoral care and counseling, or marriage and family counseling.
No matter how long you have been in the helping professions or Christian ministry, the ability to research objectively can make all the difference with emerging trends and the changing counseling climate. This is why we have made research a key aspect of your doctorate in community care and counseling. You will find that the information and experience you gain from this program can help you to move forward in your profession and change lives through education.
Potential Career Options with an Ed.D. in Community Care and Counseling
Some of the positions you may qualify for after completing this degree include:
- Church counselor
- Marriage and family counselor
- Outpatient care therapist
- Social worker
- Trauma counselor
Online Ed.D. in Community Care and Counseling Program Highlights
- 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 Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling degree from a nonprofit university with this kind of recognition can help set you apart from others in your field.
- Tuition for all 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.
- Translate your passion and experience in Christian ministry, social work, marriage and family counseling, or professional counseling into greater career fulfillment and advancement while changing lives in a broader scope within your community.
- Build your résumé with high-quality education and an in-depth look at one of the following areas: traumatology, pastoral care and counseling, or marriage and family counseling.
- With a required dissertation, this program gives you an opportunity to research areas you are passionate about and put together a written work that will exemplify your contribution to the field of counseling.
Ed.D. in Community Care and Counseling Degree Information
- This program falls under the School of Behavioral Sciences.
- View the Graduate Behavioral Sciences Course Guides (login required).
Military Benefits for the Ed.D. in Community Care and Counseling Program
Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe. Whether you are a current service member, discharged or retired from service, or the spouse of a service member or veteran, we are here to support you every step of the journey.
As a thank-you for your dedication and service to our country, Liberty is honored to serve and support you in your pursuit of online education by offering 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)
- 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)
Ed.D. in Community Care and Counseling Admission Requirements
A regionally or nationally accredited master’s degree with a 3.0 or above GPA is required for admission in good standing. Please visit our admission requirements page for more detailed admissions-related information.
All applicants must submit the following:
- Admission application
- Application fee*
- Official college transcripts
- Proof of English proficiency (for applicants whose native language is other than English)
Applicants lacking a graduate-level statistics course will be required to complete CEFS 515 Research and Program Evaluation (3 c.h.), or EDUC 518 Educational Research and Assessment (3 c.h.), or its equivalent prior to EDCO 735 in the Ed.D.
*There is no upfront application fee; however, a deferred $50 application fee will be assessed during Financial Check-In. This fee is waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required.
Transfer Policies
At Liberty, we want to help you make the most of your prior education by allowing you to transfer in previously earned college credit. That’s why you can transfer in up to 50% of your total credits for a master’s or doctoral program!
Some restrictions apply. Please visit our Transfer Policy page for more information.