Master of Arts in Addiction Counseling Degree Online

Credit Hours

Online,* 8-week courses

Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total

Next Start Dates: January 19, 2026 | February 16, 2026 | March 23, 2026

Help Others Wrestling with Addiction by Earning a Master’s Degree in Addiction Counseling Online

Do you have the compassion, patience, and interpersonal skills it takes to be a successful counselor? There are different paths people usually travel to become addiction counselors. One path is for people who feel a calling to help others in need. There is also a long tradition of people who overcame addiction going on to help their fellow addicts break the chains of addiction.

In either of these situations, Liberty University’s Master of Arts (MA) in Addiction Counseling degree online seeks to provide you with the education and training commonly required for certification or licensure as an addiction or substance abuse counselor.** Our graduate degree in addiction counseling is designed to fulfill or exceed the requirements for many national and state board organizations. Liberty seeks to provide you with evidence-based counseling tools and skills to work with individuals as they move towards recovery.

As you pursue our graduate program in substance abuse counseling, you will have access to knowledgeable professors who have years of experience in the areas of substance abuse and addiction counseling. You can have a mastery of knowledge of critical concepts in the substance abuse and addiction counseling fields, including counseling techniques, treatment, and the recovery process.

Your officially conferred degree name will be Master of Arts (MA) in Addiction Counseling.

*Some exclusions apply. Please refer to our exclusions page for more information.

**Please note: 12 additional hours of coursework beyond the MA in Addiction Counseling degree requirements are needed to meet LSATP requirements in Virginia.

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600+ Online Degrees
No Standardized Testing for Admission
Transfer in up to 75% of an Undergrad Degree
Transfer in up to 50% of a Grad/Doctoral Degree

Top 10 Reasons to Choose Liberty

Why Choose Liberty’s Online Addiction Counseling Degree?

Liberty University’s Master of Arts in Addiction Counseling degree online encompasses an enriching and challenging curriculum to empower students with the tools needed to succeed in the field of addiction counseling.

By pursuing our addiction counselor degree you can:

Become better prepared to pursue job opportunities in the field of substance abuse and addiction counseling in private practices and clinics across the nation.
Build upon core values, knowledge, and skills needed to serve as an addiction and substance abuse counselor.
Earn your degree from a Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) accredited university.
Have access to one of the nation’s largest private, nonprofit university’s resources.

What Will You Study in Our Master’s in Addiction Counseling Online?

You may be wondering how you can become an addiction counselor without having to leave your current job or interrupt your family commitments. Our addiction counseling online degree can be completed online with minimal disruption to your busy lifestyle.

Throughout this degree, you can gain knowledge in assessment techniques and details about the addiction and substance abuse recovery process. You will also study some of the causes of addiction and how to help people resolve their unresolved issues that may have led to addiction. As you continue your addiction studies, you can learn the latest in counseling theory and its applications to treating and helping clients in the recovery process.

This master’s in addiction counseling online begins with studies in ethical and legal counseling issues, multicultural counseling, and spirituality and counseling. You’ll also study theories of counseling, psychopathology, family systems, and substance abuse diagnosis and treatment.

From there, this online addiction counseling degree covers techniques in addiction counseling and group dynamics, as well as client and family education in addiction counseling. In addition, you will study the diagnosis and treatment of addictive disorders and complete an addiction counseling internship to round out your studies.

Because of the intricate nature of the brain and chemical processes involved in our bodies, you will also study the biological aspects of addiction. This is important in being able to diagnose when a patient may need a referral to other health care professionals for additional care beyond counseling.

Our online master in addiction counseling degree program can provide the opportunity for you to obtain certification as a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC). With 12 additional credit hours of coursework, this meets the educational requirements for licensure as a Licensed Substance Abuse Treatment Provider (LSATP) in Virginia.

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State Licensure Requirements

Individual state licensure requirements may vary and are subject to change without notice. View your state’s requirements here: licensure/certification requirements.

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Tuition & Aid

At Liberty University, a private Christian education is less expensive than you think. Over the last 10 years, Liberty University’s Online Program has only raised its standard tuition costs by less than 5% – and most of our online tuition rates rank in the top 35% for affordability for 2025 when compared to our leading online competitors.

Graduate Full Time	$580/Credit
Graduate Part Time	$645/Credit
Military Graduate	$290/Credit

These rates are reflective of academic year 2025-2026. Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.

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Admission Information for Our Online MA in Addiction Counseling Degree

Admission Requirements

Apply online or over the phone with an admissions counselor by calling (800) 424-9596.
- A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required).
Send official college transcripts (mailed as sealed, unopened copies or sent via a direct electronic transcript system). A regionally or nationally accredited bachelor’s degree with at least a 3.0 GPA is required for admission in good standing. Applicants who have earned a master’s degree or at least 12 graduate credits from an accredited institution will be assessed on the basis of the master’s-level degree work.
- Unofficial transcripts can be used for acceptance purposes with the submission of a Transcript Request Form.
Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy.

Preliminary Acceptance

If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:

Be in your final term and planning to start your master’s degree after the last day of class for your bachelor’s degree.
Complete a Bachelor’s Self-Certification Form confirming your completion date. You may download the form from the Forms and Downloads page or contact an admissions counselor to submit the form on your behalf.
Submit an official/unofficial transcript to confirm that you are in your final term. The preliminary transcript must show a minimum of 105 completed credit hours.
If you are a current Liberty University student completing your undergraduate degree, you will need to submit a Degree/Certificate Completion Application.
Send in an additional, final official transcript with a conferral date on it by the end of your first semester of enrollment in the new master’s degree.

Undergraduate Enrollment in Graduate Courses Policy

Transcript Policies

Unofficial College Transcript Policy

Unofficial transcripts combined with a Transcript Request Form can be used for admission. Official transcripts are required within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first, and will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.

Before sending unofficial college transcripts, please make sure they include the following:

Your previous school’s name or logo printed on the document
Cumulative GPA
A list of completed courses and earned credit broken down by semester
Degree and date conferred (if applicable)

Official College Transcript Policy

An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to luoverify@liberty.edu.

If the student uses unofficial transcripts with a Transcript Request Form to gain acceptance, all official transcripts must be received within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first. Failure to send all official transcripts within the 60-day period will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.

Admissions Office Contact Information

Submit your application online or over the phone.

Start Online Application

Apply by phone: (800) 424-9595

Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.

Who May Qualify?

Active Duty
Reserve/National Guard
Veterans/Retirees
Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees
Current Department of Defense Employees

Available Benefits:

Tuition discounts – $290 per credit hour for graduate courses
Additional discount for veterans who serve in a civilian capacity as a First Responder*
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)

*Not applicable to certificates.

These rates are reflective of academic year 2025-2026. Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.

View Military Benefits

Frequently Asked Questions for the Master of Arts in Addiction Counseling Degree Online

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*Some restrictions may occur for this promotion to apply. This promotion also excludes active faculty and staff, military, non-degree-seeking, DGIA, Continuing Education, WSB, and certificate students.

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Master’s in Addiction Counseling Online Shaping Addiction Counselors

Help Others Wrestling with Addiction by Earning a Master’s Degree in Addiction Counseling Online

What Sets Us Apart?

Why Choose Liberty’s Online Addiction Counseling Degree?

What Will You Study in Our Master’s in Addiction Counseling Online?

Potential Career Opportunities

Featured Courses

Degree Information

State Licensure Requirements

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Tuition & Aid

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Admission Information for Our Online MA in Addiction Counseling Degree

Admission Requirements

Preliminary Acceptance

Undergraduate Enrollment in Graduate Courses Policy

Transcript Policies

Admissions Office Contact Information

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Frequently Asked Questions for the Master of Arts in Addiction Counseling Degree Online

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