MA in Human Services Counseling – Christian Ministries Gain the Skills for Christian Counseling Ministry
30
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
Liberty University’s online Master of Arts (MA) in Human Services Counseling is designed for human services professionals who need additional, graduate-level training for advancement or new opportunities, as well as students who are just entering the human services and mental health support field. The online master’s in human services counseling degree does not require any on-campus visits or a thesis, so you can fit our flexible online courses into your current schedule.
As a Christian college, Liberty University is invested in training human services professionals who can apply the best available scientific research and clinical tools to their practice with a biblical worldview. As such, the online master’s in human services counseling equips you to better serve clients who struggle with the basic challenges of life by addressing their social, psychological, and spiritual needs.
The Christian ministries area of study provides training to help equip you for counseling or human services-related ministry. The Christian ministry area of study espouses core human services courses with a divinity curriculum to best equip you to provide Christian-based guidance to those in need. If you are currently in a mental health and support role in ministry and find that you need advanced studies in human services with a ministry emphasis, the Christian ministries area of study can give you the training you need.
Your officially conferred degree name will be Master of Arts (MA) in Human Services Counseling.
*Some exclusions apply. Please refer to our exclusions page for more information.
Backed by a brick-and-mortar campus ranked as Niche.com’s #2 Best College Campus in America for 2026
Do you have a passion for studying the human mind and finding the best way to help people improve their lives by changing their behavior? With the online Master of Arts in Human Services Counseling, you can embark on the fascinating study of human behavior and psychology while applying this knowledge to help solve specific, real-world problems in the counseling and mental health field. The Master of Arts in Human Services Counseling provides a balance of field-tested practice and cutting-edge research in behavioral sciences so you can be confident that your approach to treatment will be backed by solid scientific study while maintaining a biblical worldview in ethics and practice.
If you want to branch out and bring human services skills to support your community, the Christian ministries area of study for the online master’s in human services counseling will provide the training you need. With a balance of evidence-based, scientifically supported counseling methods and a solid biblical worldview, the online master’s in human services counseling will ensure that you can meet your small group, youth, or church ministry challenges with effective Christian counseling techniques.
The core content of the online Master of Arts in Human Services Counseling provides a balanced overview of important theories in psychology while applying this knowledge to specific, real-world counseling practices. Students in the online master’s in human services counseling will study the development of the human mind from childhood to adulthood and how multicultural issues impact counseling in individual and group settings.
As a Christian college, Liberty bases this study of human thought and behavior on a Christian worldview and demonstrates how biblical principles inform these science and evidence-based practices.
Please note: The online Master of Arts in Human Services Counseling is not designed to fulfill clinical counseling licensure requirements. For more information about counseling licensure, please refer to Liberty University’s licensure-track Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling below.
Degree Completion Plan
Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.
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.
All Tuition & Fees
If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:
Please see the Online Undergraduate Enrollment in Graduate Courses Policy page for information about starting graduate courses while finishing your bachelor’s degree.
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:
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.
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Submit your application online or over the phone.
Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.
Who May Qualify?
Available Benefits:
*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.
Graduates of the online Master of Arts in Human Services Counseling will receive the mental health and counseling skills needed to be useful in private, public, and nonprofit human services settings. These settings include vocations such as Christian counseling ministry, youth ministry, community service agencies, group homes, outreach services, in-home mental health support services, probation agencies, and other types of casework and support settings where counseling skills are needed.
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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.