MA Human Services Counseling | Dobson Marriage Family

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

Make a Positive Impact in Your Community with an MA in Human Services Counseling – Marriage and Family Studies Degree

Liberty University’s online Master of Arts (MA) in Human Services Counseling – Dobson Center Marriage and Family Studies degree is designed to teach techniques necessary to protect children, educate families, and empower parents to lead their families.

We are excited to offer an online marriage and family studies degree by partnering with the James C. Dobson Center. Because of this partnership, students can benefit from a curriculum featuring lectures and material from world-renowned psychologist, author, radio host, and family expert, the late Dr. James C. Dobson. Our goal in creating the master’s degree in human services counseling is to equip men and women with the knowledge to positively impact families and society.

The online Master of Arts in Human Services Counseling is not designed to fulfill clinical counseling licensure requirements. You can view Liberty University’s licensure-track Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling for more information about counseling licensure.

Your officially conferred degree name will be Master of Arts (MA) in Human Services Counseling – Dobson Center Marriage and Family Studies.

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

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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 Human Services Counseling Degree?

The courses in the Master of Arts in Human Services Counseling degree online seek to help meet the needs of a hurting world by equipping students to assist individuals asking for guidance. The goal of the master’s in human services counseling is to help families learn to function healthily and thrive in the future. Our master’s degree, offered through the Dr. James C. Dobson Center, is completely online, allowing you to remain active in your job, family, and community without the worry of taking courses on our residential campus.

Our faculty members will provide you with quality, professional academic training from a faith-based perspective. When you choose Liberty University for your master’s degree in human services counseling, you can be confident that our program is preparing you for your career both professionally and spiritually!

What Will You Study in Our Online Human Services Counseling Degree?

Our online human services counseling degree is an excellent way to further your education in the study of human behavior and the application of helping skills. The curriculum in this degree program was specifically designed with your success in mind. Our online counseling courses feature materials from the counseling field that are considered essential for the master’s-level professional. You can become equipped to offer services in areas such as leadership, families, addictions, and recovery.

Liberty University’s master’s degree in human services counseling with a concentration in marriage and family counseling allows you to hone your skills so you can be a guide for people as they navigate problems within their marriages and families. This counseling degree is a composition of multi-faceted topics related to human services, allowing you to focus on bringing exceptional help and healing to families.

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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 Requirements for Liberty’s MA in Human Services 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 2.0 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 About Our MA in Human Services Counseling – Marriage and Family

What are the benefits of pursing Liberty’s Human Services Degree Online?

Complete your coursework on a schedule that fits your life with Liberty University’s award-winning online learning environment.
Study a balanced perspective on the theological principles that underlie psychology, giving you effective human services counseling techniques with a firm biblical worldview.
Be mentored by professors with real-world experience in human services while you explore the cutting-edge scholarship and methods for marriage and family counseling.
See best practices put to action by observing group meetings in your own community.

Do counselors need a master’s degree?

Are you ready to change your future?

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App Fee Waived This Week*

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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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MA Human Services – Dobson Marriage & Family Studies Gain the Skills to Help Your Community

Make a Positive Impact in Your Community with an MA in Human Services Counseling – Marriage and Family Studies Degree

What Sets Us Apart?

Why Choose Liberty’s Human Services Counseling Degree?

What Will You Study in Our Online Human Services Counseling Degree?

Potential Career Opportunities

Featured Courses

Degree Information

Not sure what to choose?

Tuition & Aid

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Admission Requirements for Liberty’s MA in Human Services Counseling Degree

Admission Requirements

Preliminary Acceptance

Undergraduate Enrollment in Graduate Courses Policy

Transcript Policies

Admissions Office Contact Information

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Military

Frequently Asked Questions About Our MA in Human Services Counseling – Marriage and Family

What are the benefits of pursing Liberty’s Human Services Degree Online?

Do counselors need a master’s degree?

Are you ready to change your future?

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