MA in Pastoral Counseling | Parent and Child/Adolescent

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 Parents Raise the Next Generation with the Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling – Parenting and Child Counseling Degree

Liberty University’s online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling – Dobson Center Parenting and Child/Adolescent Development is designed to train chaplains, ministry professionals, and church leaders to become pastoral counselors in Christian ministries and non-licensure settings.

Students in the online Master of Arts (MA) in Pastoral Counseling will study psychology and the Christian understanding of human nature, as well as how God’s creation informs pastoral counseling. The online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling provides a balanced treatment of spiritual and mental health in order to equip ministry professionals with marketable skills utilized by successful adult and child psychologists.

Liberty University collaborated with world-renowned psychologist, author, radio show host, and family expert, the late Dr. James C. Dobson, to create the James C. Dobson Center for Child Development, Marriage, and Family Studies. Through this partnership, Liberty University offers a parent and child/adolescent program that is designed to help ministry professionals serve parents and their children.

Please note that the online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling program is not designed to fulfill clinical counseling requirements. You can view Liberty University’s licensure-track Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy degree for more information about counseling licensure.

Your officially conferred degree name will be Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling – Dobson Center Parenting and Child/Adolescent Development.

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

Accreditation

Liberty Theological Seminary, as part of Liberty University’s John W. Rawlings School of Divinity, is accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). Your seminary degree is approved by ATS and has met rigorous accreditation standards, so you can feel confident that your degree is both academically excellent and well-respected among churches, ministries, and nonprofit organizations.

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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 Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling – Parenting and Child/Adolescent Development Program?

Many ministry professionals reach a point where they want to deepen their ability to support individuals facing spiritual or mental health challenges. An online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling can provide the framework needed to guide parents, children, and adolescents within faith-based communities.

This program builds on your existing ministry experience by introducing foundational approaches to pastoral counseling and pastoral care. You can develop practical skills for addressing parenting concerns, navigating childhood disorders, and supporting healthy family dynamics. For those looking to transition into a pastoral counseling role, the specialized training in this degree can broaden your ability to serve in a wide range of ministry environments.

If you feel called to strengthen families, you can also benefit from the program’s focus on child and parenting pastoral care. Coursework explores relational challenges that disrupt communication in the home and offers strategies for effective parent counseling. Training through Liberty’s James C. Dobson Center for Child Development, Marriage, and Family Studies adds an additional layer of credibility, grounding your preparation in established, field-tested ministry practices.

What Will You Study in the Online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling – Parenting and Child/Adolescent Development Program?

The core content of the online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling – Parenting and Child/Adolescent Development program offers a broad set of foundational Christian counseling skills and knowledge along with field-specialized courses and hands-on skill areas. Pursuing pastoral counseling training in Liberty’s online pastoral counseling graduate program can help you understand how the science of psychology reflects biblical principles of personhood and human nature, as well as how mental health treatment benefits from spiritual health.

In the online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling, you have the opportunity to gain experience in your community through the pastoral counseling internship.

Through the parent, child, and adolescent psychology area of study, Liberty University’s James C. Dobson Center offers you advanced training in family counseling and parenting skills. The parenting and child/adolescent development track features lectures and material from the late Dr. James C. Dobson that can help equip you with the knowledge to positively impact families and communities.

In the parenting and child/adolescent development track, you will study important foundational subjects, including how family issues and environmental factors affect child development. You can also learn about the development of personhood – from childhood to adulthood. Additionally, you can choose courses on specific child counseling issues, such as childhood trauma or healthy sexuality.

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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.

Grad & Postgrad Divinity Block Rate (9-15 credit hours)	$2,850
Grad & Postgrad Divinity Part Time (1-8.99 or over 15 credit hours)	$410/Credit
Military Grad & Postgrad Divinity Block Rate (9-15 credit hours)	$2,575
Military Grad & Postgrad Divinity Part Time (1-8.99 or over 15 credit hours)	$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 Pastoral Counseling

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.
Admission to this program also requires:
- The School of Divinity Questionnaire (login required).
- Submission of contact information (login required) for 1 pastoral recommender.
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 part-time graduate and postgraduate divinity courses
Discounted divinity block rate – $2,575 per semester*
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)

*Credits taken below 9 and above 15 credit hours per semester are charged at the part-time rate.

**Not applicable to certificates, postgraduate, or doctoral programs.

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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Frequently Asked Questions About Our MA in Pastoral Counseling – Parenting and Child/Adolescent Development Program

What makes Liberty University’s online seminary unique?

The Liberty Theological Seminary is led by experienced pastoral counselors and ministry professionals who teach practical ministry skills while imparting deep theological teaching.
You can study content developed by renowned biblical scholars such as Dr. Gary R. Habermas and the late Dr. Elmer L. Towns.
You can prepare to address mental and spiritual health issues in your pastoral counseling practice by developing broad experience in pastoral counseling and care.

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 in Pastoral Counseling – Parent & Child/Adolescent Nurturing Tomorrow’s Leaders

Help Parents Raise the Next Generation with the Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling – Parenting and Child Counseling Degree

Accreditation

What Sets Us Apart?

Why Choose Liberty’s Online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling – Parenting and Child/Adolescent Development Program?

What Will You Study in the Online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling – Parenting and Child/Adolescent Development Program?

Potential Career Opportunities

Featured Courses

Degree Information

Not sure what to choose?

Tuition & Aid

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Admission Information for Our Online MA in Pastoral Counseling

Admission Requirements

Preliminary Acceptance

Undergraduate Enrollment in Graduate Courses Policy

Transcript Policies

Admissions Office Contact Information

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Frequently Asked Questions About Our MA in Pastoral Counseling – Parenting and Child/Adolescent Development Program

What makes Liberty University’s online seminary unique?

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