Online EdS Degree | Community Care and Counseling

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Degree Options

100% 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 Difference in People’s Lives with Liberty University’s Online Education Specialist (EdS) in Community Care and Counseling

If you are looking to further your education but are not ready to commit to a doctoral program, then Liberty’s online Education Specialist (EdS) in Community Care and Counseling can help. Throughout this program, you’ll have the opportunity to refine your approach to research, educational methods, diagnosing, treatment, and counseling while maintaining your personal and professional commitments. Our EdS in counseling degree is offered 100% online, giving you the flexibility you need to earn your degree without putting your life on hold.

Our EdS in Community Care and Counseling online degree offers specializations in marriage and family counseling, pastoral care and counseling, and traumatology. Each area of study has unique courses that provide advanced training in major issues, best practices, and opportunities for improvement in specific areas of community care. You get the same doctoral-level classes without the added commitment of a doctoral dissertation. If you do choose to pursue your Doctor of Education, most of your credits can transfer to the corresponding doctoral degree.

Your officially conferred degree name will be Education Specialist (EdS) in Community Care and Counseling.

Please note: This EdS 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.

What Will You Study in Our Online EdS in Community Care and Counseling Degree?

At Liberty, we take our commitment of Training Champions for Christ seriously. We want you to be equipped to face the challenges and opportunities of a career in Christian ministry or counseling. As part of this EdS degree, you can select a specialization in traumatology, pastoral care and counseling, or marriage and family counseling. These 3 concentrations allow you to focus your studies on what is important to you.

The core courses you will complete are the same for each specialization. You can learn about the latest issues and trends in counseling and develop your counseling skills through an advanced study of counseling theories. Studying how to apply these theories can help you in your advanced group counseling course, which will explore the latest techniques in working with groups.

You can also hone your teaching skills and develop your philosophy of education in your community. Learning how to design, teach, and evaluate a course is paramount as you pursue roles in academia. Additionally, you can discover how to conduct objective research to develop your own conclusions about emerging trends and theories.

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Degree Information

Why Choose Liberty’s Online EdS 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 counseling program can help equip you for your future career in Christian ministry, counseling, or social work. We created this EdS degree to help you gain the same skills and knowledge available in the Doctor of Education, but with less time and financial commitment.

Liberty’s online community care and counseling Education Specialist degree allows you to evaluate how you can make a greater difference in your community. With an emphasis on research-based instruction and a broad set of practical counseling techniques, Liberty’s online counseling degree affords you the opportunity to study advanced skills and practices.

Backed by a brick-and-mortar campus ranked as Niche.com’s #2 Best College Campus in America for 2026

Private Nonprofit University
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

Potential Career Options with an EdS in Community Care and Counseling

Christian counselor
Church counselor
Counseling educator
Group therapist
Marriage and family counselor
Mental health counselor
Non-licensed counselor
Nonprofit administrator

Outpatient care therapist
Pastoral counselor
Researcher
Resident in counseling
Social worker
Trauma counselor
Trauma therapist
University professor

Please note: This EdS degree is not designed to meet state counseling licensure requirements. If you are interested in a 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.

EdS in Community Care and Counseling Degree Options

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 Counseling

Pastoral Care and Counseling

Traumatology

Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.

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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.

EdS and EdD Full Time	$610/Credit
EdS and EdD Part Time	$675/Credit
Military EdS and EdD	$375/Credit

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

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Scholarship Opportunities

Admission Information for EdS in Community Care and 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 master’s degree with at least a 3.0 GPA is required for admission in good standing.
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 doctoral degree after the last day of class for your master’s degree.
Complete a Master’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 transcript to confirm that you are in your final term. The preliminary transcript must show that you are within 6 credit hours of completion for a 30-48 credit hour master’s degree or within 9 credit hours of completion for a 49+ credit hour master’s degree.
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 doctoral degree.

Transcript Policies

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.

Admissions Office Contact Information

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 – $375 per credit hour for EdS and EdD courses
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)

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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*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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Education Specialist in Community Care and Counseling Enhancing Well-being Through Collaborative Support and Counseling

Make a Difference in People’s Lives with Liberty University’s Online Education Specialist (EdS) in Community Care and Counseling

What Will You Study in Our Online EdS in Community Care and Counseling Degree?

Featured Courses

Degree Information

Why Choose Liberty’s Online EdS in Community Care and Counseling Degree?

What Sets Us Apart?

Potential Career Options with an EdS in Community Care and Counseling

EdS in Community Care and Counseling Degree Options

Marriage and Family Counseling

Pastoral Care and Counseling

Traumatology

Not sure what to choose?

Tuition & Aid

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Admission Information for EdS in Community Care and Counseling

Admission Requirements

Preliminary Acceptance

Transcript Policies

Admissions Office Contact Information

Military

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