EdS in Marriage and Family Counseling Degree Online Building a Higher-Level of Understanding
30
Credit Hours
100% online, 8-week courses
Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total
Promote Unity and Growth with Liberty’s EdS in Community Care and Counseling – Marriage and Family Counseling
Getting married and starting a family can be wonderful, but sometimes families and couples need professional help as they navigate life together. Married people may face financial disagreements or communication issues, and families may struggle with problems related to divorce, remarriage, illness, or the addition of new family members. These problems – and many others – may require guidance from a skilled counselor who understands the importance of both mental and spiritual health.
With Liberty’s online Education Specialist (EdS) in Community Care and Counseling – Marriage and Family Counseling degree, you can learn how to help families and couples grow closer together. You can also develop the skills needed to work as an educator, administrator, researcher, supervisor, or consultant in the helping professions.
If you are a licensed counselor, therapist, or social worker, our family and marriage counseling degree program can help you prepare for the next step in your career. Partner with us and become equipped to help meet the needs of families in your community.
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.
Why Choose Liberty’s EdS in Family and Marriage Counseling Degree Online?
At Liberty, we offer online programs that blend flexibility, affordability, and high-quality academics. Our EdS degree in marriage counseling is available 100% online with no set login times – meaning you’ll have the freedom to earn your degree from the comfort of home and easily access your course materials whenever you need them. Most importantly, you can stay invested in your family, job, and community while pursuing your academic goals.
As a postgraduate program, the EdS in family and marriage counseling degree can provide you with doctoral-level training and knowledge. Thinking about later pursuing a full doctoral degree? If so, you can potentially transfer up to 27 credits from this EdS into our Doctor of Education (EdD) in Community Care and Counseling program – allowing you to get a jumpstart on your terminal degree!
Additionally, our online family counseling degree emphasizes the importance of ethical behavior and biblical truth in the field of counseling, and our faculty are committed to helping you lead with excellence. Liberty is also regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) – so you can pursue your degree with confidence.
What Will You Study in Our EdS in Community Care and Counseling – Marriage and Family Counseling Degree?
This program covers several core topics such as applied counseling theories, group counseling, and research methods. You’ll also explore important aspects of the community mental health system with an emphasis on community outreach, client advocacy, intervention, and multicultural competence. By studying the key issues and trends facing community counselors today, you can become equipped to serve your clients with wisdom and humility.
Maybe you’re interested in teaching at the college level. If so, our EdS degree in family counseling covers teaching and learning strategies for use in the human services educational context. You will also learn about counseling and treatment strategies through the lens of a biblical worldview – allowing you to develop a holistic approach that accounts for the emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual aspects of human existence.
Within the marriage and family counseling specialization, you’ll explore the unique dynamics of marriage and family relationships. In particular, you can learn how to provide premarital, divorce care, and remarriage counseling as a creative, preventative, and healing ministry. You’ll also study advanced marriage counseling skills and interventions that are informed by Christian leadership, biblical principles, and empirical research. Other topics of study include family development, assessment in family and marital counseling, and the impact of trauma on marital relationships.
Potential Career Opportunities
- Marriage and family counselor
- Non-licensed counselor
- Nonprofit administrator
- Researcher
- University professor
Featured Courses
Degree Information
- This program falls under the School of Behavioral Sciences.
- View the Graduate Behavioral Sciences Course Guides (login required).
- This is a non-licensure program.
Degree Completion Plan
Not sure what to choose?
Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.
Tuition & Aid
Your success is our success, which is why we are committed to providing quality academics at an affordable tuition rate. While other colleges are increasing their tuition, we have frozen tuition rates for the majority of our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs for the past 9 years – and counting.
EdS and EdD Full Time | $595/Credit |
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EdS and EdD Part Time | $650/Credit |
Military EdS and EdD | $275/Credit |
Tuition rates may change annually. For the current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.
All Tuition & Fees
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Admission Information for Liberty’s EdS Degree in Family 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.
Applicants lacking a graduate-level statistics course will be required to complete CEFS 515 Research and Program Evaluation (3 c.h.), or EDUC 518 Educational Research and Assessment (3 c.h.), or its equivalent prior to EDCO 735 in the Ed.D.
The Office of Graduate Admissions may request additional documentation while conducting admission reviews to evaluate a candidate’s record before a final admission decision can be made.
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 Online Admissions Verification
1971 University Blvd.
Lynchburg, VA 24515
Ready to Apply?
Submit your application online or over the phone.
Military
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 – $275 per credit hour for EdS and EdD courses
- Additional discount for veterans who service in a civilian capacity as a First Responder (less than $625 per course)
- 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)
Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there opportunities to continue my studies after finishing the EdS?
After completing your EdS, you can potentially transfer up to 27 credits into our EdD in Community Care and Counseling program – allowing you to get a head start on your doctorate.
What resources will be available to me in this program?
As an online student, you’ll have access to a wealth of resources through our top-notch library portal.
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