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

36

Credit Hours

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100% online,* 8-week courses

Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total

Liberty University’s 100% 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 biblical counselors in Christian ministries and agency-based, 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 biblical 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 has collaborated with world-renowned psychologist, author, radio show host, and family expert 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.

*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.

ATS Accreditation

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Ranked in the Top 10% of Niche.com’s Best Online Schools in America

What Sets Us Apart?

  • 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

If you are already a ministry professional, you might be wondering how to become a counselor. You might also feel that you lack the training to help people struggling with spiritual and mental health crises. If so, completing an online Christian counseling graduate degree like the online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling can help you minister to parents, children, and adolescents in religious communities. Become a parent and child mental health counselor and help families overcome trials.

This program is designed to build on your ministry experience. Learn more about Christian counseling and pastoral care and receive important training in counseling families through parenting issues and childhood disorders. If you want to branch out into a Christian counseling role, the field-specific training offered in the online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling can help you provide biblical counseling in a variety of settings.

If you are looking for a child counseling degree and want to equip families with important parenting skills, our master’s degree program in child and parenting pastoral care can help. With this degree, you can explore the various parent-child relational problems that create conflict and poor communication. You can also gain the parent counseling skills you need to correct issues in the home. Liberty’s James C. Dobson Center for Child Development, Marriage, and Family Studies will ensure that your ministry training is recognized and field-tested.


The core content of the online parent and child counseling master’s program offers a broad set of foundational Christian counseling skills and knowledge along with field-specialized courses and hands-on skill areas. Pursuing biblical 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 will have the opportunity to pursue hands-on training on campus during 2 optional intensives. You will also 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 Dr. James C. Dobson that can equip you with the knowledge you need 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 will 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.

Degree Completion Plan


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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.

Grad & Postgrad Divinity Block Rate (9-15 credit hours) $2,750
Grad & Postgrad Divinity Part Time (0-8.99 or over 15 credit hours) $395/Credit
Military Grad & Postgrad Divinity Block Rate (9-15 credit hours) $2,475
Military Grad & Postgrad Divinity Part Time (0-8.99 or over 15 credit hours) $275/Credit

Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.

All Tuition & Fees


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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 part-time graduate and postgraduate divinity courses
  • Discounted divinity block rate – $2,475 per semester*
  • 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)

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

**Not applicable to certificates.

Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.