Master of Arts in Religion – Community Chaplaincy Learn to Serve Your Community
60
Credit Hours
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
Liberty University’s 100% online Master of Arts in Religion (MAR) – Community Chaplaincy is designed to help prepare you to enter ministry with an in-depth and practical education in theology, biblical studies, and ministry practice. While completing the online Master of Arts in Religion, you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in a program that provides flexibility to tailor your degree plan to your passions and needs.
Upon completing an online ministry degree program like our Master of Arts in Religion – online chaplaincy, you can prepare to effectively pursue ministry in churches, parachurch organizations, and nonprofit organizations while opening the door to further study at the doctoral level.
The community chaplaincy area of study provides Christian counseling and pastoral care training aligned with public or private chaplaincy roles – preparing you for Christian environments and secular environments alike. You can seek specialized training for biblical counseling and spiritual guidance through our community chaplaincy specialization.
*Some exclusions apply. Please refer to our exclusions page for more information.
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.

Backed by a brick-and-mortar campus ranked as Niche.com’s #2 Best College Campus in America for 2026
As an accredited Christian university, Liberty offers ministry degrees with the flexibility of a 100% online format to make pursuing an education easier. Liberty University’s online seminary programs, such as the online MAR degree in chaplaincy, strive to give you a full-fledged, online college degree in ministry that can help equip you for a career in a variety of fields.
As a student at Liberty University, you get access to the Logos Bible app at no extra cost. If you’re in a Rawlings School of Divinity program, you receive a Logos Max subscription – unlocking a robust library of biblical and theological resources while you study.
The majority of our Liberty Theological Seminary master’s programs even integrate Logos into your courses, teaching you how to use it effectively and giving you additional resources and training to help you dig deeper into Scripture and prepare for ministry.

Liberty University’s online master’s in religion – chaplaincy is available 100% online and contains extensive, well-rounded training in ministry, administration of Christian organizations, theological studies, and biblical studies. The core of the online master’s in religion will provide in-depth topic studies of the Old and New Testament, the history of Christianity, systematic theology, and the sermon preparation process. Upon completing the online Master of Arts in Religion – Community Chaplaincy, you can be better equipped to apply your pastoral care and Christian ministry skills to an official chaplain role outside of the church.
Chaplain roles often have important differences from church leadership and may have restrictions based on state and federal regulations. As such, the community chaplaincy area of study for the online Master of Arts in Religion provides an important overview of chaplaincy ministry and its requirements, as well as important role-specific skills for professional development. The community chaplaincy area of study is designed to prepare you with knowledge of chaplain ethics for advice and pastoral care so that you can better understand and navigate restrictions on Christian ministry in the workplace.
Upon completion of your Master of Arts in Religion – Community Chaplaincy online degree, you may explore career opportunities in many areas, including:
Degree Completion Plan
Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.
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.
To continue our mission of providing affordable education, electronic textbooks are provided for many divinity courses* all for one convenient fee.
*Electronic textbooks are not provided for PACO courses or courses that fall under departments outside the School of Divinity.
| 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.
If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:
Please see the Online Undergraduate Enrollment in Graduate Courses Policy page for information about starting graduate courses while finishing your bachelor’s degree.
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:
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.
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Who May Qualify?
Available Benefits:
*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.
A chaplain is a minister, pastor, or member of the ecclesiastical church body who serves in an official spiritual, mental health, and personal growth advisory role in a company, organization, or branch of government.
While chaplaincy roles are often in settings outside of the church, chaplains specifically seek to address spiritual and religious concerns, allowing for a unique opportunity to share the Gospel and interact with non-believers. Regardless of the forum you choose to serve in, Liberty’s master’s in Chaplaincy can help prepare you for many roles in your community.
Liberty provides foundational instruction in the fundamentals of discipleship ministry, sermon preparation, and practical ministry skills in any track of the online Master of Arts in Religion. Completing the area of study in community chaplaincy offers specialized training in the elements of psychology and spiritual growth that are crucial in an official chaplaincy role.
The online Master of Arts in Religion – Community Chaplaincy provides an in-depth study of pastoral care and Christian counseling to allow you to minister directly to the personal and spiritual needs of individuals and families in your ministry — both inside and outside of the church.
Please note: Some chaplaincy roles may require a more specialized and advanced study of a particular field through a Master of Divinity (MDiv) program.
*Credits taken below 9 and above 15 credit hours for the Master of Arts in Religion online are charged at the part-time rate.
Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.
Liberty University’s Theological Seminary 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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*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.