Master of Arts in Worship Studies – Pastoral Counseling Called to Comfort and Guide

36
Credit Hours
100% online, 8-week courses
Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total
Enhance your Ability to Counsel Others with Our Master’s in Worship Studies – Pastoral Counseling Online Degree Program
Do you want to combine your passion for worship and pastoral leadership through counseling in ministry? Our 100% online master’s degree in worship studies with a specialization in pastoral counseling is a degree program that will provide a deeper appreciation and understanding of worship by studying worship history and philosophy while staying close to the biblical foundation for worship. Through our specialization in pastoral counseling, you will gain keen insights into how psychological and theological concepts relate to each other and how to use that relationship to better the lives of your congregation and ministry leaders.
You can complete your online Master of Arts in Worship Studies – Pastoral Counseling in 36 credit hours and apply what you have learned in your local church and ministry. Through our 8-week online course format, you can take multiple courses each semester with the flexibility of creating a schedule that best fits your needs. As a worship leader and counselor, people will look to you for guidance in their everyday lives. Learn to be the source of comfort and guidance in marriages, family relationships, and critical life turning points.








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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
Why Choose Liberty’s Master’s in Worship Studies – Pastoral Counseling Online Program?
Liberty University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), and the School of Music is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). This accreditation helps to position your degree as one that is well respected within the field of worship leadership.
Our specialization in pastoral counseling will allow you to gain skills and knowledge that are unique and useful in your church. Our online format is an added benefit, allowing you to remain active in your family, church, and community while gaining essential experience that will ensure you will be an invaluable member of your ministry.
What Will You Study in Our Master’s in Worship Studies – Pastoral Counseling?
Throughout our online Master of Arts in Worship Studies – Pastoral Counseling degree, you will be trained in all matters of worship studies so you can impart to your ministry team and congregation a true understanding of biblical worship. Besides training in worship leading, you will also acquire a deeper understanding of the spiritual formation and life-changing strategies needed for both yourself and your congregation.
When you graduate from our Master in Worship Studies – Pastoral Counseling online degree program, you will have gained an understanding of the theories and skills required to provide pastoral crisis intervention and counseling that will cultivate resiliency and promote spiritual growth. You will pay special attention to the role you will play as a worship leader in your church and how you will interact with the pastor for the growth and health of your congregation. This degree is unique in that you will not only learn how to lead and inspire your church through music, but you will also learn how to foster spiritual growth to help them through hardships they might face in life.
Potential Career Opportunities
- Director of worship and drama
- Minister of music
- Pastoral counseling
- Worship pastor
Featured Courses
Degree Information
- This program falls under the School of Music.
- View the Graduate Music Course Guides (login required).
Degree Completion Plan

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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.
Graduate Full Time | $565/Credit |
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Graduate Part Time | $615/Credit |
Military Graduate | $275/Credit |
Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Admission Information for Our Online Master of Arts in Worship Studies Degree
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 3.0 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.
- 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.
Dual Enrollment
Please see the Online Dual Enrollment page for information about starting graduate courses while finishing your bachelor’s degree.
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
Liberty University Online Admissions Verification
1971 University Blvd.
Lynchburg, VA 24515

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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 graduate courses
- Additional discount for veterans who serve 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)
*Not applicable to certificates.
Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.
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