Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Counseling
Bring Healing to Hurting Families by Earning Your MA in Marriage and Family Counseling Degree
You can help bring healing to hurting couples, children, and parents by earning your Master of Arts (MA) in Marriage and Family Counseling. Through this degree, you can study research-based methods for premarital, adolescent, marriage, family, and substance abuse counseling, preparing you to serve a variety of clients.
As one of the largest Christian universities in the nation, we seek to give you tools to follow God’s calling in your life as you prepare to enter a career field where you can make a difference for eternity. Partner with us in our MA in Marriage and Family Counseling degree, and let us help you make the impact in the lives of hurting families you always knew you could.
Credit Hours
View CoursesNext start date: Aug 18, 2025
CACREP Accredited
Highlights
Highlights of Our MA in Marriage and Family Counseling Program
Graduate Assistantships Available
Graduate assistantships are available for students in our master’s degree in marriage and family counseling.
Accredited for Quality and Credibility
Our MA in Marriage and Family Counseling is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
Designed to Prepare You for Licensure
This marriage and family counseling degree is designed to help you meet the requirements to pursue licensure as a marriage and family therapist (MFT) in Virginia. See our State Requirements page for information about other states’ licensure requirements.
Study Under Counseling Professionals
You can study under faculty members who have years of professional counseling experience with agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs as well as in schools, churches, and private practices across the nation and around the world.
Career Potential
What Can You Do with an MA in Marriage and Family Counseling Degree?
Liberty University’s Master of Arts in Marriage and Family can help prepare you to pursue the following occupations:
- Christian counselor
- Legal and correctional systems counselor
- Mental health agency counselor
- Public or private practitioner
- Social services manager
#4 Best College Campus in America
At Liberty, you’ll find an affordable, high-quality education designed to help equip students like you for the real world. Our commitment to excellence has earned us recognition as the #4 Best College Campus in America by Niche.com.
Earning your degree from a nonprofit university with state-of-the-art resources like ours can help set you apart from your peers.
Courses
What Will You Study in Our MA in Marriage and Family Counseling Degree Program?
In our master’s in marriage and family counseling program, you can study fundamental topics like human growth and development, legal and ethical issues in counseling, and approaches to multicultural counseling. You can also explore counseling methods and theories, assessment techniques, and psychopathology.
Throughout this degree, you can examine research-based methods for diagnosing and treating substance abuse. You’ll have opportunities to conduct research, develop functional skills through practicums, and gain hands-on experience by completing an internship – preparing you for a future in marriage and family counseling.
Featured Marriage and Family Counseling Master’s Courses
COUC 546 – Psychopathology
COUC 601 – Theories of Family Systems
COUC 620 – Counseling Children, Adolescents, and Their Families
Degree Information
- This program falls under the School of Behavioral Sciences
- View the Degree Completion Plan
- Check out our course catalog
- Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total
BENEFITS
Why Choose Liberty’s Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Counseling?
We Stay True to Our Mission
At Liberty University, we Train Champions for Christ – a mission that guides everything we do. We’re committed to giving you a strong foundation for personal and professional growth in the field of counseling.
Faith and Excellence
Our MA in Marriage and Family Counseling program blends cutting-edge research with a biblical worldview – preparing you to minister to your clients’ physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs.
Preparation for Real-World Impact
You can gain knowledge and practical tools to provide effective patient care. Our program emphasizes hands-on training, ethical practice, and compassionate service.
Pathway to Licensure and Influence
This degree is designed to help you meet the requirements for licensure as a marriage and family therapist – empowering you to serve in private practice, social services, the legal system, and other impactful settings.
Admissions
How Do You Become an MA in Marriage and Family Counseling Student?
Every application is reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and all applicants must submit the following documents and meet the minimum requirements for admission:
- Admission application
- Official transcripts showing a regionally or nationally accredited bachelor’s degree with at least a 2.7 GPA for admission in good standing
- Contact information for 2 recommenders from professional sources (i.e. not family/friends)
- Undergraduate prerequisites: 3 credit hours in statistics (can be taken after admission but must be taken in first 2 semesters in the program)
- Students seeking to be admitted into this program and planning to finish it outside of the U.S. will be required to sign an International Disclosure Agreement (login required)
- Personal Statement
- Please describe in 200-250 words why you desire to become a counselor and indicate the type of counselor certification you plan to seek after graduation.
- Describe in 200-250 words an occasion in which you have interacted with an individual or a group of individuals from another culture. Identify the cultural differences that were present and how you demonstrated respect for those differences.
- Describe in 200-250 words how you form effective interpersonal relationships with others in individual and group settings.
- Students must include a sentence stating their agreement to the Department of Counselor Education and Family Study’s Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Counseling Mission Statement and Diversity Statement. See the Master of Arts Marriage and Family Counseling Handbook.
- Self-certification form (for students who are in the final term of their bachelor’s degree)
- Current Liberty undergraduate students seeking preliminary acceptance into a graduate program must complete a degree completion application through their ASIST account
Have Questions?
We’ll make sure you have the information you need to take your next step.