MA in Pastoral Counseling – Marriage and Family Revive Hope, Restore Families

36

Credit Hours

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100% online,* 8-week courses

Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total

If you want to help others in ministry or agency-based settings, then Liberty University’s online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling — Marriage and Family degree is for you! Our M.A. in Pastoral Counseling – Marriage and Family can equip you with the knowledge and skills critical for effectively counseling families and individuals in a variety of church and parachurch settings.

This online degree is also a valuable option if you want to further your education and counseling skills to further your career. It is important to note that this is a non-licensure program that is suitable for ministry and agency-based professionals, as well as students just entering the field. If you want to pursue licensed counseling, we invite you to review our Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy degree.

*Some exclusions apply. Please refer to our exclusions page for more information.


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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

If you are already a ministry professional and find that you need more training to help people struggling with spiritual and mental health crises, then earning an online Christian counseling degree like the online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling will help you get the tools you need.

This program is designed to build on your ministry experience to support your Christian counseling and pastoral care role, as well as to receive important life coach training. The field-specific training and biblical counseling techniques in the online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling will provide much-needed support for biblical counseling in a variety of settings.

The online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling will give you marital counseling and family therapy training that will help you start a new ministry or expand your current ministry scope. Liberty’s James C. Dobson Center for Child Development, Marriage, and Family Studies will ensure that your ministry training is rooted in field-tested practices and sound counseling studies.

*Please note that while the marriage and family area of study may allow you to apply for some Christian counseling certifications, the online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling is not designed to fulfill all clinical requirements for state-licensed professional counseling. You can view Liberty University’s licensure-track Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy degree for more information about counseling licensure.


The Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling – Marriage and Family degree is designed with core content in pastoral counseling ministry while also providing specialized marriage and family degree courses. Each of the courses within the degree is designed to equip you with a biblical worldview of human behavior and the application of counseling skills. Not only will you be introduced to the theories and skills required to provide pastoral crisis intervention and counseling, but you will also develop the skill sets to address specific psychological issues that apply to men, women, and children throughout their lifespan.

Degree Completion Plan (PDF)


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Not sure what to choose?

Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.

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

These rates also apply to the MA in Pastoral Counseling, which falls under the School of Behavioral Sciences.

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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)

These benefits also apply to the MA in Pastoral Counseling, which falls under the School of Behavioral Sciences.

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

**Not applicable to certificates.