Help Parents Raise the Next Generation with the Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling – Parenting and Child Counseling Degree
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 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.
Why Choose Liberty’s Online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling – Parenting and Child/Adolescent Development Program?
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.
What Are the Benefits of Liberty’s Online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling?
- Unlike many online Bible colleges or seminaries, Liberty University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
- Study a balanced perspective on the theological principles that underlie psychology and successful family therapy.
- Learn Christian counseling techniques with a firm biblical worldview.
- If you choose to take advantage of the optional on-campus intensives, you will receive additional, hands-on training and meet directly with your peers and professors.
- Gain marketable, real-world experience in Christian counseling and family therapy by helping people in your community through their parenting issues with the pastoral counseling internship.
- The online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling falls within the School of Behavioral Sciences but receives
the graduate tuition rate of just $395 per credit hour for part-time students, as well as the online seminary’s block rate. Students attending full time (9-15 credit hours) are eligible for a block rate of $2,750 per semester!*
*Credits taken above 15 credit hours for the Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling online are charged at the part-time rate.
What Will You Learn in the Online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling – Parenting and Child/Adolescent Development Program?
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.
*Please note that while the parenting and child/adolescent development degree may allow you to apply for some Christian counseling certifications, the online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling is not designed to fulfill 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.
Featured Courses
- DBPC 600 – Child and Family Development: Psychology and Theological Perspectives
- DBPC 610 – Human Growth and Lifespan Development
- DBPC 615 – Childhood Issues, Trauma, and Abuse
- DBPC 620 – Healthy Sexuality: Biblical and Developmental Factors
Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling Program Highlights
- Liberty is recognized by multiple institutions for our academic quality, affordability, and accessibility. Our commitment to excellence also helped us rank in the top 10% of Niche.com’s best online schools in America. Earning your online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling degree from a nonprofit university with this kind of recognition can help set you apart from others in your field.
- The majority of tuition for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs has not increased in 9 years. While many other online colleges have raised tuition, Liberty has been able to keep costs low as a nonprofit university.
- You can complete this online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling – Parenting and Child/Adolescent Development in as little as 1.5 years.
- Liberty University’s online seminary, the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity, is led by experienced Christian counselors and ministry professionals who teach practical ministry skills while imparting deep theological teaching.
- Study content developed by renowned biblical studies scholars in Liberty University’s John W. Rawlings School of Divinity, such as Dr. Elmer L. Towns and Dr. Gary R. Habermas.
- Prepare to address mental and spiritual health issues in your biblical counseling practice by developing broad experience in Christian counseling and pastoral care.
M.A. in Pastoral Counseling Program Information
- This program falls under the School of Behavioral Sciences.
- Download and review the Degree Completion Plan for this program.
- View the Graduate Behavioral Sciences Course Guides (login required).
Military Benefits for the Online M.A. in Pastoral Counseling
Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe. Whether you are a current service member, discharged or retired from service, or the spouse of a service member or veteran, we are here to support you every step of the journey.
As a thank-you for your dedication and service to our country, Liberty is honored to serve and support you in your pursuit of online education by offering the following benefits:
- Tuition discounts – $275 per credit hour for part-time graduate courses
- Discounted divinity block rate: $2,475 per semester – only $165/credit at 15 credit hours*
- 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)
*Credits taken below 9 and above 15 credit hours for the online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling are charged at the part-time rate.
Potential Career Options with a Degree in Pastoral Counseling
Students who complete a degree in Christian counseling like the online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling can be equipped for ministry-based, non-licensure counseling roles in many areas, including marriage and family counseling, addiction counseling, and counseling women.
Graduates of the parenting and child/adolescent development track can be equipped for specialized parent counseling and family therapy ministry.
- Associate pastor
- Caseworker
- Child advocate
- Church counselor
- Family therapist
- Outpatient care counselor
Admission Requirements for Our Online M.A. in Pastoral Counseling
A regionally or nationally accredited bachelor’s degree with a 2.0 or above GPA is required for admission in good standing. Please visit our admission requirements page for more detailed admissions-related information.
All applicants must submit the following:
- Admission application
- Application fee*
- Official college transcripts
- Unofficial college transcripts may be accepted with a completed official transcript request form**
- Proof of English proficiency (for applicants whose native language is other than English)
*There is no upfront application fee; however, a deferred $50 application fee will be assessed during Financial Check-In. This fee is waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required.
**An official transcript is needed within 60 days of acceptance or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first.
