Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling – Theology Bridging Faith and Counseling
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36
Credit Hours
100% online,* 8-week courses
Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total
Provide Theological Counseling with an MA in Pastoral Counseling – Theology Degree
Liberty University’s 100% online Master of Arts (MA) in Pastoral Counseling – Theology is designed to train ministry professionals and church leaders to become pastoral counselors in Christian ministries and agency-based, non-licensure settings. In the online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling, you will study psychology and the Christian understanding of human nature that informs biblical counseling. You will also be provided with balanced training in spiritual and mental health issues, which can help equip you for success in your current ministry or in a future Christian counseling role.
If you want to enhance your ministry and personal growth through advanced studies in the Christian faith, the theology area of study in our pastoral studies counseling degree allows you to pair in-depth, Christ-centered theology courses with your counseling training. The profound biblical truths taught in our theology courses can help prepare students like you to provide pastoral care in non-licensure human services settings, local churches, or counseling centers that do not require you to hold a professional counseling license.
*Some exclusions apply. Please refer to our exclusions page for more information.
Accreditation
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.
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Ranked in the Top 10% of Niche.com’s Best Online Schools in America
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 Online MA in Pastoral Counseling – Theology?
If you are currently a ministry professional and find that you lack the training to help people struggling with spiritual and mental health crises, completing an online master’s in biblical counseling can help bolster your ability to offer Christian counseling and pastoral care to people experiencing distress. If you want to branch out into a Christian counseling role, the field-specific training and counseling techniques taught in this faith-based counseling degree can provide an educational foundation for biblical counseling in a variety of settings.
In addition to pastoral counseling, this degree program offers an in-depth study of theological principles. The theology specialization, which places an emphasis on systematic theology, is an excellent complement to our master’s in pastoral counseling program.
What Will You Study in the Online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling – Theology?
The online master’s in theology and counseling degree program can equip you with a broad set of foundational Christian counseling skills through field-specialized courses. Students who pursue a biblical counseling degree can learn how the science of psychology reflects biblical principles of human nature and how mental health goes hand-in-hand with spiritual health.
Additionally, the online master’s in Christian counseling program will give you the opportunity to pursue in-person training on campus during 2 optional intensives. You will also gain experience in your community through the pastoral counseling internship.
The theology area of study for the online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling offers additional, advanced exploration of several important topics in theology studies. You will receive a guided, 2-course overview of systematic theology. In these courses, you will be asked to demonstrate the formalized method of investigating theological concepts in the Bible.
Students in the theology area of study will also explore the doctrine of God and public theology through courses that examine the existence, nature, and attributes of God. Our theology specialization exists to ensure that the ministry efforts of Christian counselors are rooted in biblically sound theology.
*Please note that the online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling is not designed to fulfill clinical counseling requirements. You can view Liberty University’s licensure-track Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree for more information about counseling licensure.
Potential Career Opportunities
- Associate pastor
- Church counselor
- Lay ministry leader
- Outpatient care counselor
- Teaching pastor
A degree in Christian counseling can help equip you for ministry-based, non-licensure counseling roles in many areas — including marriage and family counseling, addiction counseling, and counseling women. Graduates of the theology area of study will receive enhanced, graduate-level theology training that may open up ministry and academic teaching opportunities.
Featured Courses
Degree Information
- This program falls under Liberty’s Liberty Theological Seminary.
- View the Graduate Divinity Course Guides (login required).
Degree Completion Plan (PDF)
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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.
Grad & Postgrad Divinity Block Rate (9-15 credit hours) | $2,750 |
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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 |
All Tuition & Fees
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Admission Information for Our Online MA in Pastoral Counseling
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 2.0 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.
- Admission to this program also requires:
- The School of Divinity Questionnaire (login required).
- Submission of contact information (login required) for 1 pastoral recommender.
- 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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Ready to Apply?
Submit your application online or over the phone.
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)
*Credits taken below 9 and above 15 credit hours per semester are charged at the part-time rate.
**Not applicable to certificates.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of Liberty’s online Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling?
- Unlike many Bible colleges or seminaries, Liberty University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
- You will study the theological principles that underlie psychology and study effective 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.
- You may gain marketable real-world experience in counseling and therapy by helping people in your community through the pastoral counseling internship.
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