Human Services Counseling Master’s in Trauma Gain the Skills to Help Clients Deal with Trauma

30
Credit Hours
100% online, 8-week courses
Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total
Help the Suffering with an Online Master’s in Trauma Counseling
Have you seen tragedy strike and felt called to help survivors? Trauma and crisis response counseling is a noble field that needs professionals who are both compassionate and well-educated. There are individuals across the world who are suffering the effects of a traumatic incident or abuse, and they need someone to come alongside them and work through their pain.
Conferring Liberty University’s Master of Arts (MA) in Human Services Counseling – Crisis Response and Trauma online degree can help you gain the training you need to help people suffering as a result of traumatic experiences. Whether you are looking for career advancement or just starting out in human services, this program can help.
Your officially conferred degree name will be Master of Arts (MA) in Human Services Counseling – Crisis Response and Trauma.
Please note: The online Master of Arts in Human Services Counseling is not designed to fulfill clinical counseling requirements. If you are interested in pursuing a licensure program, please see our Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
*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
Why Choose Liberty’s Master’s in Human Services – Trauma Counseling Online?
You want to help survivors of tragedy, and we want to help you get there. Our program is designed to provide you with the tools to succeed in trauma and crisis response therapy. But we believe there is more to your education than just providing you with academic checkpoints.
Here are some of the reasons why Liberty stands out:
- Complete your coursework on a schedule that fits your needs with Liberty University’s award-winning online learning environment.
- Complete a study of human behavior with a balanced perspective on the theological principles that underlie psychology, giving you effective crisis response and trauma counseling techniques with a firm biblical worldview.
- Be mentored by professors with real-world experience in human services and counseling while you explore the cutting-edge scholarship and methods for crisis trauma and response.
- See best practices put to action by observing group meetings in your own community.
What Will You Study in a Master’s in Trauma Counseling Degree?
The core content of the online Master of Arts in Human Services Counseling provides a balanced overview of important theories in psychology while applying this knowledge to specific, real-world counseling practices. Students will study the development of the human mind from childhood to adulthood and how multicultural issues impact counseling in individual and group settings.
In the master’s in human services counseling crisis response and trauma area of study, you can learn how to apply core crisis counseling and mental health support skills to disaster relief efforts and trauma therapy. You will have the opportunity to customize your crisis response and trauma electives in areas that will be most useful to your needs. Students in the crisis response and trauma area of study will have flexible crisis counseling tools that include assessment and treatment options to help suffering people in their communities.
Potential Career Opportunities
- Chaplain
- Child victim advocate
- Community relations coordinator
- Corporate crisis manager
- Crisis counselor
- Crisis intervention advocate
- Disaster relief counselor
Featured Courses
Degree Information
- This program falls under the School of Behavioral Sciences.
- View the Graduate Behavioral Sciences 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.
All Tuition & Fees
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Admission Requirements for Our Master of Arts (MA) in Human Services Counseling – Crisis Response and Trauma
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.
- 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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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 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is trauma counseling?
This is the area of counseling that focuses on individuals who have experienced a traumatic life event and consequently require mental health services. Trauma counseling may be helpful to individuals struggling with PTSD from military service, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, abuse, and more. With a trauma therapist degree, you can help people dealing with the effects of traumatic experiences through counseling.
Do counselors need a master’s degree?
In most situations, counselors need a master’s degree. As a counselor, you would be working on mental health concerns with patients. This type of work requires specialized training that can be offered through a program like the MA in Human Services Counseling at Liberty University.
What degree do you need to be a trauma therapist?
The degree you pursue will depend on what specifically you are planning to do as a trauma therapist. Our trauma counseling master’s degree can prepare you to work as a non-licensed counselor in some of the following settings:
- Church or ministry
- Community center
- International relief work
- Private mental health facility
- Rehabilitation center
How do you become a trauma specialist?
In order to become someone who specializes in working with trauma victims, you will need education, training, and experience. Our trauma psychology program can help provide you with the core competencies you will need to get started in this field.
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