As a graduate counseling student at CCU, your foundation will be built on a solid core of study in diverse areas such as group dynamics, psychopharmacology, counseling methods, intervention strategies, ethics, and professional development. You’ll explore theories of personality, marriage and family systems, developmental psychology, group therapy, and career development, all from the perspective of the Christian worldview. Your courses will also examine psychopathology, cross-cultural counseling principles, lifestyle counseling, and the concepts and techniques of hypothesis testing, research design and analysis as used in counseling research and program design.
All this comes together in an innovative capstone course focusing on an integration of psychology and theology, theory and application, as well as in your counseling practicum – an initial experience in providing direct service to clients in individual, family, and group formats.
The Master's in Counseling program will equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary to become an influential and effective licensed professional counselor. Throughout the program, you will be challenged to apply what you learn in the classroom and on field experiences and use it to make an impact in your community, church, and family.
Upon completion of the master's in counseling program, graduates are prepared to take the National Counselor Exam, which is the licensure exam for the state of Colorado and many other states.
Program Benefits
The Master of Arts in Counseling degree program is a great match for the student interested in a Christian counseling degree.
- CCU's Master of Arts in Counseling program is nationally accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Programs accredited by CACREP are reviewed against professionally approved standards, resulting in a streamlined licensure application process.
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The curriculum is designed to allow you to tailor the program around your specific area of interest. You can choose courses in subjects such as empathy training, human sexuality, addictive behaviors, eating disorders, life disorders, and other fields of study.
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In the classroom students are mentored by qualified professors who have extensive research backgrounds and clinical experience.
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Through hands-on field experiences, you will be challenged to explore how your personal faith impacts your profession as a counselor, and the people you will interact with throughout you life.
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Classes are held in the evenings and on occasional weekends, which meets the needs of adult students who are busy with work and family commitments.
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Participants in the master's in counseling program may take as little as one class per semester or up to four classes a semester, allowing each individual to complete the program at his or her own pace. However, it is highly recommended that students advance through the program in the proscribed order and pace of the cohort for the best learning experience. Students must complete the program within six years.