College of Social & Behavioral Sciences
Online master’s in counseling degrees
College of Social & Behavioral Sciences
Online master’s behavioral sciences degrees
Help change lives with a master’s in counseling
With our online master’s behavioral sciences degrees, you can enhance your job opportunities in the counseling profession and help empower people to improve their well-being. As you gain a deeper understanding of human behavior, you’ll learn how to help clients achieve their goals or treat clients coping with mental health conditions. Gain skills to integrate a variety of behavioral sciences principles and theories into your counseling practice in various clinical environments.
The best part? You can choose a graduate-level counseling program that’s 100% online or an on-campus option where you’ll physically attend class one day a week. Earn your master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling or marriage, family and child therapy when it fits your life and learn from accomplished professionals who bring a hands-on perspective and practical knowledge to the classroom.
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Find the counseling master's degree for you
Watch our Master's Q&A Webinar
University of Phoenix understands that life happens and that schedules are fluid. But no worries, because we recorded the Master’s Q&A Webinar so you can watch it when it fits your busy life. We encourage you to check it out and learn about important topics and commonly asked questions that many potential master’s students have.
Gain valuable skills in core master’s counseling degrees courses
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN COUNSELING/CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING (ONLINE)
- Human development
- Psychotherapy
- Professionalism
- Diversity
- Research
- Clinical assessments
- Career counseling
- Group dynamics
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN COUNSELING/CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING (PHOENIX CAMPUS)
- Human development
- Psychotherapy
- Professionalism
- Diversity
- Research
- Clinical assessments
- Career counseling
- Group dynamics
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN COUNSELING/MARRIAGE, FAMILY AND CHILD THERAPY (CA ONLINE ONLY)
- Professionalism
- Diversity
- Human development
- Career counseling
- Psychotherapy
- Group dynamics
- Clinical assessments
- Research
- Marriage and family therapy
Earn career-relevant skills in weeks – not years
Get value from your education before you even graduate. Update your resumé and LinkedIn profile with learned skills when you complete every 5- or 6-week course in our associate, bachelor's and master's programs.
Job outlook for master’s counseling degrees graduates
Curriculum for our master’s counseling degrees
Master of Science in Counseling/Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Online)
You’ll take 22 core courses with program-specific knowledge to help you gain confidence and skills needed in a clinical mental health environment. The coursework includes topics like: individual and family development, personality theories, multicultural issues in mental health counseling, psychometrics, clinical assessment, individual counseling, group counseling and psychopharmacology.
Master of Science in Counseling/Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Phoenix campus)
You’ll take 22 core courses with program-specific knowledge to help you gain confidence and skills needed in a clinical mental health environment. The coursework includes topics like: individual and family development, personality theories, multicultural issues in mental health counseling, psychometrics, clinical assessment, individual counseling, group counseling and psychopharmacology.
Master of Science in Counseling/Marriage, Family and Child Therapy (CA online only)
You’ll take 22 core courses with program-specific knowledge to help you gain confidence and skills needed in a clinical mental health environment. The coursework includes topics like: family systems theory and intervention, human sexuality and couples counseling, child and adolescent counseling, and marriage and family counseling. Courses are aligned to California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) educational requirements.
Tuition and financial aid
Affordable, locked-in tuition
Ways to pay — and save. Explore your options.
From scholarships to transfer credits and federal financial aid for those who qualify, there are a variety of ways to pay for school and save on tuition.
Student experience
Over 1 million alumni have earned their degrees while balancing work, school and life. So can you.
How to apply for your master’s behavioral sciences degree program
Once you’ve selected your degree program in clinical mental health counseling or marriage, family and child therapy, choose your start date from our calendar, apply for free and register before the deadline (usually one week before the program starts). Then you’ll speak to an enrollment representative to begin class. To be admitted into our master’s in counseling programs, you must successfully complete a Graduate Portfolio course (not eligible for financial aid).
- No application fee — no obligation!
- No SAT, GMAT or essay required
Meet your college deans
Our college deans focus on developing a career-relevant curriculum. They bring industry experience to the classroom and lead a faculty of academic professionals with one goal in mind—to help you earn the skills you need to pursue your career.
Christina Neider, EdD
Dean, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Sheila Babendir, EdD, LPC
Associate Dean, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Accreditation
The Master of Science in Counseling/Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP™) at the Phoenix campus.
Master's behavioral science degree FAQs
The program length for our master’s in counseling degrees ranges from 36-37 months. However, your time to completion will be impacted by other factors, including any breaks you may take in your studies at the University.
A master’s degree in counseling can prepare you for a range of employment opportunities in various clinical mental health environments, such as private practices, hospitals, schools, non-profit organizations, and public or private mental health agencies. Potential job titles you can pursue with a master’s in counseling degree include licensed professional counselor, mental health counselor, clinical therapist, marriage and family therapist, and licensed marriage and family therapist.
University of Phoenix is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Our master’s degrees in counseling/clinical mental health prepares students for licensure as a professional counselor in jurisdictions where it is offered.
You may be able to transfer eligible credits to our traditional online master’s degree in counseling program if the university or college you attended is accredited. Speak with an enrollment representative to start the process of evaluation by the University to see if your prior college credits can apply to your program and to request your transcripts.
