Concordia University Irvine Online MA & PhD in Counseling
Concordia University Irvine offers online graduate counseling programs through the Townsend Institute and the School of Education, including a 60-credit MA in counseling in clinical mental health, a 66-credit MA in counseling in marriage, couple, and family counseling, a 48-credit MAEd in school counseling, and a 60-credit PhD in counselor education and supervision. These programs blend academic study with a Christian, biblically informed perspective and emphasize relational learning, personal growth, and preparation to serve diverse clients and students in a variety of settings.
Across the counseling programs, students learn to engage deeply with people facing challenges such as anxiety, depression, addictions, relationship problems, grief, and trauma. The Townsend Institute programs use online 7-week courses with virtual classroom sessions and experientially focused assignments, and most are designed for working adults to take one course at a time. All counseling programs emphasize core areas such as human growth and development, theories of counseling, clinical assessment and diagnosis, multicultural and social foundations, group counseling, legal and ethical issues, crisis and trauma counseling, addiction and career counseling, and research and evaluation. Students benefit from a cohort model, interaction with experienced Christian faculty and Townsend Institute Fellows, and a strong focus on character, competence, and connection.
The MA in counseling in clinical mental health prepares students to work with individuals who struggle with issues like anxiety, depression, relational problems, and addictions by helping them move from coping to restoration. The program’s CACREP-accredited curriculum builds competency in over 20 counseling skills that use the power of emotions, cognitions, and relationships to create lasting change, with learning activities requiring about 13 to 16 hours per week and the option for students employed full-time to take one course at a time. Key courses include clinical psychopathology and diagnosis; foundations and contextual dimensions of mental health counseling; counseling skills and techniques; and supervised practicum and internships, along with elective choices such as psychopharmacology; foundations of marriage and family therapy; and foundations of play therapy.
The MA in counseling in marriage, couple, and family counseling focuses on equipping students with specialized clinical tools to counsel couples and families from a biblically informed perspective. This 66-unit program combines core counseling coursework with emphasis courses such as foundations of marriage, couple and family counseling; theories of marriage and family therapy; human sexuality; and advanced marriage and family therapy, along with practicum and two internships. The program follows a cohort format with online classes, a four-day on-campus residency, and ongoing virtual town hall meetings, and it aligns with California Board of Behavioral Sciences academic requirements for the marriage and family therapy (MFT) license.
The MAEd in school counseling is designed for working educators who want to become school counselors in public or private K-12 schools in California while earning the pupil personnel services credential. This cohort-based, fully online 48-unit program typically takes about 26 months to complete and requires 800 hours of fieldwork, with students taking one content course and one practicum or fieldwork experience per term. Representative courses include introduction to school counseling; mental health interventions for school counselors; crisis prevention and intervention; and college and career counseling, supported by multiple practicum and field experience courses plus an educational research and capstone project sequence.
The PhD in counselor education and supervision is designed for licensed mental health professionals who want to become advanced counselors, educators, supervisors, leaders, and advocates in the counseling field. This 60-unit online program, delivered over three to four years with two in-person residencies, centers on the five CACREP doctoral domains: counseling, supervision, teaching, research and scholarship, and leadership and advocacy. Core and research requirements include courses such as professional orientation, ethics, and identity for counselor educators; counselor supervision: theories, techniques, and technology; advanced multicultural issues in counselor education and supervision; and advanced quantitative and qualitative research courses, along with 700 hours of practicum and internship and a multi-term dissertation sequence.
Admission to the MA in counseling in clinical mental health and the MA in counseling in marriage, couple, and family counseling requires an online application with a nonrefundable fee, a student success fee, one official transcript showing a regionally accredited bachelor’s degree, a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, a two-page written essay of about 500 words, at least two professional references, a current professional resume, and an interview with program faculty. The MAEd in school counseling requires applicants to hold a valid bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution, submit an online application with a nonrefundable fee, provide official transcripts from the highest degree-granting institution, demonstrate a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or better, and show that the basic skills requirement is met along with either a valid teaching credential or a certificate of clearance.
Applicants to the PhD in counselor education and supervision must complete an application with fee and student success fee, hold a master’s degree in counseling or a closely related field with preference for CACREP accreditation, submit graduate transcripts, a resume or CV, a copy or description of their clinical license or eligibility, a letter of intent and statement of goals, a scholarly writing sample, two professional references, a video demonstrating clinical skills, and participate in a faculty interview.
Concordia University Irvine is a private Lutheran university in Irvine, California, serving more than 4,000 students on campus and online and centered on a Christian worldview guided by the Great Commission. The university is fully accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). Within this framework, the MA in counseling in clinical mental health is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
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MA in Counseling – Clinical Mental Health
MA in Counseling – Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling
MAEd in School Counseling
PhD in Counselor Education & Supervision
1530 ConcordiaIrvine, California
Program Essentials
Master's Degree
Counseling: Clinical Mental Health Counseling
No
1 – One four-day residency required
60
Spring, Fall
Can be completed in 24-36 months
Program Admissions
No GRE required
3.0
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
60
$695.00
$41,700.00
$695.00
$41,700.00
Program Essentials
Master's Degree
Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy
No
1 – One residency required
66
Spring, Fall
Can be completed in 24-36 months
Program Admissions
No GRE required
3.0
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
66
$695.00
$45,870.00
$695.00
$45,870.00
Program Essentials
Master's Degree
Counseling: School Counseling
Yes
0 – No required campus visits
48
Summer, Summer II, Fall, Fall II, Spring, Spring II
Can be completed in 26 months
Program Admissions
No GRE required
2.75
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
48
$710.00
$34,080.00
$710.00
$34,080.00
Program Essentials
Doctoral Degree
Counseling: Education & Supervision
No
2 – Two in-person residencies required
60
Summer
Can be completed in 3-4 years
Program Admissions
No GRE required
Not specified
No state restrictions
Program Tuition
60
$795.00
$47,700.00
$795.00
$47,700.00
Tuition is calculated based on credits, at the published tuition rate. Rates may change, so please check here for the latest tuition information. For programs with variable tuition rates, we use the rates for part-time students. “Resident” and “non-resident” refer to the student’s school-recognized state residency status. Tuition number represents the cost of tuition for the entire program, not per semester or year. Estimated total tuition does not include additional fees.
Farheen Gani
WriterFarheen Gani has researched degree programs and salaries in counseling since 2020. She has written about topics such as genetic counselor salaries and family and human development bachelor’s degrees. She writes about healthcare, technology, education, and marketing. Her work has appeared on websites such as Tech in Asia and Foundr, as well as top SaaS blogs such as Zapier and InVision. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.