GCU Online Counseling Programs: Bachelor’s, Master’s & PhD

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BS – Counseling: Addiction, Chemical Dependence & Substance Abuse
MS – Addiction Counseling
MS – Clinical Mental Health Counseling
MS – Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Childhood and Adolescence
MS – Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Christian Counseling
MS – Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy
MS – Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Trauma
Online M.Ed. in School Counseling
Online MS in Christian Counseling of Substance Use and Addictive Disorders
PhD – Counselor Education and Supervision
PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision (Quantitative Research)
Post-MS in Counseling – Addiction Counseling Certificate
Post-MS in Counseling – Childhood and Adolescence Disorders
Post-MS in Counseling – Marriage and Family Therapy Certificate
Post-MS in Counseling – Trauma Certificate

Updated June 1, 2026

Grand Canyon University offers a wide range of online counseling programs through the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. These include:

Bachelor’s degree in counseling with a substance use disorder emphasis
Master of education in school counseling
Master of science in addiction counseling
Master of science in Christian counseling of substance use and addictive disorders
Master of science in clinical mental health counseling general program (emphasis options in child and adolescent counseling, Christian counseling, marriage and family therapy, and trauma)

Additionally, there are online post-graduate counseling certificates in:

Addiction counseling
Childhood and adolescence disorders
Marriage and family counseling, and trauma

Finally, there’s an online PhD in counselor education and supervision in both qualitative and quantitative research formats.

Across these programs, GCU emphasizes flexible online study, Christian values, and practical preparation for counseling careers. Many programs include supervised field experiences such as practicum, internship, or residency requirements, and several are designed to meet licensure or credential requirements in Arizona and for national counseling credentials. The school also offers different emphasis areas so students can focus on substance use, trauma, child and adolescent counseling, Christian counseling, or marriage and family work.

The online bachelor’s degree in counseling with a substance use disorder emphasis prepares students for work related to addiction and substance use counseling. It includes 120 credits and covers topics such as foundations of addiction and substance use disorders; psychopharmacology in the treatment of addiction and substance use disorders; multicultural counseling in a diverse society; and spirituality and addiction. The program also includes a faith-integrated approach and can lead students toward future graduate study or entry-level credential pathways.

The online MEd in school counseling is a 60-credit master’s program that leads to initial licensure and prepares students to support pre-K-12 learners. Coursework includes an introduction to graduate studies and foundations of school counseling; organization and administration of a school counseling program; school counseling practicum; and school counseling internship courses. Students complete 100 practicum hours and 600 internship hours for a total of 700 hours of field experience.

The MS in addiction counseling is a 36-credit online program that prepares students for substance use counseling roles. It includes courses such as introduction to addictions and substance use disorders; psychopharmacology and addictions; co-occurring disorders; counseling chemical dependency adolescents; and family issues and addictive disorders. The program blends academic study with supervised fieldwork and is designed to support licensure and career growth in addiction counseling.

The MS in Christian counseling of substance use and addictive disorders is a 48-credit online program for students who want to combine addiction counseling with Christian principles. Important courses include biblical foundations for counselors: the story of God; spiritual formation: becoming a healthy practitioner; integration of scripture with counseling theory; psychopharmacology and addictions; and counseling chemical dependency adolescents. The program also includes supervised in-person field experiences and is designed for students who want to serve through a faith-based counseling approach.

The MS in clinical mental health counseling is a 62-credit online program that prepares students for professional counseling practice. Courses include professional counseling, ethical, and legal considerations; counseling skills; group counseling; clinical assessment, diagnosis, and treatment; and two counseling internships. The program includes practicum and internship experiences and meets academic requirements for several counseling credentials and Arizona licensure.

Grand Canyon University also offers several clinical mental health counseling emphasis options. The child and adolescent counseling emphasis, the Christian counseling emphasis, the marriage and family therapy emphasis, and the trauma emphasis are all 74-credit online programs with practicum and two internships. Each one focuses on a different counseling area, such as childhood and adolescent development, biblical integration, family systems, or trauma assessment and treatment.

The post-MS in counseling certificates are 15-credit online programs for working professionals who already hold a graduate degree in a related field. The addiction counseling certificate focuses on co-occurring disorders, family issues, and counseling chemically dependent adolescents. The childhood and adolescent disorders certificate covers development through childhood and adolescence, developmental disabilities, childhood and adolescent trauma, and treatment of children and adolescents. The marriage and family therapy certificate and the trauma certificate both explore advanced family systems, trauma assessment, and evidence-based treatment topics.

The PhD in counselor education and supervision is offered in both qualitative and quantitative research formats. Each doctoral program is 65 credits and includes online coursework, two in-person residencies, internships, and a dissertation. The qualitative track focuses on designing and interpreting studies about how and why people think and behave, while the quantitative track focuses on numeric data, statistics, and research design. Both programs prepare students for advanced leadership, teaching, supervision, and research roles.

Admission requirements vary by level. Graduate applicants need an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or an approved GCU program with a 2.8 GPA or higher. Doctoral applicants must meet one of the posted doctoral pathways, including a doctoral or master’s degree from an institutionally accredited school with the required GPA. Students who have a GPA of 2.5 in the graduate programs will be required to submit GMAT or GRE scores, while doctoral admission requires an accredited master’s degree and may also require a current license, certification, or a CACREP-approved degree, depending on the program.

Grand Canyon University is a private Christian university in Phoenix, Arizona. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), and its counseling programs include CACREP (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs) accreditation for the MEd in school counseling and the MS in clinical mental health counseling, while the MS in addiction counseling is accredited by the National Addiction Studies Accreditation Commission (NASAC). All of the programs covered here are offered through the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.