Master of Arts in Counseling Program

At Central Seminary, the Masters of Counseling program is offered both online and remotely from our Shawnee, Kansas campus, meaning students join us from all over the country.  The rigorous yet flexible curriculum is based on the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP) standards and is designed to prepare students for state licensure.

Courses focus on helping students to build an understanding of prevalent theories in the field of psychology, evidence-based methodology to prepare students to provide counseling services to a diverse clientele, and, contemporary best practices for counseling in a variety of settings.

Central Seminary’s classrooms are filled with diverse individuals with different religious backgrounds, cultures, and life experiences.  This program is uniquely situated to prepare students to serve as a counselor in faith-based settings, but students will be able to apply the skills and knowledge they learn from this program in a wide variety of counseling settings, from hospitals to schools, to private practices.

Central Seminary offers low tuition rates. We are proud to offer three types of scholarships that prospective students can apply for: denominational, endowed, and need-based scholarships. Additionally, all degree-seeking students have access to financial aid.

This 60-hour program is designed to be completed in three years but can be completed in two. Courses are flexible for both in-person and online students to fit your needs. Most coursework can be completed online at your own pace and lectures are recorded so they can be viewed multiple times. Students can complete most of the coursework online with a certain number of hours required to be completed on-site, in-person.

Official transcripts, a 2.3 undergraduate GPA, Counselor Disposition Survey, three character references (excluding family), and an autobiographical statement will be required for admission. Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited educational institution. Students participating in the English program for whom English is not their first language will be required to demonstrate their English proficiency.

• Tuition: $375per credit
• Registration: $250 per semester
• Graduation Fee: $200

You will develop clinical skills by participating in a structured internship placement where you will interact with clients, peers, skilled mentors, and faculty, all of which are critical for developing your skills as a counselor.

The goal of each component of the internship is to allow students to apply their coursework in professional settings with real patients. This experiential aspect of the MACO program is what will help you confidently progress from student to licensed professional counselor.

The Master of Arts in Counseling program is designed to allow you to sit for national and state licensure exams in the state of Kansas and other states. From there, students will have the qualifications to apply to many jobs within the field or to further their education. Additionally, the required internship program will help you to build professional connections outside of the classroom.

For joining classes online students will need a working computer or laptop with access to high-speed internet. Applications like Zoom will be needed for attending class, Google Docs or Microsoft Office will be needed to complete assignments, and Microsoft Outlook will be required for communication with peers and faculty.

Upon completion of the program, there are a variety of ways you can apply your counseling education in professional settings. You can work directly for a church, offering counseling services to members of the congregation who may be struggling with bereavement, marriage issues, addiction, or abuse. You can also choose to become a licensed practitioner in your state and open a private counseling practice or work for an established practice or organization. Competent counselors are needed to help youth, adult, and senior age populations in most communities, in faith-based and secular organizations.

Central’s counseling program is clinically descriptive and biblically prescriptive. Our curriculum utilizes the bio-psycho-social-spiritual model in order to teach our students to provide holistic care to their future clients, acknowledging the connection between social, psychological, physical, and spiritual aspects of client care. Central’s counseling program is focused on clinical, science-based counseling. The curriculum is guided by industry standards and Kansas state requirements and does not include any courses in biblical counseling or theology. However, by completing this program at a seminary, some students feel more comfortable talking about faith as part of their emerging practice.

We desire to prepare students to become competent counseling practitioners who practice with integrity and empathy. Coursework focuses on helping students learn to apply holistic treatment methods after making a diagnosis. While students learn to serve clients both in and outside of the church, they will develop a deeper understanding of their own faith, which they can apply to more effective practice.

The 60-hour Master of Arts in Counseling (MACO) degree is designed to lead to professional licensure as outlined by the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board of Kansas; other state and international boards have unique licensure requirements. Therefore, before enrolling in a licensure program at Central Seminary, students should consult the rules and regulations regarding Professional Counseling for the particular state or nation in which they intend to seek licensure after graduation. Enrollment in the MACO program does not guarantee a degree from Central or promise qualification for professional licensure. Students are responsible for meeting all academic and professional requirements for graduation. For further information regarding these academic and professional requirements, see the Central Student Handbook as well as the following pages of the MACO handbook. Students enrolled in the MACO program are responsible for knowing the material outlined in this handbook.

Further, if a student intends to practice in a state other than Kansas after graduation, the student should inform the program. The program will make a reasonable effort to determine if the program satisfies the educational requirements of that state. The student will be informed of these findings. Students who will seek licensure or credentialing outside the United States are responsible for researching the prerequisites for licensure in another country.

Upon completion of the program, there are a variety of ways you can apply your counseling education in professional settings. You can work directly for a church, offering counseling services to members of the congregation who may be struggling with bereavement, marriage issues, addiction, or abuse. You can also choose to become a licensed practitioner in your state and open a private counseling practice or work for an established practice or organization. Competent counselors are needed to help youth, adult, and senior age populations in most communities, in faith-based and secular organizations.

No, graduates from the counseling program are not required to obtain state licensure.

The pros of state licensure include but are not limited to: being able to bill a client’s insurance, having a credential that is recognized by other health professionals, and having a standard for continuing education that will keep you up-to-date on best practices. Some of the cons of licensure include but are not limited to: the input and potential limitations third-party payers (such as insurance) can place on practitioners such as the number of visits, paying for license renewal each year, can limit the application of spiritual practices within therapy depending on the setting.

As a new program, we are not yet CACREP accredited. While CACREP accreditation is our goal for the future, our current students can be assured that our program was designed using CACREP standards and the course offerings are those required by other CACREP accredited programs.  Our current status may result in a longer waiting period while academics on a student’s application for state licensure is reviewed by their state board.

Our program is new. While we only have a few graduates, 100% have passed their  National Counseling Exam (NCE)!

Good counselors are good listeners. They are able to process information not only with their head but with their heart as well. Good counselors develop the wisdom needed to integrate their head and heart knowledge to analyze the information presented to them and give discerning help to their clients. Good counselors are committed to their own mental and emotional health and spiritual growth to focus on the care of the person they serve.

The good news is our field is only growing! As the acceptance of therapy grows in the broader culture, so does the need for good counselors.