Master of Arts in Professional Counseling
The Master of Arts in Professional Counseling degree program effectively prepares graduates to earn licensure as a professional counselor in the State of Texas. Becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) allows graduates to render counseling services in a variety of settings including, but not limited to, community counseling agencies, drug and alcohol treatment facilities, college and university counseling centers, Christian counseling centers, private psychiatric hospitals, domestic violence shelters, churches, rehabilitation centers, and private practice.
DBU's faculty and staff members guide students in developing a professional counseling identity and effective counseling dispositions founded on a Christian worldview and guided by the profession. Students are provided appropriate coursework and clinical opportunities to expand the skills and disciplines necessary to excel in the counseling field. Courses are offered in a flexible format consisting of in-person, hybrid, and asynchronous delivery options. Afternoon and evening course offerings are available.
More than an Education
The Master of Arts in Professional Counseling degree includes three semesters of experiential clinical practice under the supervision of core counseling faculty members and on-site supervisors. During the three-course, 700-hour practicum/internship experience, students receive valuable training and the opportunity to learn from experienced practitioners in the counseling field. Counseling faculty members provide real-world applications by sharing their own professional and personal experiences.
Marked by Service
The counseling field is a profession founded on the principle of service to others. As students develop a professional counseling identity through the lens of a Christian perspective, they are guided by faculty who are passionate about DBU’s mission to produce Christ-centered servant leaders who will impact the world through their calling to help others through the ministry of professional counseling.
Meet the M.A. in Professional Counseling Program Director
"The Master of Arts in Professional Counseling is a 60-hour graduate program that integrates faith with clinical mental health counseling theory and practice from a Christ-centered worldview to produce servant leaders for work as Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) in various clinical settings in Texas and for ministry to a diverse world."
- Dr. Steven Hunter, Program Director
(214) 333-6830 | steveh@dbu.edu
Program Details
Our program provides options to customize your master's degree with dual degrees.
Additional M.A. in Professional Counseling Program Information
- COUN 5310 - Introduction to Professional Counseling
- COUN 5311 - Ethics in Professional Counseling
- COUN 5312 - Counseling Theories and Techniques
- COUN 5313 - Goup Counseling Methods
- COUN 5314 - Lifespan Human Development
- COUN 5315 - Psychological Testing
- COUN 5316 - Research Methods
- COUN 5317 - Counseling Culturally Diverse Clients
- COUN 5318 - Basic Counseling Skills
- COUN 6000 - Comprehensive Counseling Review
- COUN 6101 - Counseling Internship Continuation
- COUN 6310 - Career Counseling and Lifestyle Development
- COUN 6311 - Addictive and Compulsive Disorders
- COUN 6312 - Psychopathology I
- COUN 6313 - Psychopathology II
- COUN 6314 - Marriage and Family Counseling
- COUN 6315 - Theological Perspectives in Christian Counseling
- COUN 6316 - Advanced Counseling Methods and Crisis Intervention
- COUN 6317 - Counseling Practicum
- COUN 6318 - Counseling Internship I
- COUN 6319 - Counseling Internship II
- COUN 6324 - A Christian Approach to Human Sexuality
*The DBU Catalog is the authoritative source for up-to-date degree plans and course offerings, and all requirements and details found in course syllabi in the Blackboard Course Shell for each section are the authoritative source for specific section information.
The Practicum/Internship experience consists of three courses, COUN 6317 Counseling Practicum (S-L), COUN 6318 Counseling Internship I (S-L), and COUN 6319Counseling Internship II (S-L), completed sequentially. The Practicum/Internship is the culmination of the M.A. in Professional Counseling degree program and is intended to provide practical experience for students as they make plans to enter the counseling profession. The 3 (three) courses include supervised delivery of direct counseling services in an approved agency or institution. Students are evaluated on a wide range of personal and professional criteria which includes analysis of video-recorded counseling sessions and seminar discussions of counseling theories, methods, and techniques.
(S-L) = Course(s) with field-based service-learning component.
Students should enroll in the 3 (three) Practicum/Internship courses sequentially. In order to progress through the 3 (three) courses, a grade of “B” or higher must be earned. In the event of any grade below at “B,” the course will have to be repeated until at least a “B” is earned. The student is responsible for any remedial work that may be suggested by the faculty in order to successfully complete the Practicum/Internship course.
In order to proceed to Practicum/Internship, students must meet the following criteria:
- Student must have completed the 8 required personal counseling sessions.
- Student must have completed the 12 hours of undergraduate prerequisite courses.
- Student must have a current GPA of 3.0 or above.
- Student must secure a practicum site before enrolling in Practicum.
- Student must have completed the 10 candidacy courses, and most MAPC courses, student must have completed at least Psychopathology I. Please be mindful that students are usually more prepared and capable for working with clients if they have completed more than the minimum of coursework.
- Students must apply for candidacy and be approved to enroll in Practicum, including passing the Candidacy Exam with a score of at least 75.
- Students must purchase liability insurance through TCA or ACA.
View DBU Graduate School’s admission requirements.
Admission to one graduate program does not guarantee admission to another. Applicants who show potential for graduate study but do not meet the criteria for Full Admission may be admitted for up to 12 hours under provisional status. Students admitted under Provisional Admission will be granted Full Admission upon successful completion of 12 credit hours and fulfillment of the conditions of their admission as determined by the Master’s Degrees Admission Committee.
Full Admission Requirements | International Admissions | Transfer Admissions
