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Students who are considering a career as a marriage and family counselor might wonder how to get a marriage and family counseling degree online. Unlike with a campus degree, online marriage and family counseling degree programs are completed through an online interface, such as a forum or Blackboard.
How To Get A Marriage and Family Counseling Degree Online vs. On-Campus
With some undergraduate programs, students will simply receive a bachelor’s degree in psychology or counseling, while other programs provide a psychology or counseling degree with an emphasis in marriage and family counseling. After obtaining the bachelor’s degree, students can pursue a marriage and family counseling master’s degree to become qualified to offer counseling services, which usually takes two years to complete. Marriage and family counseling degree programs focus on providing students with the theoretical background necessary to provide family counseling services, while delivering the curriculum at a distance. Family therapists can choose to work as social workers, offer counseling services as a freelance professional or work at a mental health clinic.
Benefits Of The Top Online Marriage and Family Counseling Degree Programs
Students who find out how to get a marriage and family counseling degree online will find that they are able to more easily pursue their counseling degree on their own time. Online degree programs generally allow students to complete assignments on their own schedule, since there is usually not a specific time when students are expected to meet. Course content on mutlicultural therapy, family therapy, couples therapy, human sexuality, counseling history and psychopathology is delivered to students in a flexible way that they can study at their own convenience. Another advantage is that these courses are all distance-learning, which means that students can attend class from anywhere. Also, since students have a broad range of choices, they can focus on attending schools that are within their budget and that have high rankings. However, it is important that students attend schools that are accredited, since non-accredited schools tend to be viewed with suspicion by employers and do not always qualify for financial aid. Schools that provide marriage and family counseling degrees include Capella, Walden and NCU. However, some schools that offer an M.A. in counseling will allow students to specialize in family and marriage counseling.
Financial Aid for Online Marriage and Family Counseling Degree Programs
There is no reason to not get an online family and marriage counseling degree, even if the cost might scare students. Many marriage and family counseling degree programs qualify for scholarships, some of which will pay for all expenses. The federal government also provides financial aid in the form of grants that will pay tuition and other related expenses. Students might discover that the question, “how to get a marriage and family counseling degree online,” is not very difficult to answer after all.
