Academics

Academics Links

• GCTS Home
• Academics Home

• Academics
• Admissions
• Gordon-Conwell Home

To best view our site, we recommend the newest versions of Firefox for the PC and Camino for the Mac.

The Master of Arts in Counseling

The Master of Arts in Counseling is a degree program for individuals who wish to prepare themselves for professional counseling positions as mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists and/or preparation for further studies in psychology. Upon completion of the program graduates are qualified to sit for the mental health counselor or marriage and family therapist licensure examination(s) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Master of Arts in Counseling program seeks to provide Christian training in biblical, theological and psychological disciplines. A major feature of this program is its commitment to supervised clinical practicum and internship experience. The integrative seminars provide an opportunity for the integration of biblical and theological studies with counseling theory and practice. The students admitted to this program will be placed in a variety of professional practicum and internship sites. Regular individual supervision of students will take place in the clinical setting. Students will often have the opportunity to participate in seminars, workshops, staff meetings, group supervision and other professional development activities. Those who complete this training program in counseling may expect significant growth in their professional development in preparation for Christian and/or secular employment opportunities.

Admission Requirements

Applicants admitted to this program:

1. Must have a vocational goal requiring the specialized preparation available in the Master of Arts in Counseling program;
2. Will have met the general admission requirements of the Seminary;
3. Must have followed an undergraduate or prior graduate degree program that included a recommended 20 semester hours in psychology and/or related disciplines. (Note: An introductory course in statistics is required for CO 699, Research Methods and Design.) Life experience will be evaluated on an individual basis and considered as modification of the academic background requirements stated above;
4. Must have an undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0;
5. After meeting general admissions requirements (outlined in numbers 1-4 above) candidates must complete a series of psychological tests. This is followed by a personal interview to review and interpret the tests as well as an assessment of candidates' academic and personal readiness to participate in the program.

Admission Procedures

1. Applicants for the Master of Arts in Counseling program are accepted for admission for the fall semester. Admission may be granted for the spring semester based on the availability of space. It should be noted that courses are sequenced assuming fall entry.
2. Decisions regarding admission to the program will be made on a "rolling" basis for the fall semester. No applications for the fall semester will be accepted after July first of that year.
3. Students who are denied admission to the MACO program must wait one calendar year before reapplying.

Degree Requirements

The students participating in this degree program must complete the required courses with a grade point average of 3.0 or more in the field of concentration and be present for graduation exercises. The number of courses required in the program will vary, depending on which track is selected. More than 20 courses are required for either track in order to meet Gordon-Conwell's expectation of a biblical and theological core as well as expectations of agencies which certify counselors.

Degree Goals

1. To understand the basic content and themes of the Old and New Testaments in their historical and cultural settings, (1) as well as the historical and theological dimensions of the Christian faith (2)
2. To demonstrate academic excellence in the ability to communicate effectively materials from the study of psychology and the biblical, historical and theological disciplines (2)
3. To integrate psychological theory with biblical truth so that the knowledge and skills learned in studies and practice will be realized in professional application (3)
4. To evidence a commitment to the authority of Scripture in personal and community relationships, as well as a personal commitment to spiritual formation (1,4)
5. To foster love for God and his word and therefore to cultivate the practices of spiritual maturity and Christ-like character, and to understand the Christian’s ethical responsibility in church and society (4, 5)
6. To gain experience in an understanding of cultural backgrounds toward effective expression of biblical truth, with the goal of ministering to Christians and to those who are not Christian believers (5)
7. To demonstrate an awareness of national, racial, ethnic and cultural factors that impinge upon the teaching and modeling of biblical truth, and to develop the capacity for a critical evaluation of important cultural changes within the discipline of counseling (6)

 

Catalogs
To download the South Hamilton campus catalog, click here.
To request a catalog from the Boston/CUME campus, click here.
To request a catalog from the Charlotte campus, click here.