Program Description
The Master of Christian Counseling is designed to build the counseling knowledge and skills needed for those who desire to bring healing and hope to hurting people as counselors in churches or faith-based organizations. This program will prepare students for pastoral counseling, hospital chaplaincy, crisis pregnancy centers, family case management, or other counseling positions which do not require professional licensure. It is a brief program, intended to build upon previous study and to expedite the student’s entry into the workforce, or prepare the student for even further study on the doctoral level.

Program Goals
We want to help our students:

• To attain basic biblical and theological understanding of the Bible.
• To be more competent in their service to others.
• To create a concern for the spiritual and psychological needs of others and an appreciation for the differences between people.
• To acquire counseling methods which are relevant and applicable to the helping and healing ministry.
• To enhance counseling skills and interpersonal relationships.

Program Objectives
• To prepare graduate students for biblical and psychological counseling competency dealing with the emotional, social, and spiritual needs within the Christian community.
• To educate students to articulate a philosophy of counseling ministry based upon the integration of biblical, empirical, historical and social science research
• To help student learn the most widely practiced counseling methods and principles
• To increase their attentiveness to their personal spiritual formation and to demonstrate an understanding of biblical and theological foundations for counseling.

Master of Christian Counseling Admission Requirement
Applicants must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered for admission to the Master of Christian Counseling program:

Applicants for admission must hold a Bachelor of Arts or equivalent degree from university or college with at least a cumulative grade point average f 2.75 (4.00 scale). The following documents must be submitted to the office of admission by the appropriate deadline:

1. A completed Application for Admission form

2. Application fee of $100 (non-refundable)

3. Personal statement - 1 page essay addressing plans for theological study

4. Official transcripts from every college, university or seminary attended beyond high school to be sent directly to Horizon Institute

5. Two recommendations sent directly to Horizon Institute (One from applicant’s minister and one from an academic advisor or professor)

Program Requirements
As stated above, a minimum of 15 units must be completed in the area of Bible and Theology. The remaining 15 units are to be taken in the concentration of Christian Counseling. For courses offered, see the catalog section on course offerings. Courses offered may vary from one semester to another.

Course Description

PSY401 Counseling Theory and Practice (3 units)
This course serves as the introduction to counseling theory from a Christian perspective. It is concerned with significant concepts including Senses and Perception, Emotions, Motivation, Abnormal Psychology, Psychotherapy and well known Counseling Theories.

CC400 Christian Counseling (3 units)
This course will be a survey with a Biblical basis for counseling, integration of psychology and theology, counseling needs, methods of counseling, and theories of personality.

CC422 Adolescent Christian Counseling (3 units)
This course examines the physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and spiritual developmental processes of the adolescent. Family and peer relationships are explored as well as school influences. Attention will be given to self-concept and self-esteem, identity diffusion, psychosexual development, and adjustment problems.

CC440 Marriage and Family Counseling Christian Perspective (3 units)
The course for the dynamics of marriage and family relationships focusing on the counselor's role in premarital, marital, and family counseling through lectures, discussion, case studies, and demonstrations.

CC551 Crisis Counseling (3 units)
This is a course that deals with the theory and practice of crisis intervention, with emphasis in the Christian implications of crisis counseling, the training of crisis counselors, and the dynamics of specific crisis situations.

CC581 Pastoral Counseling (3 units)
This is a course to the principles, techniques and theories of counseling with emphasis on counselor characteristics, helping skills, the various types of pastoral counseling, the most common counseling problems, and the uniqueness of Christian counseling.