ADDITIONAL NAVIGATION
FAITH INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
3504 North Pearl Street
Tacoma, Washington 98407
Toll-free: 888.777.7675
Reception: fsinfo@faithiu.edu
MASTER OF ARTS IN COUNSELING and Care
PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM
The Master of Arts in Counseling and Care (MACC) is a 72-hour program designed for those who desire to serve as a pastoral or professional counselor in a wide range of settings (community mental health agency, hospital program, religious or church-related counseling ministry, and private pastoral or professional counseling practice). The program offers a theological foundation coupled with Christian-based counseling theory and practice. It also is multicultural in nature and designed to aid the student in developing an intentional, informed, and integrated biblically based, systemic pastoral counseling ministry. The degree coursework may prepare the student to take the National Counselor Exam or the National Certified Mental Health Counselor Exam and work toward state licensure in Washington. The student is responsible for verifying whether the degree will meet state licensure requirements in any given state. The program is for the following:
- Christian workers in positions where the master’s degree will allow entrance into a vocation, which would not otherwise be possible;
- Those who desire future employment as a counselor in a variety of mental health settings including church/para-church ministries, social service agencies, military agencies, substance abuse centers, or rehabilitation clinics; or
- Vocational counselors who desire additional information for personal growth or who seek continuing education credit to meet current legal, ethical, and other professional counseling standards, including licensure requirements.
The standard academic prerequisite for the MACC is a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution. Applicants should have a minimum GPA of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale. Applicants must sign that they have read and are in agreement with the Doctrinal Statement and will uphold it, and that they will abide by the Biblical Code of Conduct, Academic Code of Honor, Drug and Alcohol Policy, Payment Policy, and all other academic and financial policies. Additional requirements can be found on the Application for Admission or beginning on page 55.
MACC LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Acquire an understanding of the foundational elements of Christian-based pastoral counseling
- Acquire a biblical worldview by studying God’s revelation in counseling;.
- Acquire an understanding of the various types of counseling toward the goal of biblical integration within the framework of Christian principles and practice;
- Acquire an ability to apply basic pastoral counseling and referral skills to include assessing, diagnosing, and treating a broad array of presenting problems and mental disorders in a multicultural society;
- Acquire knowledge of research and appropriate American Psychological Association writing‑style to aid in reading journals and professional literature in pastoral counseling and social science;
- Integrate biblical principles and secular counseling theories in a meta-theoretical pastoral counseling approach; and
- Grow personally, professionally, and pastorally as well as develop a deeper ethical and moral foundation for one’s ministry of pastoral counseling.
Note: The MACC fulfills the academic requirements necessary for State of Washington licensing. Washington State licensure has additional requirements which are not offered by the institution. Specific licensing requirements vary from state-to-state. Therefore, the student should contact the appropriate state where they plan to utilize the degree for additional information regarding licensure.
Note: At the discretion of the Dean of the School of Counseling & Care and the Executive Dean of the Korean Department, some courses may be substituted to meet the 72-hours degree requirements for the MACC.
Click here to view the full program requirements in the academic catalog.