A master’s degree in grief counseling is a specialized area of counseling. It equips students with the knowledge and skills to help people cope with grief, loss, bereavement, and trauma. They learn to apply different psychotherapy forms to improve a patient’s physical, emotional, and social responses to loss. One of the most important things that students learn is “active listening.” They encourage people to talk about their feelings after death, loss, or terminal illness. A grief counselor will listen more than talking and help patients feel better in the process. They help their patients develop strategies and methods for coping with their loss.
What does a master’s degree in grief counseling cover?
- Grief Counseling
- Mental Health and Wellness
- Grief Counseling with Children and Adults
- Grief and Bereavement Theory and Practice
- Counseling Skills for Grief and Trauma
- Death and Dying
- Treatment Planning in Grief Counseling
- The Art of Healing Grief and Trauma
- Trauma Theory, Process and Interventions
- Multicultural Aspects of Grief Counseling
- Understanding and Treating Complicated Grief
- Community & crisis counseling
- Ethical Issues in Grief Counseling
Grief counseling is also sometimes called bereavement counseling. Some trauma counseling programs include grief and loss as their key topics as well. Students in these fields learn to counsel and comfort individuals dealing with loss and pain. This counseling type can help some people adjust to and cope with loss and the grief that comes with it.
Demand for grief counselors
Loss and grief are not new to us, but the demand for counselors in the field is on the rise. They help make the grieving process much more comfortable and shorter. They work with diverse people experiencing all different kinds of loss, including terminally ill patients and veterans.
Where do grief counselors work?
- Hospitals
- Mental health clinics
- Substance abuse clinics
- Social service agencies
- Funeral homes
- Senior centers
- Retirement homes
- Long-term care facilities
- Veteran centers
- Private practices
We have shortlisted schools that offer grief counseling as a part of their counseling master’s for this ranking. We have studied the curriculum, formats and flexibility, school accreditation, the faculty experience, as well as grief and loss topics covered in concentrations or specializations. Schools have been ranked based on their resident tuition affordability.
Methodology:
Tuition
- Net Price Below $10,000: 4 points
- Net Price Below $15,000: 3 points
- Net Price Below $20,000: 2 points
- Net Price Below $25,000: 1 point
Student to Faculty Ratio
- Less than 20:1: 1 point
- Less than 15: 1: 2 points
- Less than 10: 1: 3 points
Return on Investment (ROI)
- Top 500: 1 point
- Top 300: 2 points
- Top 150: 3 points
Student Support Network (faculty mentors/advisors, writing/technology support, etc.)— 1 point per item
Concentrations/Specializations – 1 point per item
Accreditation (School-Wide and Program-Specific) – 1 point per item
“Wow” Factor – 1 point (anything that would mark a program as unique. Special qualities that make a program “stand out from the crowd”)
#25 University of Southern California
Lewisburg, PA
Master of Social Work
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Points: 5
The University of Southern California offers a Master of Social Work. Students can choose Loss, Grief & Bereavement as one of their electives. They train to improve the mental health and physical well-being of individuals across the adult lifespan. The program teaches students to:
- Use evidence-based research to inform clinical practices and interventions
- Support adult clients in various health and mental health clinical settings
- Develop practice skills that prepare them for work in diverse social and organizational contexts
Graduates become licensed clinical social workers who help others with trauma and medical issues.
Fast facts:
- 60 units
- Offered by: Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
- Format: Campus-based/Online
- Accreditation: Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
- Tuition per year: $59,260
#24 The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
Chicago, IL
M.A. in Counseling Psychology
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Points: 6
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology offers a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology: Trauma and Crisis Intervention Concentration. Students learn about the various tools and techniques to provide mental health support. They help individuals who have experienced catastrophic loss or trauma.
Graduates work with trauma-related populations in a variety of settings like:
- Crisis and prevention centers
- Nonprofit associations
- Government assistance programs
- Schools
They learn about disaster response, psychological first aid, and evidence-based treatment models. They study the experience of trauma within diverse family, social, cultural settings.
Fast facts:
- 60 credits
- Format: Campus-based
- Accreditation: Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
- Tuition per credit: $1,198
#23 Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, PA
Community & Trauma Counseling, MS
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Points: 6
Thomas Jefferson University offers a Master of Science in Community & Trauma Counseling. Students gain the tools to practice as professionals in various environments affected by trauma. Coursework includes:
- Foundations of Trauma Counseling
- Psychopathology
- Neurobiology of Trauma
- Group Work in Community and Trauma Counseling/Experiential Group
- Childhood Trauma
- Advanced Clinical Interventions in Trauma Counseling
Students have to complete their internships and required practicum for degree completion. Graduates work as community health counselors and grief counselors. They practice in diverse settings like private practices, agency, organizational and institutional settings.
Fast facts:
- 60 credits
- Offered by: College of Health Professions
- Format: Campus-based
- Accreditation: Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
- Tuition per credit: $1,190
#22 Fordham University
The Bronx, NY
Pastoral Care (M.A.)
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Points: 7
Fordham University offers a Master of Arts degree (M.A.) in Pastoral Care. It prepares students in the ministerial field to be competent and effective pastoral caregivers.
It includes a 3-credit course in Death, Dying, and Bereavement. The course focuses on:
- Personal experiences with death and loss
- Issues facing the terminally ill
- Myths about and components of grief
- Finding meaning during a loss
- Appropriate care for the bereaved in differing situations
- Theological perspectives of major world religions on death and grief
- Self-care as pastoral care workers and pastoral mental health counselors
The program requires a one-week, intensive course in pastoral counseling skills on campus.
Fast facts:
- 36 credits
- Offered by: Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education
- Format: Online
- Accreditation: Middle States Association of the Commission of Higher Education
- Tuition per credit: $960
#21 Bradley University
Peoria, IL
MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
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Points: 7
Bradley University offers a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. The program blends theory and practicum that prepare students to practice in diverse settings. Students gain an understanding of the beliefs about loss and grief, interventions, and blockers. They learn to identify the different types of losses. Coursework includes:
- Loss and Grief Counseling
- Counseling Diverse Populations
- Theories and Techniques of Counseling
- Principles of Group Counseling
- Crisis Intervention
- Couples and Family Counseling
Students will need to complete one practicum, two internships, and two campus-based residencies to graduate.
Fast facts:
- 60 credits
- Offered by: College of Education and Health Sciences
- Format: Campus-based/Online
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission
- Tuition per semester hour: $930
#20 Lesley University
Cambridge, MA
M.A. in Counseling Psychology
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Points: 7
Lesley University offers a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Trauma Studies. Students are trained to promote healing in survivors of trauma. They learn about effective interventions to foster healing in people across the lifespan. They develop the skills and knowledge to address these urgent challenges. They learn to help people break out of unconstructive behaviors and patterns. Required specialization courses include:
- Psychological trauma and post-trauma therapy
- Disaster mental health
- Community crisis intervention
- Trauma in the lives of children and adolescents
- Play therapy
Students explore the emerging field of post-traumatic therapy. They learn to focus on counseling those with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Fast facts:
- 60 credits
- Offered by: Graduate School of Arts & Social Sciences
- Format: Campus-based
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
- Tuition per credit: $900
#19 Bay Path University
Longmeadow, MA
MS in CMHC-Advanced Trauma-Informed Counseling
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Points: 8
Bay Path University offers a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a concentration in Advanced Trauma-Informed Counseling. Students undergo intensive training in working with trauma. Key features:
- Students explore and identify the nature of trauma
- They learn about the pervasive impact of trauma
- They develop the skills to assess, diagnose, and treat people with trauma-related disorders
- Students can choose to select a supervised internship experience to further develops their skills in this area
- They also have to complete a practicum along with coursework
Graduates are prepared to sit for licensure exams for the state of Massachusetts and other states.
Fast facts:
- 60 credits
- Offered by: Graduate College
- Format: Online/Campus-based
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education
- Tuition per credit: $875
#18 Pacific Oaks College
San Jose, CA
M.A. MFT: Trauma Studies
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Points: 8
Pacific Oaks College offers a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy: Trauma Studies Specialization. The program focuses on the urgent social issues that lead to feelings of loss, grief, and trauma. The Trauma Studies Specialization helps students:
- Gain trauma counseling expertise
- Gain understanding and addressing issues of violence, neglect, assault, and abandonment
- Receive intensive supervised field experience that prepares them to go into the workforce
Graduates go on to work in varied settings, and they work with diverse populations. They work in mental health facilities, veterans’ hospitals, immigrant detention centers, and domestic and child abuse centers.
Fast facts:
- 61 credits
- Offered by: Graduate College
- Format: Online/Campus-based
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education
- Tuition per credit: $875
#17 Antioch University
Culver City, CA
M.A. in Counseling Psychology
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Points: 8
Antioch University offers a Master of Arts Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Psychological Trauma Studies. It teaches students to provide individuals with the strength to overcome intense trauma. They learn about the causes, assessment, and treatments of psychological trauma. Students learn about:
- Concerns specific to therapists and first responders
- Victims of burnout and trauma
- Use of evidence-based treatment to support survivors
- Providing trauma-related mental health services to the civilian and military community
- Special skills to identify and treat the effects of trauma
Students gain field clinical experience in an agency setting to help diverse populations.
Fast facts:
- 60 credits
- Format: Online/Hybrid
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission
- Tuition per quarter: $8,078
#16 Chestnut Hill College
Philadelphia, PA
M.S. in Clinical and Counseling Psychology-Trauma Studies
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Points: 9
Chestnut Hill College offers a Master of Science in Clinical and Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Trauma Studies. Students are trained to provide trauma-informed care in any workplace setting. The program:
- Combines theory and experiential opportunities
- Provides foundational knowledge in trauma counseling
- Students learn to conceptualize, assess and treat clients who have experienced trauma and loss
- Fulfills the requirements for licensure in Pennsylvania and many other states
- Provides self-awareness and self-care practices
As licensed practitioners, graduates work with high-risk populations. They work with survivors of war and natural disasters, interpersonal and domestic violence, and sexual assault.
Fast facts:
- 60 credits
- Offered by: School of Graduate Studies
- Format: Campus-based/Evenings
- Accreditation: MPCAC; Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSCHE)
- Tuition per credit: $745
#15 Eastern University
St Davids, PA
MA in Clinical Counseling-Trauma Studies
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Points: 9
Eastern University offers a Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling with a concentration in Trauma Studies. The program reflects a unique blend of Christianity and Traumatology. The faculty specializes in trauma training and experience. Students learn to:
Featured Programs
- Understand the physical, mental, and spiritual impact of traumatic events on people
- Competently and ethically apply trauma-informed counseling skills
- Help diverse traumatized populations in professional counseling and volunteer contexts
- Apply evidence-based interventions for preventing and treating traumatic stress
The curriculum meets the educational requirements for Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) in Pennsylvania. Students can complete the program in three to four years.
Fast facts:
- 60 credits
- Offered by: College of Health and Sciences
- Format: Evening, on-campus, and hybrid/online
- Accreditation: MPCAC; Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- Tuition per credit: $743
#14 Arcadia University
Glenside, PA
Counseling, M.A.C., Trauma Concentration
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Points: 10
Arcadia University offers a Master of Arts in Counseling with a Trauma concentration option. Students apply their knowledge and skills to provide therapy and achieve positive outcomes. The specialization in trauma teaches students to:
- Assist clients affected by traumatic experiences
- Learn about both short-term interventions and long-term care
- Practice evidence-based treatments of trauma
- Learn to apply strategies for treating grief and bereavement, advocacy, and social justice.
- Work with victims of sexual or physical abuse, war, natural disasters, or other devastating events
Students integrate coursework with practical skills to be effective counselors.
Fast facts:
- 60 credits
- Offered by: College of Arts and Sciences
- Format: Campus-based
- Accreditation: MPCAC; Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- Tuition per credit: $720
#13 Hood College
Frederick, MD
Counseling, Clinical Mental Health (M.S.)
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Points: 10
Hood College offers a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Students can choose from specialty training in gerontology or thanatology. The program prepares motivated students for professional careers as counseling practitioners. Thanatology specialty coursework includes:
- Trauma and Crisis Intervention
- Intro to Thanatology
- Grief and Loss
- Dying and Principles of Care for the Dying
- Developmental Perspectives in Thanatology
- Special Topics in Counseling
- Independent Research Project
The program blends rigorous academic coursework and field training. It leads to licensure in Maryland (LCPC) and neighboring states. The flexible instruction format is designed to accommodate working adults.
Fast facts:
- 60 credits
- Offered by: Department of Psychology & Counseling
- Format: Campus-based/Flexible
- Accreditation: CACREP; Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- Tuition per credit: $710
#12 University of Maryland, Baltimore
Baltimore, MD
MS in Health Sciences
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Points: 10
University of Maryland, Baltimore offers a Master of Science in Health Sciences. Students have the option to get a stackable credential with this degree. To do so, they can opt for the Aging and Applied Thanatology certificate. Students gain expertise in the study of aging and applied thanatology. Topics include:
- Psychosocial Perspectives in Aging
- Death and Dying: Ethical and Legal Considerations
- Palliative Care
- Caring for the Bereaved
The four-course graduate certificate program is offered in an asynchronous, 100% online environment. It’s popular with practicing professionals with a health, science, or academic background.
Fast facts:
- 30 credits
- Offered by: Graduate School
- Format: Online
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- Tuition per credit: $702.50
#11 Rosemont College
Bryn Mawr, PA
M.A. in Counseling
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Points: 11
Rosemont College offers a Master of Arts in Counseling. Students may choose to concentrate on Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Students can earn a sub-concentration in trauma counseling by selecting specific electives. The trauma counseling sub-concentration includes:
- Theory and research on the development assessment and treatment of psychological trauma
- Coping strategies and best practices in counseling
- Identification of risk and protective factors in the development of trauma responses
- Evidence-based assessment and treatment techniques
- Different types of grief, bereavement, and loss
The program meets the requirements for professional licensure in Pennsylvania and other states.
Fast facts:
- 60 credits
- Offered by: School of Graduate Studies
- Format: Campus-based
- Accreditation: Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSCHE)
- Tuition per credit: $675
#10 Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, NY
MA in Community Health
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Points: 11
Brooklyn College offers a Master of Arts degree in Community Health with a concentration in Thanatology. This concentration helps them develop expertise in the areas of death, dying, and bereavement.
It is available for both national and international students. It is a good fit for students pursuing a career in health promotion/disease prevention. Students learn to:
- Apply scientific knowledge to help people cope with grief and loss
- Develop analytical and communication skills to serve diverse people
- Show an understanding of scientific research and evidence-based practice
Graduates work in various settings like hospices, hospitals, funeral homes, and social services.
Fast facts:
- 33 credits
- Offered by: School of Natural and Behavioral Sciences
- Format: Campus-based
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- Tuition per semester: $5,545
#9 Marian University
Fond du Lac, WI
MS in Thanatology
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Points: 12
Marian University offers an online Master of Science in Thanatology. Students learn to address grief and loss for varied populations and age groups. They focus on the delivery of care for those facing end-of-life healthcare and other bereavement issues. Students of this program learn to:
- Apply the contemporary thanatology theory and practice they learned in their work
- Apply evidence-based best practices for individuals suffering from grief and loss
- Learn to counsel during the dying process, end-of-life decision making, and bereavement topic
Graduates go on to work in churches, hospitals, hospices, funeral homes, and non-profit organizations.
Fast facts:
- 36 credits
- Format: Online
- Partnerships with: The National Alliance for Grieving Children (NAGC), the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), and the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC).
- Accreditation: The Higher Learning Commission
- Tuition per credit: $615
#8 Regent University
Virginia Beach, VA
M.A. in Human Services – Grief Counseling
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Points: 12
Regent University offers a Master of Arts in Human Services – Grief Counseling. It prepares students to care for those who have encountered loss. They learn to provide emotional support and guidance that lead to restoration and hope. Upon completion of the degree, students can:
- Examine various ministry-based responses to grief and loss
- Identify many challenges that impact the grieving process
- Learn advanced lay counseling intervention techniques and strategies
Lessons are a combination of real-time interaction with professors and podcast lectures. There are also asynchronous chat room discussions and small-group projects. The degree does not lead to licensure.
Fast facts:
- 30 credits
- Offered by: School of Psychology & Counseling
- Format: Online
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- Tuition per credit: $595
#7 Southwestern College
Santa Fe, NM
M.A. in Art Therapy/Counseling
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Points: 12
Southwestern College offers a Master of Arts in Art Therapy/Counseling. Students explore the art-filled therapeutic process and how it can help others. They can choose extra courses like Trauma, Grief, and Renewal toward certificate completion. It trains them to work with issues related to dying, grief, death, and associated trauma. Core courses include:
- The Art of Healing Grief and Trauma
- Dying to Know: Issues of Death and Dying for the Professional
- Trauma Theory, Process and Interventions
- Counseling Skills for Grief and Trauma
- Theories of the Grief Process
- Ethics, Self-Compassion and Professional Issues
The specialty allows students to work in a variety of grief counseling settings.
Fast facts:
- 98 quarter units
- Offered by: Electives offered through the New Earth Institute
- Format: Campus-based/Online
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC); Approved by the American Art Therapy Association (AATA)
- Tuition per quarter unit: $590
#6 Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
MA in Human Services Counseling
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Points: 13
Liberty University offers a Master of Arts in Human Services Counseling – Crisis Response and Trauma. It provides students with the training to help people suffering from traumatic experiences. They receive the tools to succeed in trauma and crisis response therapy. They learn about effective crisis response and trauma counseling techniques.
Featured courses include:
- Acute Stress, Grief, and Trauma
- PTSD and Combat-Related Trauma
- Trauma Assessment and Interventions
- Complex Trauma and Disasters: Offering Emotional and Spiritual Care
Students learn to apply core crisis counseling and mental health support skills with a firm biblical worldview.
Fast facts:
- 30 credits
- Offered by: School of Behavioral Sciences
- Format: Online
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- Tuition per credit: $565
#5 Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, AZ
MS in Mental Health and Wellness-Grief and Bereavement
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Points: 13
Grand Canyon University offers a Master of Science in Mental Health and Wellness with an Emphasis on Grief and Bereavement. It is designed for students who wish to serve as grief and bereavement specialists. The program:
- Trains graduates to support and assist individuals suffering from loss and grief
- Prepares them to serve with compassion and understanding across a variety of settings
- Help students examine the nature of grief and bereavement
- Understand the effects of grief on human wellness
- Teaches them to promote healthy behaviors and responses to loss
The degree does not lead to licensure.
Fast facts:
- 34 credits
- Offered by: College of Humanities and Social Sciences
- Format: Campus-based(Evening)/Online
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Tuition per credit: $550
#4 Lock Haven University
Lock Haven, PA
M.A. in Counseling Psychology
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Points: 13
Lock Haven University offers a Master of Clinical Mental Health Counseling. The program strongly emphasizes Trauma and Crisis Counseling in each of its specialty tracks. It creates successful clinical mental health counselors for a variety of professional settings. Students learn to:
- Address trauma-causing events, disasters, and crises in diverse populations across the lifespan
- Identify, conceptualize, and assess techniques for individuals affected by crises and trauma
- Explore the principles of crisis intervention
- Learn to diagnose and enhance individual, group, and community mental health
Graduates become license-eligible for the counseling profession in many states.
Fast facts:
- 60 credits
- Offered by: The College of Business, Information Systems, and Human Services
- Format: Online
- Accreditation: CACREP; Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSCHE)
- Tuition per 3 credits: $1,548
#3 University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN
MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
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Points: 14
The University of Tennessee offers a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Students have the option to add graduate certificates to their degrees. Among the options, they can choose to earn a specialized focus on Grief, Loss, & Trauma. Key features:
- Graduates gain foundational knowledge to work as professional counselors
- They develop therapeutic relationships that are healing and sensitive
- They learn about counseling interventions, programming, and professional and community engagement.
- They learn about the prevention and treatment of a broad range of mental health issues
- They complete a Practicum in Grief Support
The program meets the licensure requirements to be a professional counselor in Tennessee and most other states.
Fast facts:
- 60 credits
- Offered by: College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences
- Format: Campus-based
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- Tuition per year: $13,380
#2 American International Theism University
Sarasota, FL
Accelerated Ethereal Master of Psychology in Grief Counseling
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Points: 15
American International Theism University offers an Accelerated Ethereal Master of Psychology in Grief Counseling. It prepares students for religious vocations as ministers, professionals, or laypersons in ministry. Coursework includes:
- Death & Dying; Grief Counseling with Families
- Psychotherapy Overview Theory and Practice
- Grief Counseling; Treatment Planning
- Ethical Issues in Counseling
- Multicultural Aspects of Grief Counseling
- Grief Counseling with Children and Adolescents
- Grief Counseling with Adults
- Research Methods; Master’s Thesis in Grief Counseling
Students can complete their master’s degrees in one year or less if they so wish.
Fast facts:
- 44 hours
- Format: Online
- Authorized by: The State of Florida, Department of Education Commission on Independent Education
- Tuition: $6,150
#1 Breyer State Theology University
Bradenton, FL
Ethereal MS in Grief Counseling
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Points: 16
Breyer State Theology University offers an Ethereal Master of Science in Grief Counseling. The Accelerated Masters program is for professionals who wish to gain a specialized degree. It helps students enhance their counseling skills and techniques in the grief counseling field. Students learn to:
- Build on the foundational skill sets from undergraduate programs
- Further their education in grief counseling and bereavement
- Improve their counseling techniques
- Better counsel patients on their emotional needs
- Serve through a refreshing of old techniques
- Apply new grief counseling techniques
The courses provide a theoretical understanding of various approaches to therapy. Students learn the practical skills necessary for effective grief counseling.
Fast facts:
- 68-hour semesters
- Format: Online
- Authorized by: The Department of Education Florida, Commission on Independent Education
- Tuition: $3,500