Counseling and Psychology Programs at AU
Amridge University appears in our ranking of the 20 Best Master’s in Pastoral Counseling Online Degree Programs.
Amridge University offers a number of graduate programs for students with an interest in counseling and psychology. There are two Master of Arts (MA) programs available in Marriage and Family Therapy and Professional Counseling. The professional counseling program features 60 credits of work that include credits given to students for the clinical work that they do. They must spend a minimum of 600 hours working in the field. At least 500 of those hours should involve direct contact with clients.
The university’s marriage and family therapy program features some of the same requirements. This program prepares students for working with couples dealing with issues at home and teaches them how to work with the entire family unit. Both programs feature classes such as Social and Multicultural Diversity, Community and Social Systems, Counseling for Abusive Relationships and Assessment of Individuals and Families. Students can also enroll in a Master of Divinity program in either Marriage or Family Therapy or Professional Counseling. These programs focus more on religion and how students can use religion when working with their clients.
Amridge University also offers two undergrad programs that can prepare students for a graduate program. It offers an Associate of Arts in Human Development that includes several psychology classes. This program focuses on each stage in the lifespan development. It includes 64 credits of required classes and electives. Students must take a few social science courses such as Developmental Psychology and Adult Learning and Development.
The university’s Bachelor of Science in Human Development is a longer program that takes students four years to finish. It delves more into the different areas of psychology and helps students learn more about some of the common counseling theories used by professionals today. This program features a human development core that features 10 courses worth a total of 40 semester hours. Those classes include Thinking About Race, Class and Gender, Introduction to Human Development, Psychology in Life and Counseling Theories and Practice. The university also requires that students take classes on personality and the family unit.
Though Amridge University does not offer a doctoral counseling program, it does offer a Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies. The university designed this program for educators, counselors, and anyone who works with or around others. It focuses on the relationships that exist between different people and groups. Students will take classes through all the different colleges and schools that are part of the university. They learn how to make connections between different fields and how to use their knowledge and skills with people in the field. Amridge University recommends this program for counselors who have some real-life experience.
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About Amridge University
Amridge University is a private university that has an affiliation with the Churches of Christ. Founded in 1942 as the Montgomery Bible Institute, it served as a high school that offered a few college courses for students. As the number of older students enrolling grew, it created a junior college with separate departments for high school and younger students. By the end of the decade, college students could take two years of classes and spend the third year taking religion courses. The university would go through several name changes before becoming Amridge University, including Alabama Christian College and Alabama Christian School of Religion.
The Department of Education chose Amridge to pilot out one of the early distance education programs. Many of the classes and programs that it offers today are available online for distance education students. After receiving accreditation, the university added three new bachelor degree programs and a doctoral program. Students today can take classes from five different schools and colleges that are part of the university. Amridge University is a very small school with an enrollment of fewer than 900 students. Though students can take classes on the Montgomery campus, many students take some online classes also.
Amridge University Accreditation Details
Though Amridge University is small, it still has regional accreditation, which comes from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCC). Most religious schools of this type do not have regional accreditation. Students attending Amridge University can apply for financial aid and transfer credits to and from any other school with regional accreditation. It also has accreditation from the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools (CAATS).
Amridge University Application Requirements
The university requires that all incoming students demonstrate strong computer and typing skills. It recommends that students fill out an information request form and talk to an admissions counselor before they apply. They will then submit the university’s application and pay a $50 fee. Students at all levels will use an online application and pay the same fee.
Students applying to an associate or bachelor program must have a high school diploma or its equivalent and submit their standardized test scores. The university does not require a test score for transfer students. They must also submit their official high school transcripts. Students applying for a graduate program will also submit transcripts to show that they have a BA or a BS degree from a college with regional accreditation. Doctoral candidates will go through an interview with a representative from the university and submit both a writing sample and an official transcript.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Amridge University offers a discount for undergrads who enroll in a full-time program. Those students will pay $375 per semester hour. Part-time students pay $430 per semester hour. Those enrolling in an associate degree program will pay $330 as a part-time student or $250 per semester hour as a full-time student. Graduate students pay $650 to $750 per semester hour, while doctoral students pay slightly higher rates. Students must also pay fees that are equivalent to the semester hour tuition rate.
Students who need financial aid can apply for help with the FAFSA, which is a form that tells both the federal government and the university that the student wants a financial aid package. Undergrad aid packages usually include some grants and a student loan, but students may work for the school or look at financial aid available for their parents. Graduate and doctoral students can also get loans to attend the university. Amridge University offers financial aid packages for students enrolled in its MA in Professional Counseling and all its other graduate programs.