Counseling and Psychology Degree Programs at DBU
Dallas Baptist University appears in our ranking of the 20 Best Master’s in Pastoral Counseling Online Degree Programs.
The College of Professional Studies at Dallas Baptist University offers a bachelor’s degree in psychology. This program is open to adult learners and anyone else going back to school as well as recent high school graduates. The 30 credits of required courses that majors take will help them learn the fundamentals of psychology and develop skills that will help them in all their other classes and when they work or enter grad school. Those courses include Counseling Theories and Techniques, General Psychology, Statistics for the Social Sciences and Integration of Psychology and Christianity. Graduates receive a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Psychology.
Students who think they want to attend grad school will prefer the university’s accelerated psychology program. They can earn a BA/BS in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Counseling in around five years. Students must take at least 47 credits of required psychology courses and electives. They will also do an internship in their undergrad years. Four of the required courses that students take will count towards both degrees, but students will also take 48 credits of graduate courses that include two practicums.
The professional counseling program offered by the university allows students to earn a Master of Arts in Counseling. These students will take at least 60 credits of work after completing a bachelor’s degree. Those credits come from courses that include Introduction to Professional Counseling, Addictive and Compulsive Disorders, Advanced Counseling Methods and Crisis Intervention and Christian Approach to Human Sexuality. Counseling grad students must also do two practicums over the course of at least one year.
Also available is a Master of Arts in Christian Counseling. This program features 18 credits of counseling courses and 18 credits of theology classes. The university designed this program for students who want to counsel others in a religious setting. Though the program does not include any practicums, it does feature courses such as Christian Counseling Skills, Lifespan Human Development and Introduction to Christian Counseling. Students can also select electives that focus on crisis and trauma counseling, conflict resolution and group counseling.
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About Dallas Baptist University
Dallas Baptist University is one of the main Christian colleges in Texas. Founded in 1898 as the Decatur Baptist College, it originally offered two-year degree programs. That campus was so popular that the Dallas Baptist Convention requested that it move to Dallas, which it did in 1965. It reopened that same year as Dallas Baptist College and saw nearly 1,000 students enroll. At the end of the 1960s, the college transitioned from a junior college to a full year university that offered both bachelor’s programs and graduate programs. This also led to the college changing its name to Dallas Baptist University.
Usually called DBU or Dallas Baptist today, the university saw its enrollment rise to more than 5,000 students in recent years. Nearly 2,000 graduate and doctoral students start classes or continue their programs every year. DBU now consists of four different schools that all operate on its campus in Dallas.
Dallas Baptist University Accreditation Details
Accreditation is important for a few different reasons, including because it lets students know that their degrees will make them worthwhile employees in the real world. Specialty accreditation comes from organizations connected to a specific field or area of study. The regional accreditation comes from organizations located in different regions across the country. Only students attending a school with regional accreditation can use the federal financial aid available to those who use the FAFSA. DBU has regional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), which is also helpful for any student who wants to bring college credits with him or her. Other private colleges with a religious affiliation only have biblical or national accreditation.
Dallas Baptist University Application Requirements
Though DBU does not have an application deadline, it recommends that students submit their applications as early as possible. It only has a set amount of financial aid and scholarships available each year. Those who apply earlier may receive bigger and better financial aid packages than those who apply later do. The undergrad application is available on the university’s admissions website. Students can download the application and mail back a completed form, but they will need to pay a $25 application fee. The university will waive this fee for undergrads who submit their applications online. DBU also asks for an essay of around 250 words that describes why the student wants to study at the university, an official test score and an official transcript. A student’s transcript must show that he or she completed a college prep curriculum and maintained a grade point average of at least 2.5.
Prospective grad students can use the online application and get a fee waiver or submit an application through the mail and pay the associated fee. These students must already have a bachelor’s degree or be on track to finish a bachelor’s degree before starting classes at DBU. DBU asks that students submit transcripts from any of the colleges they attended where they earned credits. Students will also fill out a statement of purpose form that asks them questions such as why they chose the university and what they want to study. Each question should include an answer of around 150 words. Other admissions requirements for grad students include two letters of recommendation and a resume.
Tuition and Financial Aid
DBU announced that it would increase its tuition for 2019. Incoming students will now pay $929 per credit hour in an undergrad program and $989 per credit hour in a graduate program. Students will also pay around $3,300 a semester for room and board, though some residence halls and meal plans cost more. Those who need health insurance can sign up for a plan from the university for around $600 a semester too.
Financial aid packages are available for all types of students. Undergrads who apply earlier in the year may receive one or more grants and get access to federal loans. They can also participate in the work-study program designed by the federal government. Graduate students can borrow federal unsubsidized and PLUS loans and look at some of the alternative loans that are available. Psychology and counseling majors attending Dallas Baptist University can apply for financial aid months before the next semester starts.