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A discussion with students: Pursue the Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling certificate at Regent University.

Certificate of Graduate Studies in Marriage, Couple & Family Counseling

On Campus, Online
12
January 8, 2024
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The Certificate of Graduate Studies in Marriage, Couple & Family Counseling, offered online and on campus in Virginia Beach, is a professional certificate that will serve as an endorsement to licensure and for counselor continuing education for additional state credentialing requirements. It is not for initial licensure. This family and marriage counseling certificate may help advance your career as a mental health professional.

  • Explore successful passage through the developmental stages of marriage and family over the life span.
  • Gain invaluable knowledge in areas including couples therapy, treating sexual dysfunction and therapies for various addictions.
  • Prepare to play a crucial role as a high-demand professional, working to heal and strengthen marriage, couple and family relationships.

Please complete the Request Information form on this page to learn more about this program.

Regent University ranked #24 of the top 42 Accredited Certificate programs | Intelligent.com
  • Public Agencies
  • Private Practices
  • Mental Health Facilities
  • Church Counseling Centers

COUN 593A Internship in Marriage, Couple & Family Counseling (3), plus three courses from the following:

Provides an understanding, demonstration and application of various models and techniques for working with married and non-married couples. Prerequisite: COUN 545 or concurrent. Cross-listed with CES 746.
Examines models of family systems therapy and techniques. Helps beginning family therapists develop a model of practice and apply models to clinical cases. Cross-listed with CES 747.
Introduces students to historical, environmental, biological, psychological, sociocultural, and biblical perspectives on human sexuality. Emphasis will be placed on issues in human sexuality across the life span, theories of sexual dysfunction, as well as sexuality and Scripture. Prerequisite: COUN 540.
Expressive arts interventions play an integral role in how the mind and body heal from posttraumatic stress. This course examines treatments such as play, art, music, equine, drama therapy, yoga, and sandtray which can be used as stand-alone models or an enhancements to more traditional, evidence-based therapy methods. Cross-listed with CES 655. Prerequisites: COUN 521, COUN 526, and COUN 538.
Examines principles of affect regulation – how humans regulate their emotions, by drawing on theories of attachment and interpersonal neurobiology. Characteristics of attachment security are explored, including how complex trauma and disrupted attachment may lead to difficulty in personality organization, compulsive behaviors, and relationship issues. Experientially-based therapeutic interventions are identified. Cross-listed with CES 751.
Be assigned to work at a professional setting in which marital, couple & family counseling is the modality of treatment, closely supervised on site by a trained marriage, couple & family professional. Culminating experience to apply the knowledge and experience gained during counselor training program as a member of a professional team. In addition to supervision on site, participate in a weekly internship seminar led by a professor on the counseling faculty. Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor. Pass/No Pass.

2023-24 Semester Check-In Deadlines

All students are expected to check-in for the semester two weeks before the session start date. Students should apply, be accepted, enroll in their first courses, and confirm a plan to pay for their courses prior to this date.

SessionSemester Check-InSession Start Date
Session AFriday, August 11Monday, August 21
Session CThursday, January 4Monday, January 8
Session EFriday, April 26Monday, May 6

CGS allows students who have earned or who are in the process of earning a 60 credit master’s level degree in counseling to complete additional coursework to pursue career opportunities, state licensure or specialty certification. Courses taken at Regent University while completing an M.A. in Counseling can be counted toward the CGS, but students are not eligible for federal financial aid for course work beyond the 60 credit hours required for the degree.

A student who is not currently enrolled in the School of Psychology & Counseling (SPC) who wishes to complete the CGS must apply as a nondegree student. All courses must be taken at Regent. Courses cannot be transferred in to the CGS programs. All requirements for the CGS must be completed within five years. Students who earn an M.A. in Counseling through the SPC cannot earn a CGS in the same subject as their major.

Application Process:

  1. Complete Your Online Application
    Submit your application using our Regent University Online Application.
  2. Provide Your Unofficial College Transcripts
    We require an official transcript indicating successful completion of bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. Regent has partnered with DocuSign to offer a secure, electronic way for your previous college transcripts to be delivered on your behalf once you have registered for your first semester.

    If you have an unofficial copy of your college transcripts, please email those to apply@regent.edu using the subject line: SPC Certificate Application Pieces.

    If you are an international student, or you earned college credit at non-US institutions, please submit your transcripts for a third-party course-by-course evaluation. Learn more and find recommended agencies.

  3. Complete Your Admissions Questionnaire
    Please complete a brief admissions questionnaire based on your professional goals and interests, and provide thoughtful and thorough responses. This will give us a better opportunity to get to know you and see how your objectives align with our programs. Once completed, the questionnaire will be sent directly to an admissions counselor who will be in touch with you to help complete the rest of your application. Access the Admissions Questionnaire.
  4. Submit Your Resume
    Submit a professional resume or curriculum vitae to include three references with contact information. References should be able to address questions related to character, as well as your interpersonal and relational skills. Please email to the Admissions Office at apply@regent.edu using the subject line: SPC Certificate Application Pieces.

Note: Current Regent M.A. students applying for admission to a CGS program must have completed at least one semester of the M.A. program before applying.

A maximum of 12 Regent credits may be allowed toward a degree if a nondegree student later applies for regular degree-seeking status. The applicant must submit the additional material required for degree status. The admissions committee will consider the application in the same way it would a new applicant.

Certificate of Graduate StudiesTuition Cost Per Credit HourTotal CreditsTuition Cost for Certificate
Clinical Mental Health Counseling$7309$6,570
Marriage, Couple & Family Counseling$73012$8,760
School Counseling$73012$8,760
Trauma Counseling$73012$8,760

Student Fees Per Semester

University Services Fee (On-Campus Students)$850
University Services Fee (Online Students)$700

Military Admissions & Aid » | Cost of Attendance »

*Rates are subject to change at any time.

CGS Requirements

Complete 12 credit hours.

Certificate must be completed within 5 years.

Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00.

“As a Navy chaplain, I appreciated how Regent's master’s program integrated the best of science with faith and how it was designed with the flexibility I needed.”

Rob Hess, M.S. in Psychology, 2019 Chaplain, U.S. Navy

“Two degrees down, one to go! So happy to have completed my master’s in psychology!”

Ally Duggins, M.S. in Psychology, 2020 Co-Founder, Willow House Media

“If you are focused, determined, willing to put in the work and make sacrifices, anyone can do this. I give all praise to God. Keep going no matter what.”

Antonio Tuck, M.A. in Counseling, 2020 Human Services Professional

“I'm grateful for my Regent mentors. Their emphasis on relationships and guidance has helped me navigate a challenging yet rewarding journey.”

Alexandra Melchiorre, M.S. in Psychology, 2018 Registered Behavioral Technician

“I wanted a rigorous doctoral program that could travel with me wherever I was in the country. I found this and more at Regent.”

Heather Paessler-Chesterton, Ph.D., 2009 Counselor Education and Supervision