Grand Canyon University

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Counseling and Psychology at Grand Canyon University

Grand Canyon University appears in our ranking of the 10 Most Affordable Counseling Psychology Online Programs.

Grand Canyon University offers students the choice of two undergraduate programs in counseling and psychology, as well as a graduate program in psychology and a graduate degree in counseling. Students may also earn their counseling or psychology degrees online through the university’s online portal. Students who want to earn a bachelor’s degree in a traditional format may choose the Bachelor of Science in Counseling with an Emphasis in Addiction, Chemical Dependency, and Substance Abuse and work toward becoming an addiction counselor in an environment like a private practice, mental health center, or rehabilitation clinic. Students may also use the bachelor’s degree program as a stepping stone to a master’s degree in counseling. Topics under discussion in the counseling program include addictive disorders, crisis intervention, family dynamics, and advanced counseling theories.

A related degree student may wish to consider is the Bachelor of Science in Psychology option. This degree program is offered by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and is ideal for students interested in gaining scientific knowledge about human behavior. Topics covered in the program include cognitive neuroscience, psychological research and ethics, probability and statistics, adult development, human personality, and experimental and abnormal psychology. Possessing a degree in psychology may help a student work with at-risk populations, as well as offer the opportunity to study in a graduate degree program. Students may also choose an emphasis in Performance and Sport Psychology when they enroll in the undergraduate psychology program.

Graduate degrees in psychology at Grand Canyon University include the Master of Science in Psychology with an Emphasis in Health Psychology. Knowledge gained in the program will help students understand how to prevent illness and promote positive change in patients. Students will study a wide variety of topics in a program designed to provide students with the tools they need to influence positive change. The curriculum features lessons on stress, complementary and alternative medicine, statistics and research methods, and pain management. Students will also study nutrition, eating disorders, and the future of health psychology, as well as many other fascinating topics. Health and wellness careers may be available to graduates in hospitals, corporations, universities, nonprofit groups, and government settings, as well as health care clinics.

Students may also choose to study at the graduate level at GCU within the Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, which offers four emphases that include Childhood and Adolescence Disorders, Marriage and Family Therapy, Christian Counseling, and Trauma. Prospective students who wish to work as a counselor will find value in the graduate degree at GCU since all states require that students complete a master’s program to become licensed counselors. For students who aren’t located in Phoenix and are interested in online counseling and psychology degrees, there are four routes a student may take that are similar to the on-campus options that include degrees at the bachelor’s degree level and master’s degree level. Students may also focus on addiction counseling with their degree, just as they might in an on-campus setting.

At the doctoral level, the College of Doctoral Studies offers six online degrees in psychology and/or counseling.  They are the the Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership with an Emphasis in Behavioral Health, the Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision, and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in General Psychology (with emphases in Cognition and Instruction, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Integrating Technology, Learning and Psychology, and Performance Psychology).

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About Grand Canyon University

Grand Canyon University is a private, nonprofit school affiliated with the Christian church. The school has more than 20,000 students enrolled in on-campus classes, as well as 70,000 students enrolled in online programs. The school is located in Phoenix, Arizona and was once a for-profit school but transitioned back into a non-profit institution in 2018. The school’s official colors are purple, white, and black, and students play as the Antelopes in NCAA Division I games with Thunder the Antelope acting as the school’s mascot. There are more than 200 degree programs available at GCU at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. The school also recently opened a seminary in 2016. Overall, the university accepts approximately 58 percent of the students who apply and has a retention rate for first-year students of just over 60 percent.

Grand Canyon University Accreditation Details

Grand Canyon University has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1968 after having applied for accreditation status in 1961. The latest 10-year comprehensive evaluation occurred in and was completed in 2017. The school also boasts accreditation from various organizations like the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs. The Arizona Department of Education has given its approval to the school’s administrator and teacher preparation programs, and the school is also accredited by the Arizona State Board of Education. Additionally, certain programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Education.

Grand Canyon University Application Requirements

Undergraduate admission requirements include having a GPA of at least 3.0 or above and a minimum score on the ACT of 19 or a minimum score on the SAT of at least 1000 on a test with a 1600 point scale. Students may also submit evidence of a GED as long as it also meets the minimum scoring requirements. For students who are interested in transferring to GCU, applicants must show evidence of a college GPA of at least 2.25 if they’ve taken at least 25 credits in college or 2.75 if they’ve taken anywhere from six to 24 credits in college. Students who haven’t taken at least six credits of college courses will use the application requirements for high school students. Graduate and doctoral programs at GCU may have individual requirements, so students are encouraged to check with each program to determine specific admission requirements. However, programs generally require that students have a GPA of at least 2.8 for their undergraduate degree and a minimum score on the GRE of at least 1,000.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Undergraduate tuition at Grand Canyon University starts at $687.50 per credit for 11 or fewer credits or $8,250 per semester for 12 to 18 credits. Summer programs are $310 per credit. The school also has separate rates for non-traditional tuition, which includes online classes and night classes. Undergraduate tuition for non-traditional classes is $440 per credit for education programs, $395 for theology programs, $449 for business programs, and $470 for other professional studies programs. Graduate students will pay between $400 and $650 per credit for non-traditional tuition with the lowest rate being offered to active duty and active reserve students.

Receiving financial aid from GCU requires that students submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid which will qualify students to receive government grants and student loans guaranteed by the government through its Direct Loan Program. There are also scholarships and grants available through the university, as well as through many private organizations. Students may also choose to explore private students loans when applying for admission to one of Grand Canyon University‘s online counseling degrees or psychology degrees.

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