Clarks Summit University

Counseling Programs at CSU

Clarks Summit University in our ranking of The 25 Best Low-Cost Master’s in Counseling Online Programs.

Though Clarks Summit University is a small university, it offers three different counseling degree programs. The university designed each one to include an element of religious studies. Most of its counseling graduates work for churches and other religious organizations that require they provide help and support to parishioners.

The most basic of these programs is its Bachelor of Science in Counseling, which includes 123 credits of classes. Students must work in the Foundations Christian Counseling Center. Located right on the main campus, this center allows students to see counselors working in the field and to gain some experience around patients. The program teaches students how to identify some of the mental issues facing people today and how to create a treatment plan based on the symptoms that patients exhibit. Some of the courses that counseling majors take include Introduction to Counseling, Adolescent and Adult Psychology, Marriage and Family Dynamics, Social Psychology and Human Growth and Development.

Students who studied counseling and psychology can apply to the university's Master of Science in Counseling program. The university accepts up to 20 credits of courses earned from other schools but requires that all other students take 48 credits of required courses and 12 credits of electives. Students can choose from six different concentrations that include general counseling, addiction counseling, mental and mood disorders and marriage and family therapy. Most of the courses are available online and run for eight weeks, but students will need to complete some one-week classes on the university's campus. The university asks that students do both an internship and a practicum too.

Undergrads can sign up for the university's accelerated counseling program. This allows them to earn both a BS and an MS in counseling in only five years. They will take 153 credits of courses, which will include required undergrad classes and the practicum and internship that is part of the graduate program. Students learn how to counsel others and qualify to get a state counseling license. The accelerated program includes courses such as Biblical Philosophy of Counseling, Ethics and Professional Orientation to Counseling, Abnormal Behavior and Marriage and Family Counseling.

About Clarks Summit University

Clarks Summit University is a private university in Pennsylvania. Established in 1932, its first campus opened in Johnson City, a small town in New York. The school was so small that it used the First Baptist Church and the resources offered by the church for its students. As the college grew, it added new buildings around that church to accommodate its students. That grow eventually led to the college moving to its current location, which is close to the city of Scranton. It chose this location in 1968 and opened for classes in 1972 as the Baptist Bible Seminary. The seminary added its first graduate programs near the end of the 1980s. This school would later become the Baptist Bible College and Seminary and the Summit University of Pennsylvania before becoming Clarks Summit University.

Now called both Clarks Summit and CSU, the university has a large campus that covers more than 140 acres. It's home to nearly 20 buildings and a small lake that offers recreational opportunities for students. The university also has athletic complexes that help students train and compete on its more than more than 10 teams. More than 40% of its students come from cities in Pennsylvania, but students also come from more than 20 other states. Those students make up the university's enrollment of more than 1,100. CSU offers both traditional and online programs for its students and has hybrid programs that include online learning and offline opportunities.

Clarks Summit University Accreditation Details

The Pennsylvania Department of Education granted Clarks Summit University approval for all of its degree programs. It also has Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) accreditation, which is the regional accreditation that allows the university to create financial aid packages for its students.

Clarks Summit University Application Requirements

CSU asks prospective students to fill out an information request form. An admissions counselor will then get in touch with the student to talk about what the university looks for in students and how they can apply. This form asks for contact information and the student's religious beliefs as well as what the applicant wants to study. The university can help students apply over the phone and tell them what documents they still need to submit. Students can apply for financial aid with help from a counselor too.

The university uses the same process for graduate students. Those students will fill out an information request form and then speak to an admissions counselor. CSU does not offer an online application because it requires that all students talk with a counselor and apply over the phone. Students may need to submit high school or college transcripts and a test score, but they may need to write an essay or provide letters of recommendation too. The essay allows students to talk about their own religious beliefs and how they will use their faith in college.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Part-time undergrads attending Clarks Summit University pay $710 per credit hour. Full-time undergrads pay close to $24,000 a year and can take a full 18 credit hours of classes for this price. The university estimates that on-campus residents will pay more than $6,000 a year for room and board. This includes the cost of a dorm room and a meal plan that gives them 21 meals a week. Its graduate programs charge similar rates. Undergrads receive a tuition guarantee when they start, which freezes their rate during all four years they remain in school.

CSU offers three academic scholarships for students with a high school GPA of at least 3.0. This awards students between $6,000 and $10,000 each year. It has a $1,000 to $10,000 scholarship for students who have a higher level of need and a matching scholarship program. This program will match any donation a student receives from his or her church up to $1,000. Another scholarship goes to graduates of the World of Life Bible Institute. CSU awards more than $5 million in funds to more than 98% of its students every year. Those who enroll in its counseling programs who also complete the FAFSA can qualify for federal and state aid too.