Counseling and Psychology at Bethel
Bethel Seminary appears in our ranking of the Top 25 Most Affordable Master’s Degrees in Counseling in the West
Bethel Seminary offers two psychology programs for undergrads. Students can major in general psychology or focus on neuroscience. Many students major in psychology and minor in neuroscience. The psychology program teaches students how to analyze behavior, conduct their own research and use different types of psychology like developmental and social psychology. Those in the neuroscience program will take a larger number of science and research classes. Most of the graduates of the neuroscience science program study at the graduate level.
Bethel also offers multiple graduate programs that include a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy. This program features 65 credits of classes and practicum work that students can finish in three years. It's only available through the Bethel campus in San Diego, California. Students take classes at night to finish their degrees. They generally spend two years taking classes and then a final year doing fieldwork. This Bethel program teaches students how to use their faith when helping others.
A Master of Arts in Counseling program is also available from this school. Classes meet on the St. Paul campus. Like the marriage and family program, this one features evening classes that allow students to hold down full-time jobs at the same time that they work on their degrees. Bethel helps students learn more about clinical mental health counseling and the challenges that they'll face in the field. The counseling program features 60 credits of classes that include Individual and Family Assessment, Theories and Techniques of Counseling, Professional Orientation and Ethics and Child and Adolescent Counseling. Bethel also expects students to do 600 hours of fieldwork to complete two internships and to do a practicum.
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About Bethel Seminary
Bethel Seminary is a branch of Bethel University, which is a private university in Minnesota. Founded in 1871 as a Baptist seminary, it opened in Chicago. Though it only offered classes for immigrants during its early years, it later changed its admissions policy and welcomed other types of students. The school moved to Minnesota later on after merging with the Bethel Academy, which led to the new school adopting the Bethel name. Known as Bethel Junior College for many years because it only offered lower level classes, the school became Bethel College and Seminary in the 1940s and then Bethel University in more recent years. Some students still refer to its campus as Bethel Seminary.
The College of Arts & Sciences is the school's most popular college. It offers more than 80 majors for undergrads and more than 40 minors. Students can also enroll in a pre-professional program if they want to attend medical school or another professional school later. Its College of Adults & Professional Studies offers programs designed for students returning to school, but it also has doctoral, graduate and certificate programs available. Classes meet on its Minnesota campus and on a campus in California as well as online. Bethel has an enrollment of more than 6,500 students.
Bethel Seminary Accreditation Details
Both Bethel Seminary and Bethel University have accreditation. The seminary has accreditation from the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools, but the university has regional accreditation from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS). The Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education also accredited its marriage and family counseling program.
Bethel Seminary Application Requirements
Like other colleges today, Bethel Seminary offers an online application. Students can use one application when applying to an undergrad program and a second when applying to a graduate program. They can create their own accounts based on the usernames and passwords that they select. This gives students the chance to take their time and ensure that they fill out the application correctly. Neither application requires that students pay a fee when submitting their applications.
A unique aspect of the application is that it asks students to write a personal statement. They must write about their faith and what it means to them. Even those applying to a nonreligious program must complete this step. The school asks for transcripts and test scores from all prospective undergrads. They can submit scores from the CLT, SAT or ACT.
Graduate students must use the online application and write their own personal statements. These statements can explain how the students plan on using their faith when working in the counseling field too. The school may ask for a GRE score or an official score from another graduate test. Students must submit official transcripts too. Their transcripts should show their grade point averages and list all the courses they took as undergrads. Bethel allows students to submit an official transcript later and provide an unofficial transcript during the application process. Prospective counseling majors may need to submit a resume and an essay or goals statement also.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition for full-time undergrads is $37,140 per year. This allows students to take 12 to 18 credits during each of the school's two main semesters. Part-time students pay $1,550 per credit hour for any of the classes that they take. The school estimates that full-time students pay around $47,000 a year, which includes tuition, room, board and all miscellaneous fees. Graduate students enrolled in a counseling program will pay $582 per credit hour. Those students also face some miscellaneous fees, and they are responsible for covering all their education and living expenses too.
Bethel knows that the cost of attending a private university is higher than the cost of attending a public school, which is why it offers a range of financial aid packages. Those packages significantly bring down tuition costs and make the school more affordable. The information that students put on the FAFSA will determine what financial aid they get. Both undergrads and graduate students can qualify for federal student loans, but the amount they can borrow will depend on their year in school. Bethel Seminary also offers grants and scholarships to incoming students and allows them to apply for jobs on its Minnesota and California campuses.