Wartburg College

Psychology and Counseling Degrees at Wartburg

Wartburg College appears in our ranking of the Top 25 Small Colleges for a Counseling Degree.

In Rada Aleff Center, the Social Sciences Department grants the Psychology B.A. for Wartburg College undergrads to develop a broad-based command of behavioral theories for human services application. Headed by Dr. Shaheen Munir, the 11-credit, project-based major follows APA guidelines in interactive courses like Biology of the Mind, Social Psychology, and Life Span Development at an 11:1 student-professor ratio. Some take the Psychology Teaching (5-12) B.A. track for secondary Iowa teaching endorsement. Starting in Fall 2018, Wartburg will offer a Master of Arts in Music Therapy for integrating melodic sound into counseling interventions too. The 12.5-credit curriculum organized by Dr. Doug Koschmeder has AMTA-accredited courses from Ethnomusicology to Applications of Memory and Clinical Pathophysiology. Professional portfolios for CMBT certification are built with a practicum at the Waterloo Center, Kessel Kids Center, Mercy Medical Center, and others.

About Wartburg College

Wartburg College was originally founded in 1852 in Saginaw, Michigan, by Bavarian pastor George M. Grossmann for teacher training with an inaugural class of five. From 1853 to 1935, the school named for Martin Luther's Reformation sanctuary in Eisenach moved repeatedly to Dubuque, St. Sebald, Galena, Mendota, and Clinton. Merged with St. Paul College, Wartburg officially settled its 118-acre Bremer County home in Iowa's Waterloo-Cedar Falls Metro before WWII. First accredited in 1948, Wartburg College built the famed Liemohn Hall of Music eight years later. Endowed for $64.2 million, Wartburg now serves 1,527 Knights, including Psychology and Music Therapy majors, from 55 nations for 88 percent retention. Linked to 9,676 LinkedIn alumni, Wartburg College has provided nonprofit, Lutheran education to Coleen Rowley, Paul Schell, Jack Salzwedel, Sarah Corpstein Romaine Foege, and more.

The U.S. News & World Report ranked Wartburg the 128th best national liberal arts college and 144th top high school counselor pick. On Niche, Wartburg is America's 123rd best free application school, 123rd best Christian university, 290th top small college, and 424rd most active campus. Money magazine placed Wartburg College 450th with an average alum salary of $39,800. The Princeton Review honored Wartburg in its "Guide to 375 Green Colleges." Times Higher Education crowned Wartburg the country's 371st best institute. College Factual deemed Wartburg the 11th best ECLA school, 49th best psychology value, and 283rd most male/female diverse campus. WalletHub recognized Wartburg College for the 177th best faculty resources and 168th best outcomes.

Wartburg College Accreditation Details

In June 2017, Wartburg College underwent a comprehensive evaluation and set up a three-year assessment plan with the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (HLC-NCA) to retain Level III accreditation through 2027 under its 17th president, Dr. Darrel Colson. Located 334 miles east via Interstate 80 in Chicago, this mega 19-state Great Lakes accreditor is authorized by the U.S. Department of Education to ensure standards compliance for Wartburg's one master's and 54 bachelor's majors, including Psychology. The Iowa Campus Compact member holds programmatic approval from the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). Certain Wartburg courses are accredited by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) too.

Wartburg College Application Requirements

Classified as "moderately difficult" by Peterson's, Wartburg College accepted just 2,749 of the 4,028 applicants in Fall 2016 for selective 68 percent admission. First-year Knights marching toward the Psychology B.A. need to satisfy the accredited high school curriculum requirements. The prerequisites are four units of English, three units of social sciences, two units of foreign language, and three units of math like Algebra II. GED students are only considered with a test composite of 500 or higher. Holding a minimum 2.5 GPA in grades 9-12 is expected. One-third of admitted freshmen rank in their class's upper 10th percentile. Scoring at least 790 on the SAT or 18 on the ACT is also mandatory. Undergrads with previous Wartburg-equivalent college courses graded above "C-" can transfer. An accredited associate carries 18 credits over. The M.A. in Music Therapy requires a minimum 3.0 bachelor's GPA and competency tests in guitar, piano, or voice.

Wartburg College has created an Early Action deadline of December 1st with rolling admission thereafter. Note the Scholars Program for entrants meeting the 3.5 GPA and 26 ACT score has an April 1st deadline though. Interested Psychology B.A. majors file the Common Application or First-Year Student Application online. The Graduate Application for M.A. in Music Therapy candidates is separate online. Official documents are mailed confidentially to 100 Wartburg Boulevard in Waverly, IA 50677. Please contact (800) 772-2085 or [email protected] for further inquiries. Future counselors are advised to submit the following:

• Official secondary or college transcripts
• Copies of entrance tests, including TOEFL
• General Educational Development certificate
• Two recommendations from faculty/advisors
• Typed purpose statement of one to three pages
• Curriculum vitae or resume of achievements
• CBMT board certification or eligibility evidence

Tuition and Financial Aid

For 2018-19, Wartburg College is billing full-time Psychology B.A. majors $20,110 per semester or $40,220 yearly. The Des Moines Urban Studies program adds $3,430 each term. Undergrads pay the $1,060 student services fee. An indemnity deposit of $200 is refunded upon graduation. Living at the Waverly campus dorms' like Grossman or Clinton Hall costs $4,130 to $6,770 for housing. General yearly dining plans are priced at $4,920. Leave budget space for the $410 music fee, $100 internship fee, $90 parking fee, and $410 independent study fee. Book expenses from September to May total roughly $1,100. Annual bachelor's attendance equals $51,878 on-site and $41,130 with family. The M.A. in Music Therapy will charge graduates $2,100 per course credit.

According to the NCES College Navigator, 96 percent of full-time Wartburg Knights claim $39.42 million combined for mean financial aid amounts of $27,841 each. University funds include the Regents Scholarship, McElroy Scholarship, Slife Scholarship, Meistersinger Music Scholarship, Presidential Scholarship, State Pageant Award, Legacy Grant, Worth It Week Award, and Music Ensemble Grant. The AmeriCorps Matching Grant times full-time volunteer benefits by two. Children of ELCA college staff receive eight terms of tuition coverage. The Education Partners in Covenant program also gifts $750 to Lutheran congregants. The Yellow Ribbon Program gives veterans 50 percent more than GI Bill benefits and $1,000 book stipends. Filing the FAFSA form coded 001896 could open Federal Pell and FSEOG Grant money. Fellow Hawkeyes pursue the Iowa Tuition Grant, Gear Up Iowa Scholarship, All Iowa Opportunity Foster Care Grant, and more. Wartburg campus employment also adds up to $2,500 in Federal Work-Study earnings.

Learn more about Wartburg College at the Social Sciences Department website.