Bachelor’s Degrees in Counseling

If you have a calling to help others affected by social, emotional, psychological or behavioral issues, you may consider enrolling in one of our undergraduate counseling programs. These programs are designed to provide you with the tools and knowledge you need to pursue graduate-level studies or various positions in the mental health field, where you can help make a difference in the lives of others.

Benefits of Pursuing Your Bachelor’s in Counseling

Earning your undergraduate counseling degree can help you turn your passion for helping individuals better their lives into a career. While completing your degree, you will work to gain and develop skills that are relevant to the counseling field, such as critical thinking, decision-making, social and cultural awareness and being able to assess various mental and emotional states.

Additionally, careers in mental health counseling are expected to see growth over the next decade. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook estimates job growth for substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors to increase by about 18% from 2022 to 2032, much faster than average, accounting for an estimated increase of 71,500 jobs in the field.1

Available Campus or Online Programs

Various modality options are available to all students, allowing you the opportunity to gain a comprehensive counseling education in a way that best suits your lifestyle. Explore our different degree modalities to find the option that makes the most sense for you:

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Explore Undergraduate Counseling Programs at GCU

Whether you are looking to pursue a counseling, social work or behavioral health science major, GCU offers various options that may be ideal for you as you begin your journey into the counseling field.

Bachelor’s degrees in behavioral health science are available with a variety of specific emphasis options to present you with an opportunity to cater your undergraduate studies to your career interests.

BS in Behavioral Health Science and Emphasis Options

Specialize Your Counseling Degree With an Emphasis

Counseling degrees offered with an emphasis can present you with a chance to further explore and understand various areas of the counseling field, allowing you to better help serve your clients.

BSW Major: Building a Better Tomorrow

By studying social work, you have the opportunity to develop the various skills needed to help serve a diverse population of families, individuals and communities.

Counseling Coursework

Undergraduate degrees in behavioral science and counseling will cover topics that are critical to understand as you enter into the behavioral health field. For emphasis programs, you will have specific courses that dive deeper into key topics specific to your focus area. Some examples of topics covered in these different degree programs include:

  • Counseling theories
  • Human development
  • Trauma
  • Behavioral health science ethics
  • Group dynamics and processes
  • Addiction and substance use disorders
  • Abnormal psychology
Male and female bachelor's counseling degree students holding hands during assignment

 

GCU is an institutionally accredited university, receiving continuous accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission since 1968. Our accreditation status reflects our dedication and commitment to offering all our students a quality education, no matter whether you complete your classes online or on campus.

There are certain educational requirements in place that you must meet in order to be eligible for our undergraduate counseling programs. Learn more about our undergraduate admissions requirements and fill out the form on this page to speak with a university counselor.

 

Related Minors for Undergraduate Counseling Majors

Pairing one of the counseling and psychology minors offered by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences can also be a great asset to other bachelor’s degree programs that you may choose to pursue. There are a variety of minor options available, ranging from behavioral health sciences to forensic psychology. Each of these can provide you with additional knowledge that may further benefit you as you prepare for a career in any field.

 

Bachelor’s in Counseling Program FAQs

If you’re looking to enroll in a counseling bachelor’s degree, you may have some additional questions. Read through some commonly asked questions to learn more about different career and degree options.

There are many different options for undergraduate counseling programs. GCU offers bachelor’s degrees in behavioral health science, counseling and social work — all of which can help you to break into the field of behavioral health and counseling. These programs all cover a similar range of topics that can prepare you for the field after graduation or further advanced studies in counseling or behavioral health.

Both psychology and counseling bachelor’s degrees are viable options for those looking to become a therapist. You may choose an undergraduate program that reflects the type of therapy or counseling work you wish to do in the future. Review the requirements for your ideal therapist or counseling position and see what is recommended. Many pursuing this career path may choose to attend graduate school and obtain licensure, in which case, a bachelor’s degree in a related field is required.

Aspiring counselors will need to first earn their undergraduate degree. This undergraduate degree can be in areas such as behavioral health science, social work, psychology or counseling. After earning your degree, you should then explore different entry-level counseling careers, such as substance use, behavioral disorder and mental health counseling positions. While earning your master’s degree is not required for all counseling positions, it may be a requirement for specific types of counseling jobs and may also enhance your earning potential and eligibility for other career options.2 Keep in mind, there may be licensure requirements for various counseling positions as well.

Online degrees have the capability to provide you with a quality education by offering a curriculum that is specifically designed to deliver course materials effectively through an online format. It’s important to ensure the university offering the degree is properly accredited, as that speaks to the quality of the programs it offers more than the modality itself.

18%

Estimated job growth for substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors expected from 2022 to 20321

$53,710

Average median annual wage for substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors, as of May 20233

Career Possibilities With a Counseling Bachelor’s

Those with a bachelor’s degree in counseling, behavioral health science or social work may choose to pursue various entry-level opportunities after graduation. Different job possibilities may include:

  • Substance use and behavioral disorder counselors
  • Mental health counselors
  • Counselors
  • Mental health and substance use social workers

These career options all provide you with the opportunity to use the knowledge you’ve gained throughout your degree to help improve the lives of others who suffer from psychological, behavioral, social and emotional issues.

Male bachelor's counseling degree graduate meeting with family during shadowing session

Student Resources and Support

As a student at GCU, you have access to valuable resources and a community of support to assist you as you complete your program. Take advantage of the resources offered by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, as well as online resources that may be useful for all students.

1 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder and Mental Health Counselors as of May 2023, retrieved April 24, 2024. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors, nor does it reflect earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc., against a pool of candidates.

2 Browne, A. D. (2023, May 18). How to become a counselor. BestColleges. Retrieved April 10, 2024.

3 COVID-19 has adversely affected the global economy and data from 2020 to 2022 may be atypical compared to prior years. Accordingly, data shown is effective September 2023, which can be found here: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder and Mental Health Counselors, retrieved on April 10, 2024.

Enroll in a Counseling Program at GCU Today!