MA Curriculum and Accreditation

Master of Arts in Counseling

MA in Counseling students usually begin their studies in August (Fall 1) or January (Spring 1). The program consists of 16 courses: 13 core courses, including a thesis and three electives chosen from a menu of six. All courses take place in the evening. Blended Learning (combining face-to-face with remote learning) is offered to students from Zurich.

Full-time students take two classes per term and graduate in about two years; part-time students take one class per term and typically finish in three to four years. Students can shift between full- and part-time study, fitting the program around their personal and professional schedules.

Applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university and demonstrate either relevant prior learning or professional experience. If the student's undergraduate degree is not in psychology, then six prerequisite courses in psychology must be undertaken before beginning the program. English language proficiency must also be documented during the admissions process. Candidates who meet the general criteria will be invited for an interview (in person or by videoconference).

Webster University carries full international accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Students at Webster Geneva Campus therefore earn the same degree that is awarded in the United States. In addition, the MA in Counseling is accredited by the Swiss Association for Counselling/Die Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Beratung (SGfB).

Core Courses (10 courses)

  • Foundations of Counseling: The Helping Relationship
  • Human Growth and Development
  • Social and Cultural Foundations of Counseling
  • Theories of Counseling
  • Assessment
  • Techniques of Group Counseling
  • Lifestyle and Career Development
  • Professional Orientation and Ethical Practice
  • Research and Program Evaluation
  • MA Counseling Thesis

Core Field Experience Courses (3 courses)

  • Counseling Learning Practicum (100 hours)
  • Internship 1 (300 hours)
  • Internship 2 (300 hours)

Example elective courses (choice of three courses)

  • Psychopathology
  • Substance abuse
  • Grief and bereavement
  • Marriage and family
  • Trauma, crisis, and emergency relief
  • Mind and body

The Psychology and Counselling Department at Webster Geneva Campus is a research intensive one with our faculty, students and alumni joining an international community of dedicated researchers and practitioners. You can find out more about our main lines of research by visiting the Psychology and Society Group.

Xiaoxuan Qu
Alumni Success - XIAOXUAN QU

“The master degree in Counseling at Webster was an excellent program where one would find oneself exposed to diversity and depth in both learning and living.”

Xiaoxuan Qu
“Find out who you are and the kind of person you would like to develop into, then follow your heart, and as you move forward, you will find people alike. This was the most valuable lesson I took away from my dear Webster Counseling faculty.”

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