Technical FAQs
Yes, all of our courses are online courses. We do not offer on-site classes at this time.
Online courses have been adapted from our live courses. Students participate through a virtual campus using a computer and internet connection. Students watch/listen to lectures, interact with fellow students through a community board, and complete weekly readings and assignments. Online courses run for 12 to 13 weeks.
We strongly recommend that you have access to and experience with a desktop or laptop (not just an iPad or mobile device) with internet access, as well as Microsoft Word or a word processor that can export files in a .doc or .docx format. We recommend using Google Chrome for your browser when accessing the SBC Online classroom.
Each week, you will watch or listen to a pre-recorded lecture. Though your weekly assignments are due by a certain date, you are free to watch or listen to your lecture at any time during the week that is conducive to your schedule.
Registration FAQs
The cost of our courses is $650 for a 3-credit course; $450 for a 2-credit course. You can audit a course for half the credit price; $325 for a 3-credit course and $225 for a 2-credit course. These fees do not include required textbooks. Students are not able to audit Essential Qualities of a Biblical Counselor.
There is no application process for our courses. Simply click here to be directed to our registration page. Choose the courses for which you would like to enroll (Dynamics of Biblical Change is required for all new students.), add the course to your cart and proceed to checkout. If you plan to pursue any of our three certificates, keep in mind that there is a 5-year time limit for completing the certificate once you begin. Click here to read more about our certificates.
Dynamics of Biblical Change is a prerequisite to all other courses in the program. Essential Qualities of a Biblical Counselor and Counseling Observation also require Helping Relationships (in addition to Dynamics of Biblical Change) as a prerequisite.
Although there is not a required sequence after Dynamics of Biblical Change, many students choose to continue working on courses within the Foundations certificate. Helping Relationships is a popular course to take next.
Students must begin their studies with CCEF by taking Dynamics of Biblical Change. After completing this course, you are permitted to take any CCEF courses that do not have other prerequisites. Note: Prerequisites will be noted for you on the individual course page. You can work on courses in multiple certificates simultaneously; however, you must earn the Foundations certificate before you can receive a Topics or Counseling Skills certificate.
All of our courses operate on an every-other semester rotation with the exception of Dynamics of Biblical Change, Helping Relationships, and Counseling in the Local Church. Click here to see a complete schedule of our course offerings.
Credit students complete weekly assignments and receive graded feedback from a Recitation Instructor. They are also eligible to earn CCEF certificates representing a completed course of study.
Audit students have the freedom to watch lectures and complete reading and writing assignments at their own pace for up to six months. However, auditors do not submit any work for grading or have access to a Recitation Instructor. While we encourage auditors to participate in community boards, we do not include auditors in Helping Relationships small groups. Audited courses do not count towards a certificate.
Our online semesters begin in January, May, and September. Please see our Registration & Schedule page for the official start date of our next semester.
Our registration deadlines are typically the 15th of the month prior to the semester start dates; December 15th, April 15th, and August 15th. These dates may vary if they fall on a weekend or holiday. Please see our Registration page for our current semester registration information. You may also access our tentative registration deadline schedule by clicking here.
The cost of our courses is $650 for a 3-credit course; $450 for a 2-credit course. You can audit a course for half the credit price; $325 for a 3-credit course and $225 for a 2-credit course. These fees do not include required textbooks. Students are not able to audit Essential Qualities of a Biblical Counselor.
CCEF is unable to accept payment for courses in installments. Payment must be received in full in order to reserve your space in a course.
CCEF is unfortunately not able to offer any scholarships or grants. If you are in need of financial assistance, encourage you to reach out to those in your community such as friends, family, or your church.
We also have special discounts available for families and church groups of four or more. Family members living in the same household and who take the same class for credit within a year may receive a family discount of 50% off of one registration. Contact Student Services to receive a registration coupon code for this discount.
Our current policy for group discounts is as follows: CCEF will offer $50.00 off the standard registration rate for each credit participant in a group of 4-9 students enrolled in the same course, and $100.00 off the standard registration rate for each credit participant in a group of 10 or more students. CCEF will offer $25.00 off the standard registration rate for each audit participant in a group of 4-9, and $50.00 off the standard registration rate for each audit participant in a group of 10 or more. Groups can be a mix of students taking the course for credit or audit.
If you wish to register a group of individuals, click here to be directed to our registration page. Click “Register” below the course in which you would like to enroll. The “Register” button will take you to our registration page. Once there, you will have the ability to enroll multiple students at once. Click “Add student” to add an additional student. When you are done adding students to your group, click “Continue to cart” to move to the payment page. If you have a group of four or more, contact Student Services ([email protected]) to receive your discount code prior to registering.
Certificate FAQs
The total cost of our certificate program is as follows:
Foundations of Biblical Counseling: $3,050.00
Topics in Biblical Counseling: $2,400.00
Counseling Skills & Practice: $1,605.00
Students who are working toward a certificate represent diverse backgrounds and ministry goals; they are pastors, youth ministers, counselors, small group leaders, lay-people, missionaries, businessmen and women, retirees, and more. If you are looking to become better equipped to parent, counsel, pastor, lead, and serve, these courses are what you need to grow in biblical wisdom and practical application.
Our certificates are divided into three categories - the Foundations of Biblical Counseling certificate serves as the Foundational platform for biblical counseling on which all other courses will build. The Topics in Biblical Counseling will focus on more specific counseling issues, philosophies, and methods. Counseling Skills & Practice will focus on the intricacies of biblical counseling as you observe CCEF faculty and counsel others in your group.
The certificate program provides a robust education. CCEF foundational courses explain what biblical counseling is, how biblical counseling happens, and the primary place biblical counseling happens. As students continue in the program, they are able to explore specific topics (for example: marriage, children and adolescents, addictions, depression, anxiety, etc.) in a deeper and more comprehensive way. CCEF’s certificate program can help train pastors and other ministry leaders, but can also assist those in a variety of lay ministry responsibilities.
CCEF’s education program is not accredited. Our certificate program’s focus is to equip counselors within a church context. However, some academic institutions do accept our coursework towards accredited degree programs.
CCEF is not a certifying agency. We do not “certify” or “endorse” counselors who have completed one of our certificates. A significant part of any professional certification process is supervised counseling to observe if a student is appropriately applying what has been learned, along with periodic recertification requirements. At this time, CCEF only awards a certificate of completion from our organization, representing that students have completed coursework within that certificate.
CCEF is not an accredited institution nor offers a degree program. It is the prerogative of an institution/seminary to acknowledge CCEF coursework towards a degree program. Please contact the Admissions or Registrar department of the school(s) you are considering to discuss the possibility of CCEF courses applying towards a degree program. If you need a record of your courses (course name, course dates, grade received), you can request an official transcript here.
If you wish to refer to yourself as a “certified counselor” or “certified biblical counselor,” you should pursue certification through an organization that provides certification. Some organizations will accept CCEF courses as part of their training requirement. Licensure as a professional counselor is offered through state agencies and typically requires a graduate degree from an accredited institution. Some of our students do go on to be licensed.
We are now partnering with WTS to offer a fully online Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling. You can find more information on their website: www.online.wts.edu.
Effective November 2018, there is no required timeframe for students to complete their requisite coursework within a certificate.
All three certificates can be completed in one calendar year. Most of our students take several years to complete all three certificates. If you have other responsibilities to prioritize (e.g., work, family, ministry duties), you should expect to take at least two years to complete all three certificates.
You will start by registering as a credit student for Dynamics of Biblical Change, which is our foundational course and part of the Foundations of Biblical Counseling certificate. All students are required to complete Dynamics of Biblical Change prior to all other coursework. This course is available every semester.
Students must begin their studies with CCEF by taking Dynamics of Biblical Change. After completing this course, you are permitted to take any CCEF courses that do not have other prerequisites. Note: Prerequisites will be noted for you on the individual course page. You can work on courses in multiple certificates simultaneously; however, you must earn the Foundations certificate before you can receive a Topics or Counseling Skills certificate.
We mail out certificates, signed by our faculty, three times a year. You must request a certificate via SBC Online at the end of your last course within a given certificate. Instructions to request a certificate are also available in SBC Online during the last week of your course. If you believe you did not receive a certificate that you have earned, please contact Student Services.
Please keep in mind that students must take courses for credit in order to earn a certificate. To learn more about the differences between credit and audit, see below. Also, students must earn a C- or higher in all required courses before CCEF will award the certificate.
Our transcript request form can be found here. Follow the instructions to have a transcript mailed directly to you or an institution.