What you’ll learn in this article…
- Grief counseling is a specialization, not a standalone license.
- Licensure comes from a counseling or clinical social work master's.
- ADEC certifications carry the most recognition among clinicians and hospice teams.
A search for a "master's in grief counseling" mostly returns specialization tracks and certificates, not standalone licensure degrees. Grief counseling is a focus area layered onto a broader counseling or clinical social work credential, not a license you can sit an exam for on its own.
That distinction matters because it shapes what you should actually enroll in. A counseling certificate signals training in loss and bereavement; it does not qualify you to practice counseling independently in any state.
The ranked entries are 100% online, with no campus residency required. Beyond the list, the practical questions center on whether a program feeds into LPC or LMHC licensure, which accreditation to trust, real cost after aid, and how credentials like ADEC and AIHCP fit.
Best 100% Online Grief Counseling Programs
The programs below are fully online. Hybrid formats and anything requiring a campus residency are excluded, and the entries appear in the order our review supports. Before you scroll: none of the fully online options currently available here is a graduate certificate, master's or doctoral program in grief counseling. Every entry is an undergraduate degree in counseling, psychology or behavioral health, which is the foundation for the graduate clinical training where grief specialization actually begins.
Factors considered
- Pell enrollment share
- Tuition adjusted for local living costs
- Fully online delivery, no residency required
- Program relevance to grief and bereavement
- Institutional graduation and retention rates
- Federal College Scorecard outcomes data — collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Program-level records maintained in house
- Original research on individual programs
- National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS) covering graduation rates, retention rates and student-faculty ratios — nces.ed.gov
- Bureau of Economic Analysis cost-of-living index by state — bea.gov
Arizona State University
Arizona State University delivers its counseling and applied psychological science degrees entirely online in 7.5-week terms, with no entrance exam required and faculty who include APA Fellows and Fulbright scholars. Its bereavement connections run deeper than any other school in this list: the REACH Institute developed the Family Bereavement Program, and GrieveWell at ASU trains peer grief supporters. The university's graduation rate is not reported, so weigh this entry on program design and research ties.
- 100% online, 120 total credit hours across 40 courses
- 135 clinical hours plus a required capstone
- 7.5-week course terms built for working adults
- No entrance exam required; ACT and SAT scores optional
- Faculty include APA Fellows and Fulbright scholars
- Earned Admission pathway for applicants below standard requirements
- Diploma does not specify that the degree was earned online
- 3.0 GPA minimum
- Concentration in counseling military members and veterans
- Focus on military psychology and counseling
- Prepares graduates for careers in the VA system
- Hands-on internship required
- Asynchronous online classes with one spring start date per year
- 120 credit hours across 41 courses
- Capstone required
- Concentration in substance abuse and addictions
- Prepares students for the Licensed Addiction Counselor Technician credential
- 45 clinical hours
- Rolling admissions with multiple start dates
- Full-time and part-time options
- Prerequisite courses required
- No thesis or capstone required
BS in Counseling and Applied Psychological Science — Online
BS in Counseling and Applied Psychological Science: Counseling Military Members and Veterans — Online
BS in Counseling and Applied Psychological Science: Substance Abuse and Addictions — Online
New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University's Global Campus runs its counseling and community psychology degree fully online and asynchronously, with $395 per credit hour tuition, military benefits and internship opportunities inside a 120-credit plan. Coursework can count toward Substance Abuse Associate licensure, and the university's employee assistance resources include grief-and-loss counseling. About 55% of the university's students graduate.
- 100% online, asynchronous classes
- 120 total credit hours on a four-year plan
- $395 per credit hour
- Full-time and part-time options
- Internship opportunities available
- Coursework can count toward Substance Abuse Associate licensure
- Higher Learning Commission accredited
- Prepares graduates for graduate study in clinical mental health counseling
BS in Counseling and Community Psychology — Online
Pueblo Community College
Pueblo Community College's applied bachelor's in behavioral health, mental health and wellness pathway targets students heading into clinical and community settings. The 120-credit curriculum covers addiction, counseling techniques, group dynamics and trauma, ending with a behavioral health practicum and a mental health internship capstone. The college's health clinic partners with the local community health center, giving students exposure to a real referral network. About 31% of the college's students graduate.
- 120 total credit hours
- Pathway in mental health and wellness
- Behavioral Health Practicum plus a mental health internship capstone
- Coursework in addiction and substance abuse
- Covers counseling techniques and group dynamics
- Includes trauma understanding and whole person care
- Two concentration options
- Financial aid available
Bachelor of Applied Science in Behavioral Health, Mental Health & Wellness — Online
Southwestern Assemblies of God University
Southwestern Assemblies of God University offers its mental health counseling bachelor's degree online with an explicit integration of Christian faith and professional counseling practice. Crisis intervention and cultural issues anchor the coursework, and online students get tutoring, counseling support and one-on-one instruction. About 42% of the university's students graduate. It fits readers who expect to work in faith-based or community settings where spiritual care and grief overlap.
- Four-year online program with full-time and part-time options
- Integrates Christian faith with professional counseling skills
- Coursework in crisis intervention and cultural issues
- Tutoring, counseling support and one-on-one instruction for online students
- Career services provided
- Financial aid available
Bachelor's in Mental Health Counseling — Online
Avila University
Avila University's online psychology degree with a mental health concentration is built around working adults: 8-week courses, five start dates a year, $300 per credit hour, included textbooks and up to 90 transfer credits. Students complete 45 clinical hours in a field placement plus a capstone seminar, with coursework in abnormal psychology and substance use disorders. About 52% of the university's students graduate.
- $300 per credit hour
- 8-week courses with five start dates per year
- Transfer up to 90 credits; Prior Learning Assessment available
- Textbooks included in courses
- 45 clinical hours through a required field placement
- Capstone seminar required
- No entrance exam required
- 2.0 GPA minimum
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Mental Health concentration — Online
Waldorf University
Waldorf University's online-only psychology degree adds a mental health and counseling concentration covering psychological assessment, marriage and family counseling and addiction and rehabilitation. There is no thesis or capstone, and the program is positioned as preparation for graduate counseling programs rather than immediate clinical practice. About 21% of the university's students graduate, the lowest rate reported in this group.
- 120 total credit hours, online only
- Covers psychological assessment and marriage and family counseling
- Addresses addiction and rehabilitation
- No thesis or capstone required
- Full-time and part-time options
- 36 upper-division credit hours required
- C grade minimum in major courses; 2.0 GPA minimum
- Prepares graduates for graduate counseling programs
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Mental Health and Counseling concentration — Online
Daybreak University
Daybreak University offers a psychology degree with a counseling psychology concentration, plus general psychology and child, adolescent development and family studies tracks, all delivered by distance education. The institution is TRACS accredited and describes a Christian worldview orientation. Graduation rate data is not reported for this institution, so this entry rests on the program's own description. It suits readers wanting a small, specialized foundation before graduate study.
- Concentration in counseling psychology
- Also offers general psychology and child, adolescent development and family studies tracks
- TRACS accredited institution
- Distance education format
- Christian worldview emphasis
- Prepares students for advanced study in mental health counseling
B.A. in Psychology, Counseling Psychology concentration, Bachelor's — Online
How We Ranked These Grief Counseling Programs
Grief-specific counseling programs remain rare enough that most students end up choosing a broader mental health counseling degree and adding grief training later. That reality shaped this list: we ranked full online mental health counseling and psychology programs against a shared composite covering institutional accreditation status, net price after aid, graduation rate, fully online delivery, and program-level completions.
What the Numbers Actually Represent
Graduation rate and net price are institution-wide averages pulled from federal data, not figures specific to the counseling or psychology program itself. A school's overall completion rate and typical cost after aid tell you something about institutional stability and affordability, but they won't reflect outcomes for grief-focused coursework or concentrations specifically.
What This Ranking Doesn't Measure
We deliberately left out faculty reputation, student satisfaction surveys, and marketing claims made by admissions pages. Those inputs are subjective, inconsistently reported, and easy to spin. If a program's own site touts awards or rankings, treat that as marketing copy, not verified data.
How to Use This List
Treat your position on this list as a starting shortlist, not a final answer. Before applying, confirm with your state licensing board that the specific program and its practicum hours satisfy requirements for an LPC, LMHC, or equivalent credential in your state. Accreditation and licensure rules vary enough state to state that this step is non-negotiable.
Certificate Vs. Master's Vs. Doctorate in Grief Counseling
Grief counseling is a specialization, not a standalone license. That single fact explains why these three credentials do very different jobs. Read across the rows to see which one matches where you are right now.
Do Grief Counseling Programs Lead to LPC or LMHC Licensure?
The short answer: usually not on their own. Most grief-specific graduate work is a non-licensure specialization. If your goal is to sit for the LPC, LMHC, or LPCC exam, the reliable path is a counseling master's program or clinical social work master's that happens to carry a grief, bereavement, or thanatology concentration, not a stand-alone thanatology degree.
How boards actually read your transcript
State boards evaluate the degree title, the accreditation, the credit count, and the specific core courses on your transcript. Oklahoma is a useful example of the logic: the board must find that your master's is in counseling or a mental-health-related field and is substantially equivalent in content, with at least 60 semester credit hours and at least one three-credit course in each required core area. Nothing about a thanatology title triggers automatic acceptance. Most states land in the 48 to 60 graduate semester hour range, and Hawaii's mental health counselor route requires a regionally accredited degree of at least 48 semester credits plus a 300-hour practicum spread across two terms.
Where grief-titled degrees fail, it is almost always the same gaps: diagnosis and psychopathology, assessment, counseling theories, group work, career development, research methods, ethics, and a supervised practicum and internship. A death education, hospice, or pastoral-focused curriculum rarely covers all of that.
The CACREP factor for portability
Four states now require a CACREP-accredited degree to become a licensed professional counselor: Florida (effective July 1, 2025), Kentucky, North Carolina, and Ohio, though narrow grandfathering and transition exceptions exist. A second group, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Utah, accepts CACREP or a formally evaluated equivalent. In the 33-plus remaining states, CACREP is accepted but not mandated. With 40 jurisdictions having enacted the Counseling Compact as of August 2026, a CACREP degree is the cleanest way to keep future moves simple.
Verify before you enroll, not after
Email the licensing board in the state where you intend to practice, and confirm the counseling licensure requirements by state for your program. Attach the program's full course list and credit hours, and ask directly whether that curriculum satisfies their education requirement. Get the answer in writing before you pay a deposit.
Related Articles
Accreditation: CACREP, Regional Accreditors and the Red Flags
Accreditation is the single fastest filter for weeding out grief programs that will waste your money. Learn the two layers, use three free databases, and you can vet any school in under five minutes.
Institutional vs. Programmatic Accreditation
Institutional (regional) accreditation covers the whole school and is what allows credits to transfer and federal aid to flow. Edgewood University, for example, holds Higher Learning Commission accreditation, which applies to its M.S. in Thanatology by extension.1
Programmatic accreditation is narrower and discipline-specific. CACREP accredits counseling degree programs (as of July 2026, more than 969 programs at 483 institutions)2 and MPCAC accredits master's programs in psychology and counseling.3 In the MPCAC vs CACREP comparison, neither body accredits thanatology, bereavement, or grief certificates as a category, and the accredited unit is always a specific named degree, not a department. That is why grief-focused credentials almost never carry programmatic accreditation, even when the parent university is fully accredited.
The Five-Minute Verification
- CACREP directory: Search the exact degree title. If it is not listed among CACREP accredited counseling programs, the program is not CACREP-accredited, full stop.
- DAPIP (U.S. Department of Education): The primary federal lookup for institutional accreditation. Note that DAPIP data is self-reported by accreditors and is not audited4, so confirm dates directly with the accreditor.
- CHEA directory: Verifies whether the accreditor itself is recognized. CHEA and USDE recognition are separate checks.
Red Flags Among Grief Credential Providers
- "Nationally accredited" language with no accreditor named, or a body that does not appear in CHEA or DAPIP.
- Certifications issued by the same organization that sells the coursework, with no independent exam or review.
- Claims that a certificate "leads to" a grief counseling certification like ADEC's Certified Thanatologist when ADEC is a professional association, not an accreditor, and sets its own separate eligibility rules.1
The consequence of getting this wrong is concrete: credits from unaccredited coursework generally will not transfer into a licensure-track master's, and state counseling boards will not count them toward LPC or LMHC hour requirements.
What Grief Counseling Programs Cost and How Students Pay
Sticker tuition rarely matches what students actually pay, and that gap is exactly where grief counseling program comparisons go wrong.
Across the ranked online programs, the internal net price figures (an institution-wide average, not specific to the counseling program itself) span a wide range, from roughly $8,900 a year at New Mexico State to nearly $21,700 at Southwestern Assemblies of God. Pueblo Community College sits near the low end at about $12,000, while Avila and Waldorf land in the $16,000 to $19,700 band. Median debt at graduation follows a similar spread, from $10,000 at Pueblo Community College up to $25,000 at Avila. Program-level figures on the median 10-year monthly loan payment are not yet published for these schools, so treat any monthly-payment estimate you see elsewhere with caution until a program reports its own numbers.
Certificate vs. Full Degree Costs
A standalone grief counseling certificate is a different financial animal than a bachelor's degree or master's program. Certificates often run a few thousand dollars total and finish in months, not years, but non-degree certificates frequently fall outside federal financial aid eligibility. That means no subsidized loans, no Pell Grant, and often no deferred payment plan, so students pay out of pocket or through an employer. A full master's degree, by contrast, qualifies for federal aid and typically carries the debt loads shown above, spread across two to three years of enrollment.
Employer Tuition Support
Hospice organizations and hospital systems increasingly fund continuing education for staff pursuing grief-related credentials, since bereavement support is a licensed clinical need in end-of-life care. If you already work in hospice, palliative care, or a hospital behavioral health unit, ask HR about tuition assistance before enrolling. It is often the single biggest lever for cutting the real cost of a certificate or degree.
Grief Counseling Certifications: ADEC, AIHCP and What They Require
Grief certifications are credentials layered on top of a degree, not substitutes for one. The Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) credentials carry the most recognition among clinicians and hospice teams, while the American Institute of Health Care Professionals (AIHCP) route is built around completing its own coursework. Fees, renewal cycles, and whether an exam is required vary widely, so read the fine print before you pay.
| Credential | Issuing Body | Who Is Eligible | Exam / Training Requirement | Cost & Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certified in Thanatology (CT) | Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) | Candidates must verify prior experience and education in death, dying, and bereavement | Pass a certification exam measuring foundational knowledge of the field | Valid 3 years; renewal requires 45 contact hours of recertification activities before expiration plus a recertification application. ADEC states CT and FT share the same recertification cycle length, costs, and required CEUs; the CT renewal fee is not listed in the source reviewed |
| Fellow in Thanatology (FT), new applicant without current CT | Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) | Master's degree or higher in social, behavioral or health science, education, human services, or a related field (transcripts required), plus documented thanatology experience through paid work, supervised volunteer roles, or internships. A current CT is not required | Verify experience, education, and additional specified accomplishments through a professional portfolio and pass the certification exam | Application fee including exam and first 3-year cycle: $520 ADEC member, $739 non-member. Valid 3 years; renewal requires 45 contact hours and a recertification application |
| Fellow in Thanatology (FT), current CT holder | Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) | Current CT credential holders | Exempt from the certification exam | 2026 application fee including the first 3-year active cycle: $380 ADEC member, $599 non-member. Recertification cycle length, costs, and required CEUs match CT |
| Certified Grief Counselor | American Institute of Health Care Professionals (AIHCP), through the American Academy of Grief Counseling | Applicants completing the academy's required curriculum courses | Certification fee is separate from course costs and is due after all required curriculum courses are completed, submitted with the certification application. The source reviewed does not state an examination requirement | $220 plus shipping and handling for a 4-year term; recertification application $220 plus shipping and handling for the next 4-year period |
| Grief Support Practitioner Certification | American Institute of Health Care Professionals (AIHCP) | Must currently be Certified in Grief Counseling by the American Academy of Grief Counseling and hold a graduate-level college degree | Completion of the continuing-education program | $220 plus shipping and handling for a 4-year term; recertification application $220 plus shipping and handling for the next 4-year period |
| Neurodynamic Balance Grief Coach (INBGC) | International Neurodynamic Balance Grief Coach organization (INBGC) | N/A | Board examination; retakes $375 per attempt, additional practice-exam attempts $125 | Certification Path $3,750; Specialty Path $5,000. Renews annually at $495, with an ethics attestation and continuing education completed across a 3-year cycle |
| Certified Grief Facilitator | CareYears Academy | N/A | Renewal requires passing a renewal exam and maintaining active facilitation by hosting a support group during the renewal period | Valid 2 years; renewal fee $49 plus passing the renewal exam and hosting a support group |
A grief counseling credential is a specialization, not a license. It tells clients you have training in loss and bereavement; the license is what legally lets you practice counseling.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Do you already hold a clinical license, or do you need the degree that produces one?
Will your state board accept a grief-titled master's, or does it require a CACREP counseling degree?
Can you secure a supervised hospice or hospital placement where you live?
Is your goal clinical treatment, or support-group and coaching work that does not require licensure?
Grief Counseling Program Questions, Answered
These are the questions prospective students ask most often before committing money or time to a grief-focused credential. Read them alongside your target state's licensing rules, because the credential that fits a hospice volunteer coordinator is rarely the one that fits a future therapist.
- What is the best grief counseling certification?
- There is no single best grief counseling certification, because the right one depends on what you already hold. If you are a licensed clinician, a specialization credential documents advanced grief training on top of your license. If you are not licensed, a non-credit or CEU certificate documents specialized education but does not by itself establish eligibility for independent clinical practice. Match the credential to your existing scope, not to marketing language.
- What is the difference between a grief counselor and a grief coach?
- The difference is clinical licensure. A licensed grief counselor is a licensed mental health professional , such as a licensed mental health counselor , who can assess, diagnose, and treat loss-related conditions within the limits of a state license. A grief coach works nonclinically on adjustment, meaning-making, and daily functioning. The Board Certified Grief Coach scope excludes diagnosis, psychotherapy, and trauma or crisis care. "Grief coach" is also an unprotected title, while counselor practice is state-licensed and board-overseen.
- Is there free grief counseling certification or training online?
- Free introductory grief training exists, but a recognized certification generally does not come free. Short awareness-level trainings commonly run roughly 8 to 30 hours and can be a reasonable starting point for volunteers or peer supporters. Intensive certification pathways typically require 40 to 100 or more hours of instruction, plus a fee, and are the versions employers actually recognize on a resume.
- How long does a grief counseling certificate take to complete?
- Most non-credit certificates finish within a few weeks to a semester. Examples include a four-week childhood grief support certificate carrying 4.5 CEUs, an eight-week grief and bereavement specialist certificate carrying 9 CEUs, and a 40-hour online grief support specialist certificate worth 4.0 CEUs. Academic certificates take longer because they carry graduate credit, commonly in the range of 12 to 16 credits.
- Can I use an online grief counseling degree to get licensed in a different state than where the school is located?
- Often yes, but online delivery alone guarantees nothing. Licensure is granted by the state where you intend to practice, and that board evaluates your degree, credit hours, curriculum, practicum, and exam results. Newer standards typically require 60 semester hours, with some older or reciprocity pathways recognizing 48, plus supervised hours often near 3,000 (ranging roughly 2,000 to 4,000) and the NCE or NCMHCE. Confirm counseling licensure requirements before enrolling.
Best Master's in Counseling by State
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington DC
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
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