Marriage and Family Counseling, Master of Science

Program Overview

The M.S. in Marriage and Family Counseling is a 63-semester-hour degree that will academically prepare students to become licensed marriage and family therapists in the state of Florida. Students will learn how to sensitively address the emotional, mental, and spiritual needs of couples and families in distress, while maintaining a commitment to professional practice and service. In an educational environment that promotes active learning through the use of role-plays, case studies, demonstrations, and discussions students will:

• Integrate Christian belief and practice with the scholarship and professional standards of the mental health field.
• Develop the skills necessary to provide competent, balanced, and professional therapy services to couples and families
• Develop critical thinking and analysis skills and the knowledge needed to make ethical decisions.

Throughout this program students will:

• Integrate the principles of counseling with biblically informed values.
• Demonstrate collaborative and effective problem-solving skills using multiple theoretical approaches.
• Develop therapy skills that require the application of theory to a variety of counseling situations and settings.
• Apply acquired skills and techniques to actual counseling situations.
• Research contemporary issues in counseling to provide practical solutions, and communicate results through clear, concise and appropriate media.

Admission Requirements

• Written essay describing the current and future impact of your faith in your personal and professional life and the reason for your desire to pursue this degree.
• Proof of a minimum GPA of 3.0 earned from a regionally accredited institution
• Resume
• Official college transcripts
• Professional Reference
• Academic Reference
• Christian Character Reference
• Interview with the faculty of the graduate counseling programs typically in group format with other applicants.

Prerequisites Courses

Four prerequisite undergraduate courses are required for the M.S. degree programs in Counselor Education. All prerequiste courses (or content equivalent ones) must be completed prior to enrollment.

• PSYC 1133 Introduction to Psychology
• PSYC 2133 Theories of Personality
• PSYC 2343 Child and Adolescent Development or PSYC 2353 Adult Development and Aging.
• PSYC 3003 Abnormal Psychology

Two Year Plan

Marriage & Family Counseling, Master of Science Two Year Plan