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 hurting people with an emphasis on marriage and family systems, 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 marriage and family counseling services
- 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 counseling 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.
Career Options
Those successfully completing the Master in Marriage and Family Counseling (MSMFC) may serve as mental health professionals in various career roles including but not limited to:
Marriage and Family Counselors and Therapists in a variety of inpatient (residential) and outpatient settings including:
- Public and Private Mental Health Centers and Clinics
- Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities
- Private Counseling Practices
- Psychiatric Hospitals
- Church-based Counseling Centers
- Wellness Centers
- Healthcare Facilities and Clinics
- Schools and Universities
*Clinical Supervisors for Mental Health Professionals in various disciplines
*Educators and Treatment Team members
The Master of Science in Marriage and Family Counseling degree is a licensure preparation program for those who wish to become Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs). In order to obtain such licensure, candidates must apply and meet full requirements of the Board of Licensed Clinical Social Work, Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy of the state of Florida or the equivalent counselor regulatory board in another state.
Program Summary
Total Credits – 63 credit hours
- Core Courses – 51 credit hours
- Experiential Courses - 12 credit hours (with 1000 hours of supervised internship experience)
Program Length – 24-months (6 semesters)
Program Delivery – Each semester typically includes 4 courses offered in a full 16 week semester
- in face-to-face format
- on 2 evenings per week
- two course sessions each evening
(During semesters of practicum and internship course work additional non-class hours are required on a weekly basis for practice at the site and for individual/triadic supervision.)
Entrance Requirements
Submission of the following with satisfactory evaluative scores on the admission rubric:
- Proof of a minimum GPA of 3.0 earned from a regionally accredited institution
- Resume
- 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 Official college transcripts
- Professional Reference
- Academic Reference
- Christian Character Reference
- An interview with the faculty of the graduate counseling programs, typically in group format with other applicants.
- Completion of undergraduate courses in areas below prior to enrollment:
- Introductory (General) Psychology
- Theories of Personality
- Psychology of Human Development (Developmental Psychology)
- Abnormal Psychology
Other Policies
Non-Degree Seeking Students
Students with existing graduate degrees may take certain courses as a non-degree seeking student with advanced approval of program faculty. This may appeal to those that need further graduate hours or courses to qualify academically to apply for license as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Contact the graduate admission office for details on applying as a non-degree seeking graduate student.
Transfer Credits
Graduate credit may be accepted from an accredited university with a CACREP-equivalent graduate program. Transfer credits must be from graduate level courses earned at an accredited university, less than 8 years old, and evaluated by program faculty as equivalent in content to SEU’s program courses. The student must request an evaluation of transfer credit as soon as possible so the determination of transfer credit can be completed before the end of the student’s first semester of enrollment in the program. Up to 15 credit hours are potentially acceptable for transfer into the degree program. They are typically limited to the following course content areas: Research Methods, Human Growth & Development, Assessment, Special Populations, Career Counseling, Substance Abuse, and Psychopathology. The Chair and faculty will evaluate and award transfer credit on a case- by-case basis.
Provisional Status
Applicants who score within a lower “provisional” range on the rubric for various reasons, which may include an undergraduate GPA below 3.0, may be accepted on a provisional basis if program faculty finds that students provide or display evidence suggesting that they will be successful in graduate work by virtue of their performance in the entire evaluation process. Students admitted in provisional status must earn at least a “B-” in each of their first four courses in the program, and proactively they are required to receive writing support services from the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) during the first semester in developing a written assignment of graduate level quality.
Additional Degree Requirements
In addition to successful completion of the required courses, students are required to complete the following prior to conferring of the MSPC degree:
- Complete the Comprehensive Professional Counseling Exam (CPCE)
- Successfully submit portfolio per program procedures and receive satisfactory evaluation from faculty
- Complete required hours of field experience (minimum 400 direct; 1000 total) during Practicum and Internship Courses.
Two Year Plan
Marriage & Family Counseling, Master of Science Two Year Plan
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