Marriage and Family Therapy, MS

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Mission of the Program

With its roots in the mission and identity statements of Edgewood College, the Master’s Degree program in Marriage and Family Therapy is designed to advance professional competency in the field in a manner that fosters clinical proficiency, ethical sensitivity, respect for diversity, and dedication to service to the people in our communities.

Program Description

The Master of Science degree in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) is a 48-credit program of study. Included is a 12-month internship with a minimum of 500 clinical hours (300 direct and 200 ancillary) with individuals, couples, and families plus 100 hours of supervision. Students work with a variety of clients from the community, including families experiencing multiple systemic challenges.

The program’s basic orientation is the “General Systems” paradigm within which students are exposed to the structural, strategic, and systemic approaches, in addition to the other major modalities of the discipline. Trainees are encouraged to select and specialize in an approach that best fits their own clinical style.

The program emphasizes a broad blend of theoretical and therapeutic approaches, with a primary goal of clinical excellence in training in the field of marriage and family therapy. The program is based on national and state standards for course and clinical content, and will prepare students to apply for credentialing in Wisconsin as licensed marriage and family therapists.

Accreditation

The Marriage and Family Therapy Master’s Program is an accredited training program approved by the International Accreditation Commission for Systemic Therapy Education.

Admissions Requirements

Applicants for any of the student classifications except non-degree must meet all of the requirements for admission to the graduate programs.

1. Provide evidence of a baccalaureate or more advanced degree from a United States regionally accredited or equivalent postsecondary institution with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for regular admission status. The cumulative grade point average is computed on the highest degree held at the time of application to the Edgewood College graduate program.

2. Complete and submit graduate application (including $30 fee).

3. Request that official transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate academic credits received from any post-secondary institutions be sent directly to Edgewood College Graduate and Professional Studies.

4. The MFT Program Reference Form, must accompany two letters of recommendation from individuals qualified to comment on the candidate’s potential for success as a therapist.

5. The MFT program requires a two-page typewritten statement indicating motives and professional goals for pursuing a degree in MFT. The written statement should include:

• Interests and motivation for wanting to be a therapist

• Ability to succeed in graduate school

• What preparation, either through coursework, internship, volunteer work or job experience, has been undertaken that provides basic therapy skills.

6. Applicants must also submit a resume.

7. Applications will be reviewed upon completion. A follow-up interview may be requested by the program at that time.

• The Marriage and Family Therapy Program begins the fall of each academic year. It is a highly-competitive cohort-based graduate program with rolling admissions opening September 1st for the next year’s Fall cohort. Applicants are strongly advised to apply early as applications are reviewed and spots are filled throughout the year.

8. An Orientation Day for newly admitted students will be held in August.

Admission into the graduate program does not imply the right to admission into the clinical year. The last three semesters of the program contain clinical experiences. Students are separately reviewed for “readiness” for the clinical experiences during their second semester.

Residency Requirement

Of the degree requirements, a total of 33 graduate credits must be earned at Edgewood College to meet residency.

A student may submit up to 15 semester hours of graduate credit for consideration of transfer to Edgewood College for application to a degree program. Approval of the respective department is required. To be considered for application to a degree program, a course must have been taken within the past five years. For more information about transfer credits, students should contact their admissions counselor or advisor.

Background Check

All MFT program students must comply with the State of Wisconsin requirement for a Criminal Record Background Check. Students must have had this check successfully completed by the end of the first semester in the program to be allowed to continue in the program.

Credit Load

Full-time students in the Marriage and Family Therapy Program may carry up to twelve credits per semester.

With the clinical requirements of 12 consecutive months in a placement, the MFT Program is designed for the full-time or part-time student. Individuals who are already professionals in the field and do not need the clinical component but desire advanced education in family therapy may be admitted on a part-time basis with “non-degree seeking” classification (see Admissions ). Other applicants may be admitted on a part-time basis if space is available, with the recognition that they will need to complete the clinical requirement within the prescribed sequence of 12 consecutive months.

Clinical Placements

For their clinical year, students are encouraged to seek placements in agencies that would foster skills in areas of personal interest. The Family Center is an off-campus outpatient mental health center operated by the graduate program as a training facility and an outreach service of Edgewood College. It provides for low-cost, quality mental health services to the people of the greater Madison area and allows interns to experience working with individuals, couples and families facing a broad range of clinical concerns.

Graduation Requirements

To receive the Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy, students must have:

• Earned 48 credits in prescribed MFT courses
• Maintained a 3.00 grade point average in those courses
• Completed a minimum of 500 clinical contact hours (includes 300 direct contact hours of which 100 hours must be relational), plus 100 hours of supervision prior to graduation.

Student Advising

The primary responsibility of assuring proper sequencing of courses and for accurate and timely registration shall be the duty of the student. Verification of degree requirement completion shall be the duty of the Registrar’s Office.

Program, academic and career advising shall be the responsibility of the MFT Program Director and the faculty of the graduate program. It shall be the responsibility of all faculty in the MFT program to monitor and assess student mastery of course material in developing clinical competency, emotional stability and maturity. It is the obligation of each faculty member to meet with a student as early as possible in a course or semester if the faculty member has a concern about the student’s mastery of coursework or overall aptitude or emotional readiness to be a clinical therapist.

Due to the important consideration that needs to be given to the potential clients with whom students will be working in the clinical experience, each student will be evaluated for personal and professional competence and for suitability for clinical placement by the MFT program faculty in the semester before clinical placement. This should be a natural outgrowth of the close contact and communication that has occurred with each faculty member as the student progresses through the semesters.

Admission into the MFT graduate program does not imply a right to admission into the clinical experience. If the student has not demonstrated sufficient mastery of course and clinical skills, or if the student’s emotional stability and maturity create a concern about ability to work with clients effectively and professionally, the student will be denied admission to the clinical experience.

Even after the student is admitted to the clinical placement, the on-site supervisors, in communication with the Program Director, may determine that the student does not have sufficient entry-level mastery or stability to work in the agency. In such cases, students would be withdrawn from the clinical experience. The Program Director would then advise the student on the necessary steps for reinstatement into the clinical portion of the program. Remedial coursework, training experience or personal or family therapy are options the Program Director might suggest. All remedial options are the student’s responsibility to initiate and verify to the satisfaction of the Program Director and any expenses incurred are the obligation of the student. Failure to be admitted to and complete the clinical experience necessarily precludes completion of the degree.