Marriage and Family Therapy, MA

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Adjunct Instructor Christy, Graduate Program Director, 516-463-5300

The Master of Arts program in marriage and family therapy provides the skills necessary to function as a marriage and family therapist. Marriage and family therapy is one of the fastest-growing mental health fields and focuses on the emotional life of the family unit rather than the individual client. The program combines classroom instruction with intensive field experience and includes supervision in a field setting. This program is registered by the New York State Education Department as licensure-qualifying, which means that all supervised client contact hours gained on the program can be counted toward the total required for licensure as a marriage and family therapist in the state of New York.

The program may be completed on a part- or full-time basis with courses offered during the fall, January, spring, and summer sessions. The program is designed to be completed in three years.

Admission Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with GPA of B (3.0) or better.
Bachelor’s degree in psychology, sociology, human development, family studies, behavioral sciences, human services, or similar discipline preferred (but not required).
Three (3) letters of recommendation.
Personal statement (approx. 1.5-2 pages) describing professional intent and pertinent information relating to one’s ability to be successful in the field of marriage and family therapy.
Personal interview by the director and, if possible, a member of the program faculty.
Personal experience in human services is highly desirable, but not required.

Note: The preferred application deadline for fall semester is August 15 and for spring semester is January 15. All others will be reviewed based on available space.

Prerequisite Requirements

Students may satisfy any or all of the prerequisites listed below by having completed courses in these areas as part of their undergraduate program at an accredited institution or by completing them at Hofstra. Prerequisite courses do not carry graduate degree credit toward this program.

Prerequisites: one course from each of the following areas, 9 s.h.

psychology
abnormal psychology
sociology or anthropology

Program Requirements - Semester Hours: 54

A. Personality, Behavior and Counseling - Semester Hours: 15

COUN 210 - Counseling and Helping Relationships Semester Hours: 3
MFT 260 - Sex Therapy Semester Hours: 3
MFT 204 - Individual and Family Life Cycle Development Semester Hours: 3
COUN 261 - Understanding Psychopathology in Counseling Semester Hours: 3
PSY 229 - Cognitive-Behavioral Counseling and Psychotherapy I Semester Hours: 3

B. Family Development and Counseling - Semester Hours: 18

MFT 205 - Multicultural Factors in Couple and Family Therapy Semester Hours: 3
MFT 238 - Couple Therapy Semester Hours: 3
MFT 239 - Families in Transition Semester Hours: 3
MFT 266 - Seminar: Family Therapy Semester Hours: 3
MFT 267 - Seminar: Family Assessment and Intervention Semester Hours: 4

C. Supervised Clinical Practice - Semester Hours: 12

MFT 269 - Practicum and Ethical Issues in Couple, Marriage and Family Therapy I Semester Hours: 3
MFT 270 - Practicum and Ethical Issues in Couple, Marriage and Family Therapy II Semester Hours: 3
MFT 298 - Supervised Internship in Couple, Marriage and Family Therapy I Semester Hours: 3
MFT 299 - Supervised Internship in Couple, Marriage and Family Therapy II Semester Hours: 3
Note: Professional liability insurance is required for students enrolled in the practicum and supervision sequences. Information on this will be provided at the orientation for MFT 269 . A child abuse workshop must be completed before commencement of MFT 269.

D. Research Methodology - Semester Hours: 3

RES 258 - Understanding Research Methodology Semester Hours: 3

E. Family Law and Ethics - Semester Hours: 3

MFT 241 - Family Law and Ethics Semester Hours: 3

F. Electives - Semester Hours: 3

One 3 s.h. course or two mini-courses (1.5 s.h. each) chosen under advisement.

Note: If you plan on practicing outside New York state, you may need to have completed 60 semester hours of coursework in MFT. In this case, two additional 3 s.h. electives are recommended.

Professional Behavior

Students must behave in an ethical and professional manner, as outlined in the guidelines for student conduct and academic honesty of Hofstra University, and as specified in the Code of Ethics of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Students must display emotional maturity, satisfactory interpersonal behavior, and professional demeanor in classes and meetings, and during practicum and internship. If a report of an ethics violation, or of interpersonal behavior that may be impeding professional growth and/or the adequate delivery of clinical services, is received regarding a student, the program director will convene a meeting of the core faculty of the program to discuss the report. After a faculty investigation, a finding will be issued that may clear the student of any wrongdoing or problem, place the student on probation with a plan for remediation, or dismiss the student from the program. A letter reporting the finding of the core faculty will be generated by the program director, and a copy will be sent to the student. If the decision is to dismiss the student, the Policy for Dismissal and Appeal of Dismissal from a Graduate/Post-Graduate Program will be followed.

Graduation Requirements

Completion of the 54 semester hours in the Master of Arts Program in addition to the prerequisites.
A minimum GPA of 3.0 in overall graduate course work.
A passing grade on the comprehensive examination (the examination can be taken twice only).
Completion of 300 direct client contact hours.

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