Marriage and Family Therapy, M.A.

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Adjunct Assistant Professor Simon, Graduate Program Director, (516) 463-4622

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

1.    Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with GPA of B (3.0) or better;
2.    GRE score of no less than 500 on the verbal section of the exam;
3.    Two letters of recommendation;
4.    Written statement of professional goals as a marriage and family therapist;
5.    Personal interview by the director and, if possible, a member of the program faculty.

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 - Sexual Issues in Marriage and Family Therapy Semester Hours: 3
MFT 204 - Individual and Family Life Cycle Development Semester Hours: 3
MFT 206 - Overview of the DSM for Mental Health Professionals Semester Hours: 3
or
COUN 261 - Understanding Psychopathology in Counseling Semester Hours: 3
PSY 229 - Cognitive-Behavioral Counseling and Psychotherapy Semester Hours: 3

B. Family Development and Counseling - Semester Hours: 18

MFT 205 - Historical and Sociocultural Aspects of Family Development and Theory Semester Hours: 3
MFT 238 - Couple Therapy Semester Hours: 4
MFT 239 - Families in Transition Semester Hours: 3
MFT 266 - Seminar: Family Therapy Semester Hours: 4
MFT 267 - Seminar: Family Assessment and Intervention Semester Hours: 4

C. Supervised Clinical Practice - Semester Hours: 12

MFT 269 - Practicum and Ethical Issues in Marriage and Family Therapy I Semester Hours: 3
MFT 270 - Practicum and Ethical Issues in Marriage and Family Therapy II Semester Hours: 3
MFT 298 - Group Supervision in Marriage and Family Therapy I Semester Hours: 3
MFT 299 - Group Supervision in 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); and
•   Completion of 300 direct client contact hours.

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