Program Requirements
- The Master of Science in Marriage and Family Counseling/Therapy degree consists of 67 semester hours of course work, 500 hours of face-to-face direct-client-contact counseling/therapy (with at least 200 hours being with couples, families and/or relationships), and 100 hours of faculty supervision. Recommendation for the granting of the MSMFCT degree requires the completion of prescribed course work with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and completion of the client contact and supervision hours. Students seeking to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Arkansas, and other states, are encouraged to take six additional hours to meet the LPC academic requirements.
- Prior to beginning practicum/internship, the student’s progress is reviewed by the MFCT faculty and, should there be a need, options are suggested, e.g. additional course work, timeout from the program for personal growth experiences, reconsideration of vocational plans and academic alternatives, withdrawal from the program permanently or for a given period of time. Students will be notified, in writing, if additional preparation is required prior to beginning practicum.
- Clinical training integrates didactic and clinical material. Each of the required practicum/internship consists of a part-time clinical experience which is completed concurrently with didactic course work. A practicum typically results in includes direct client contact hours and such activities as supervision, staff meetings, community relations, and record keeping. Students are required to successfully complete three semesters (one year) of practicum with a minimum grade of A or B.
- Near the end of the summer semester in which the student is enrolled in practicum, the student is formally evaluated by the MFCT faculty with regard to personal preparedness for and admission to internship. The faculty reviews such attributes as personal openness and maturity, motivation, ability to utilize supervision and establish clinical relationships.
- In addition to completion of course work and 500 hours of counseling/therapy, students are required to demonstrate pre-professional competence in the following areas before final approval for graduation: personal maturity and integrity, adherence to Harding University’s Code of Conduct, conceptual understanding of personal and interpersonal behavior, familiarity with marriage and family theory and counseling literature, coherent therapeutic methodology, insight into own personality, and sound ethical judgment culminating in a satisfactory practicum/internship experience.
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