Marriage and Family Counseling/Therapy, EdS

Mental Health and Wellness Mission Statement:

The mission of Harding’s Mental Health and Wellness program is to prepare counselors to provide caring, compassionate and competent counseling services in a variety of settings to a diverse population. To that end, students will be provided with current, practical, and ethical education consistent with Harding’s Christian foundations equipping them to be effective counselors capable of facilitating health change, growth and development.

Program Overview:

This 15 Hour Ed.S. degree in Marriage and Family Counseling/Therapy prepares candidates in advanced knowledge and skills to become leaders and practitioners in the field of marriage and family counseling/therapy. This degree is designed to provide advanced training, licensure support, and credentialing in a related field separate from the master’s degree. The program includes classroom and field experiences that develop competency in advanced systems based counseling/therapy. Candidates are equipped with strategies including systemic, cognitive, affective, or behavioral interventions that address wellness, personal growth, crisis and mental health including pathology.

This degree may provide additional support for professional credentialing as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist for individuals seeking licensure.

Admission Requirements for the Ed.S. in Marriage and Family Counseling/Therapy:

Applicants for the Ed.S. must:

1. Hold a master’s degree in a counseling related field [48 credit hours minimum]. Leveling hours may be required if master’s or credit equivalent hours total less than 48 or do not meet CACREP core requirement.
2. Have a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 on all graduate work.
3. Successfully complete the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) with a minimum score of 385 or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) with a minimum score of 900 in combined verbal and quantitative scores on the GRE tests taken prior to August 1, 2011. On GRE tests taken on or after August 1, 2011, the required score for the combined verbal and quantitative will be 286. When requesting the score from the Educational Testing Service please reference Harding University code 6267.
4. Abide by the university Code of Conduct. Counseling students must also abide by the Graduate Policies and Procedures and the Mental Health and Wellness Handbook.

Application procedure for individuals not previously enrolled in graduate studies at Harding University:

1. Applicants are required to submit a Graduate College Application Service (GradCAS) application via the GradCAS website.
2. Candidates will need to go to this website and complete the web application, submit GradCAS application fees, and send official transcripts from each university attended to GradCAS.
3. In addition, applicants must submit letters of reference that focus on the applicant’s academic and professional abilities.
4. Applications must include a professional resume.
5. Applicants must complete a personal interview with the professional counseling faculty. The interview will include a writing prompt and assessment of the candidate’s professional objectives, professional commitment, level of self-awareness, and compatibility with the counseling program.

Application Review and Selection of Candidates

Each applicant will be interviewed by the program area graduate faculty. This interview will determine the candidate’s professional objectives, professional commitment, and the compatibility of the program with his or her goals and interests. The applicant must complete an impromptu writing sample at the time of the interview.

The chair of Mental Health and Wellness or the director of each specific program may request additional information from the applicant prior to final approval for admittance to the specialist program.

Other Program Requirements:

Upon acceptance into the program, students must consult with the director or assigned advisor of their program concerning the required course of study, register for classes on line through Pipeline each term, and complete financial registration with the Business Office online.

Written comprehensive exams are required for all education specialist programs.

All requirements of the program must be completed within eight years from the time of acceptance into the program. Course work that is taken more than eight years before graduation will not be accepted.

International Students:

Students who (1) speak English as a second language, and have (2) not previously completed an undergraduate degree from an institution within the United States accredited by an agency nationally recognized by the US Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation must meet a minimum score on a nationally recognized test of English language proficiency such as the TOEFL or IELTS. 

Minimum TOEFL scores acceptable for admission to the university are 550 (paper-based test), 213 (computer-based test), or 79 (internet-based test). The minimum IELTS score is 6.0. Scores must not be older than two years prior to the date of application to the university. Please note that individual programs may have more stringent minimum requirements.

Academic Standing Requirements

These requirements are common to all programs in education and are listed in the Cannon-Clary College of Education section. MHW students should refer to their student handbook for program requirements.