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Our Mission
The mission of the Department of Marriage and Family
is to prepare men and women for service in the fields of marital and
family therapy, family life education, and marriage and family studies. We seek to accomplish this mission by offering an educational
environment that fosters integrity and Christian vision. We prepare
Christian men and women with clinical skills for licensure or
professional certification as marital and family therapists and provide
the in-depth academic training needed to work with families in both
clinical and non-clinical settings.
The curriculum for the Master of Science in Marital and Family Therapy (MSMFT) is designed to meet the academic requirements of Sections 4980.37 and 4980.40 of the State of California Business and Professions Code. The overarching conceptual approach for the MSMFT is an ecological understanding of family systems that examines the interaction of multiple levels of the social environment, from individuals, to couples and families, and beyond. Within this framework, students learn a variety of conceptual and treatment models. Students are also required to complete approximately 10-15 months of supervised practicum.
For those who are not seeking to be trained as clinicians, the Marriage and Family Department offers two non-clinical alternatives. The Certificate in Marriage and Family Enrichment (CMFE) is the appropriate option for those exploring training in marriage and family without immediately seeking a terminal degree. This program emphasizes non-clinical training in the educational task of preventive family enrichment. The abbreviated curriculum serves as an entry-level introduction to the field for students who are interested in couples and family ministries, but do not wish to study full-time. For those already involved in ministry, the certificate offers an opportunity to enhance one's knowledge and skills while obtaining an added credential.
For those who seek a graduate degree, the Master of Arts in Family Studies (MAFS) offers more concentrated study. The curriculum emphasizes knowledge and skills in family life education, including preventive work with couples and parents. The degree is designed to allow the creation of a concentration of courses that is specifically tailored to meet the student's professional and / or ministry goals. These courses can be taken in any of the seminary's three schools. This concentration may also be used to prepare the student for doctoral work in family studies or related field, or to complete the educational requirements specified by the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) for their Certified Family Life Educator credential. The CFLE track has been approved by the NCFR for this purpose.
Admission
General standards for admission are available from the
Office of Admissions;
626-584-5400.
Admission to both the MA and the MS programs requires that an applicant possess an earned bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. New students are usually admitted in the Fall quarter for the MSMFT program and any quarter for the MAFS. Applicants to both programs must possess emotional, spiritual, and intellectual maturity, and demonstrated suitability to pursue a career, vocation, or ministry in marital and family therapy, family studies or family life education. These qualities are evaluated through letters of recommendation, the applicant's written statement of purpose, prior experience in counseling and / or ministry, and a personal interview when appropriate.
Applicants normally have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 and are expected to demonstrate the aptitude required to succeed in graduate level work at Fuller Theological Seminary. Applicants fulfill this requirement by submitting their scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) taken not more than five years preceding the date of application. Applicants whose native language is not English must submit a score of 240 or higher on the TOEFL (587 or higher if taken on the paper test), 92 on the Internet-based test (iBT), or a minimum score of 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) taken not more than two years preceding the date of application. In exceptional cases, equivalent demonstrations of graduate level aptitude may be considered by the admissions committee. Please click here for TOEFL/IELTS requirements beginning Fall 2009.
Please refer to our online catalog for more information.
The Training Experience &
Curriculum
Master of
Science in Marital and Family Therapy
The scope of the training experience at Fuller is integrative in nature
and maintains a three-fold focus: 1) theoretical training in family
studies, marital and family therapy, theological integration, and
research; 2) clinical training (labs, live team observation, practicum);
and 3) personal growth experiences. Throughout these training
experiences, faculty strive to integrate theology and ethics with the
social and behavioral sciences.
The course of study for an MS spans a minimum of two years (eight consecutive quarters) in a full time, cohort structure. The majority of courses meet during the day.
The curriculum is divided into seven parts: family studies (16 units), theology (20 units), integration (8 units), marital and family therapy (32 units), family research (4 units), clinical training (18 units), marital and family elective (4 units), and general elective (4 units).
Clinical training begins the student’s first two quarters in a peer laboratory training experience. These weekly labs provide practical experience in basic counseling skills through role-play, audio-video taped feedback, and participation in a triad. Training continues in the second year with one quarter of "Live Team," where students learn assessment and intervention skills by participating as a co-therapist or team member in a live "reflecting team" model in 9-10 couple or family therapy sessions. Finally, the MS student is required to log a minimum of 300 hours of direct client contact in supervised practicum, 150 of which must be marriage, family and / or relational issues. Students may, if necessary, extend their practicum to earn additional hours of clinical experience in order to meet the requirements of states other than California.
For more information on the curriculum and clinical training, please refer to our online catalog.
Master of Arts
in Family Studies
The MAFS curriculum is comprised of 84 quarter units of coursework
and offers three tracks: General, Pre-doctoral, and
CFLE.
The core of the degree is a 36-unit block of non-clinical family studies courses
designed to provide in-depth family coursework emphasizing
knowledge and skills in family life education, including preventive work
with couples and parents. Students in the MAFS are required to
complete the same 20-unit curriculum in theology as MFT students, plus
an additional 8 units in integration coursework. The remaining 20 units
of the degree is comprised of courses designed to fulfill a
concentrated area of study that befits the student's academic / professional / ministry goals
in accordance with the chosen track within the degree.
For more information on the curriculum, please refer to our online catalog.
Certificate
in Marriage and Family Enrichment
The entry-level curriculum is comprised of six courses (24 units) emphasizing
non-clinical training and skills pertinent to the
educational task of preventive family enrichment. Admission standards
for the Certificate in Marriage and Family Enrichment are the same as
for admission to a master's degree program in the School of Theology.
For more information on the curriculum, please refer to our online catalog.
Personal Growth & Therapy
Personal maturity and growth are foundational to training in marital
and family therapy. For this reason, students training to be marital and
family therapists are expected to posses personal integrity, empathy,
emotional stamina and stability, commitment to the Christian faith, and dedication
to his or her own individual, marital, and family health.
The department supports the professional and personal development of students in a variety of ways. First, the program's curriculum emphasizes the development of personal and professional character through personal reflection and case study analysis. Second, the program provides personal feedback through classroom assignments, skill training, and clinical supervision. Third, many students choose to participate in personal and professional development activities available through the School of Psychology and Seminary sponsored programs. Students are also encouraged to participate in individual, martial or family therapy while in the program. Students who participate in therapy will receive additional hours toward meeting the licensing requirements for Marriage and Family Therapists in the State of California.
Transfer of Credit
Students who have completed graduate coursework in marriage and
family and / or graduate coursework in theology at other regionally
accredited institutions and desire a reduction in the number of credit
hours required at Fuller should contact the Associate Director of
Academic Affairs following admission. In most cases, the theology
requirement may be waived if the student possesses equivalent graduate
theological training from an accredited institution.
Accreditation
Fuller Theological Seminary is regionally accredited by the Western Association of
Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Association of Theological Schools
(ATS) in the United States and Canada.
In addition, the Department of Marriage and Family is recognized by the
California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS)
as meeting the standards and educational requirements for licensure as a Marriage and
Family Therapist in California, and is approved by the National Council
on Family Relations (NCFR) as meeting
the standards and criteria required for the Certified Family Life
Educator designation.
Meet the MFT Faculty
Senior Professor of Sociology and Family Development
Senior Professor of Marital and Family Therapy
Evelyn and Frank Freed Professor of the Integration of Psychology and Theology
Associate Professor of Marital and Family Therapy, and Program Director
Professor of Family Studies
Assistant Professor of Marital and Family Therapy, and Director of Clinical Training
Contact Fuller Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary
135 N. Oakland Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91182
800-238-5537--Admissions
800-235-2222--All other inquiries
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