Marriage and Family Therapy Graduate Programs 
Offered through the Department of Counseling and Community Psychology
in the School of Health and Human Services
B210 Education Building
Phone: 320.308.2160
Fax: 320.308.3216
Web site: www.stcloudstate.edu/elcp
Department Chairperson: Dr. Manijeh Daneshpour
Department Secretary: Ms. Sandi Radzak
Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Jennifer Connor
Graduate Certificate Coordinator: Dr. Jennifer Connor
Graduate Faculty: Manijeh Daneshpour, Ph.D., 1996 University of Minnesota– Twin Cities; Mick Mayhew, Ph.D.,1997 Iowa State University; and Jennifer Connor, Ph.D., 2005 University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
Learning Outcomes and Measurable Objectives
The MFT graduate program at St. Cloud State University is committed to excellence in education and training and prepares students to:
- Develop and apply expertise in the field of marriage and family therapy.
- Think critically and engage in reflective, ethical, and legal practice throughout the marriage and family therapy education and professional practices.
- Develop empathic, respectful, and congruent interpersonal skills and abilities to work successfully with individuals, groups and families from multicultural and diverse backgrounds in variety of educational, community, and mental health settings.
- Communicate effectively using oral, written, listening, non-verbal attending and observational skills.
- Collaborate skillfully and respectfully as marriage and family therapy leaders, consultants, and team members in a variety of settings.
- Develop marriage and family therapy skills necessary to assess and evaluate individuals and families.
- Maintain an inclusive, multicultural, systemic and global perspective, emphasizing social justice and educational equity, access, and support.
- Provide marriage and family therapy services through a wide variety of field-based partnerships informed by theory and practice.
- Act as advocates with initiative, perception, and vision to lead and transform the practices and policies of those who provide services to individuals, families, schools, organizations, community, and policy makers.
- Develop critical thinking and evaluation skills necessary to evaluate the latest advances in Marriage and Family Therapy research while applying the research in their clinical practice.
Program Description
Marriage and Family Therapy views and treats individuals seeking psychotherapeutic assistance at existing within a complex set of relationships. The Master of Science program in Marriage and Family Therapy provides academic and experiential training needed to prepare students for Marriage and Family Therapy licensure. To be admitted to the Marriage and Family Therapy focus the applicant must successfully complete a personal interview process with faculty. Careful attention will be given to previous work experience, academic background, scholarship, interpersonal skills and commitment to the field of Marriage and Family Therapy.
Mission
The marriage and family therapy (MFT) program’s mission is to foster highly qualified professionals at the Master’s level, who possess the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to improve the quality of well-being, for individuals, families, and wider social systems within their diverse and multicultural setting. Clinical training gives balanced attention to the range of physical/organic, interpersonal, relational, and cultural/contextual factors that can cause or exacerbate the issues presented for treatment by providing multiple points of intervention designed to positively impact the client’s contextual environment.
Goals
The primary goal of the Marriage and Family Therapy program is to train competent therapists to do therapy with a wide range of mental health problems. Therapists are trained to help with concerns about marriage, children, adolescents, mental illness, depression, sexual issues, divorce, family, school, health, and emotional difficulties.
COAMFTE Accreditation
The Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) is the national program accrediting body for the MFT field and is under the oversight of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). Program accreditation brings national recognition and opportunities to a program, the faculty, and the students. A primary value to graduates of a COAMFTE accredited program is facilitating obtaining a MFT license when students move from one state to another by providing a recognized qualifying degree. The SCSU MFT master’s program has been accredited by COAMFTE. All graduates of the programs are considered graduates of an accredited program, and may receive all the rights and privileges of COAMFTE accreditation.
Employers
Graduates find employment as marriage and family therapists and work for varieties of agencies. Crisis clinics, correctional settings, schools and public and private mental health facilities also employ MFT graduates.
Admission Deadline Specific to the Program
March 1 for a fall semester start. Students may begin the program only during fall semester.
Criteria for Admission
Applicants who meet the following standards may be considered for admission to the M.S. Program in Marriage and Family Therapy.
- A cumulative graduate grade point average of 3.00 or higher, on a 4.00 scale in most recent degree program completed.
- The GRE is not required.
Application Procedure
Applicants must submit the following for consideration for admission to the M.S. Program in Marriage and Family Therapy:
- Application materials required by the School of Graduate Studies.
- A current resume listing educational background, professional experience and volunteer and community involvements.
- A personal statement addressing the following:
- A brief description of the applicant’s background, training and experience.
- A statement of short- and long-term professional goals.
- A statement of intent regarding the interest in your degree program.
- Identify areas of strength and challenges in pursuing this degree.
Careful attention will be given to previous work experience, academic background, scholarship, interpersonal skill, and commitment to the field of marriage and family therapy.
Length of M.S. Program — Measured by Semesters
Full-time student: A minimum of five semesters taking an average of 12 credits per semester (including summers)
Part-time students can be accommodated and must complete the program within the seven year time frame.
| Fall Semester | Spring Semester | Summer Term | |
| Applications | Orientation | ||
| Year One | CEEP 678 MFT 619 MFT 621 MFT 668 |
MFT 659 MFT 620 MFT 669 MFT 671 MFT 675 |
MFT 530 MFT 624 |
| Year Two | MFT 530 MFT 658 MFT 696 MFT 699 -- Plan A |
MFT 530 MFT 672 MFT 696 MFT 699 -- Plan A |
Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy
Plan A, 58 credits; Plan B, 52 credits
Thesis versus non-thesis option
(Plan A versus Plan B)
Before completing “Proposed Program of Graduate Study” blue forms for candidacy (see next section), students need to decide whether to follow Plan A or Plan B, thesis or non-thesis option, respectively. For those planning to pursue a doctorate degree at some time, conducting research and/or publishing a work should strongly be considered. Research can be done with either Plan A or Plan B. Students who are planning to write a thesis should carefully read the Graduate Bulletin, “Field Studies, Thesis, Creative Works, and Starred Papers”. Note that the book “A Manual for the Preparation of Field Studies, Theses, Creative Works, or Starred Paper(s)” should be purchased from the Husky Bookstore or downloaded from the School of Graduate Studies Web site.
I. Research: Min., Plan A, 12 credits, or Plan B, 6 credits
Plan A:
- MFT 675 Research Methods, 3 credit( Pre-requisites: CEEP 678)
- CEEP 678 Introduction to Graduate Statistics, 3 credit
- MFT 699 Thesis, 6 credit
Plan B:
- CEEP 678 Introduction to Graduate Statistics, 3 credit
- MFT 675 Research Methods, 3 credit (Pre-requisites: CEEP 678)
II. Major: Min., Plan A or B, 46 credit
- MFT 619 Professional Orientation and Ethics, 3 credit
- MFT 620 Family Systems, 3 credit
- MFT 621 Family Conceptual Framework, 3 credit
- MFT 624 Family Assessment, 3 credit
- MFT 658 Family and Culture, 3 credit (Pre or Co-requisite MFT 621, 671)
- MFT 659 Psychodiagnosis, Assessment and Treatment Planning, 3. credit
- MFT 668 Professional Skills and Procedures, 3 credit
- MFT 669 Clinical Practicum. 4 credit (Pre-requisites: MFT 621; Pre or Co-requisite MFT 619, 659, 668, & 671)
- MFT 671 Theories of Marriage and Family Therapy, 3 credit (Pre-requisite MFT 621)
- MFT 672 Couple and Family Therapy: Advance Theory and Practice, 3 credit (Pre-requisites: MFT 621, 671)
- MFT 696 Supervised Internship, Min. 6 credit (600 hours) (Pre-requisites: MFT 619, 620, 621, 624, 659 & 671)
- MFT 530 Seminar: Clinical Issues in Marriage and Family Therapy, 3 credit
- MFT 530 Seminar: Individual and Family Development, 3 credit
- MFT 530 Seminar: Child Development and Treatment, 3 credit
Other courses or changes may be substituted with consent of adviser.
Post Degree Requirements
Full-licensure: An additional 1000 post-degree supervised clinical contact hours in a clinical setting is required to complete the requirements for Marriage and Family licensure in the state of Minnesota.
Marriage and Family Therapy License Eligibility
The MTF regulatory requirements in Minnesota are among the most stringent in the US and Canada. Once graduation from the SCSU accredited graduate academic program in MFT, the therapist must pass the national MFT licensure examination. Subsequent to two years of post-degree clinical experience under state approved supervision, the licensure applicant must also pass a Minnesota state examination of practice procedures and ethical and legal issues. Application requirements are online at www.bmft.state.mn.us.
Program inquiries
For program information, contact:
Dr. Jennifer Connor
Coordinator, Marriage and Family Therapy,
St. Cloud State University,
720 Fourth Avenue South,
St. Cloud, MN 56301-4498
Phone: 320-308-4176
E-mail: jjconnor@stcloudstate.edu
