*The M.S. in Couple and Family Therapy curriculum is designed to meet the accreditation standards set by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE).
The program offers both non-thesis (52 credit hours) and thesis (58-64 credit hours) options, both of which include coursework and clinical practicum credits satisfying COAMFTE requirements. Thesis option students dedicate additional hours to masters-level research work.
Both thesis and non-thesis students complete 500 direct client contact hours during the program. Enrolled students practice at the Love and Money Center on campus for their practicum during their first year, during which they engage with Athens and surrounding area community members. Additionally, students complete an internship, either at the Love and Money Center or with community-based agencies, beginning in May at the end of Year 1. Community-based agency placements provide students with clinical experience with a particular population or treatment modality.
Detailed curriculum plans for non-thesis and thesis options, course descriptions, and a general timeline of program are below.
*New programs need to establish their ability to deliver the program prior to applying for full COAMFTE accreditation.
Non-Thesis Option
The non-thesis option consists of 52 credit hours across two years of study. Non-thesis students will complete a Clinical Competency Capstone project in which they demonstrate their clinical competencies in couple and family therapy in the Spring of their second year.
Thesis Option
The thesis option consists of 58-64 credit hours across at least two years of study. Thesis students will complete a master’s thesis under the direction of a Major Professor in addition to their Clinical Competencies Capstone Project during their second year. Graduates who complete a thesis are prepared to pursue advanced doctoral training successfully.
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List of Courses
Required Courses (51 hours)
- FACS 6000, Pre-Practicum for Clinical Practice
- FACS 6001, Interdisciplinary Practice
- GRSC 7001, GradFIRST: First-year Research and Scholarship Training Seminar
- HDFS 6030, Evidence-Based Practice Treating Traumatic Stress
- HDFS 6040, Psychopathology and Relational Assessment Throughout the Lifespan
- HDFS 6070, Couple Therapy
- HDFS 6100, Theories of Human Development
- HDFS 6640, Issues in Family Relationships
- HDFS 6800, Research Methods
- HDFS 7030, Socioculturally Attuned Family Therapy and Third Order Change
- HDFS 7070, Masters CFT Practicum
- HDFS 7090, Masters CFT Internship
- HDFS 7100, Systems Theory and CFT Theory
- HDFS 7110, Contemporary Family Therapy
- HDFS 7350, Issues and Ethics in Marriage and Family Therapy
Thesis (6-12 hours):
- HDFS 7170, Introduction to Applied Statistics in Human Development and Family Science (3 cr)
- HDFS 7000, Master’s Research (1-3 cr)
- HDFS 7300, Master’s Thesis (2-6 cr)
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Course Descriptions
HDFS 6000 Pre-Practicum for Clinical Practice: Fundamental skills of couple and family therapy and clinic procedures; case assessment, treatment planning, and management. Case observation, role play, and video reviews.
HDFS 6001 Interdisciplinary Practice: Course facilitates the development of competencies in multidisciplinary collaboration. Specifically, the course builds students’ ability to integrate clinical foci, develop a shared language for similar and/or parallel processes, collaborate with affiliated or complementary disciplines, and differentiate between the disciplinary scope of practice and potential collaborators.
HDFS 6030 Evidence-based Practice Treating Traumatic Stress: Course introduces evidence-based models for the treatment of traumatic stress. Models covered are designed for use with a wide range of individuals, couples, and families across the lifespan. Content on assessment, crisis intervention, and adaptation for telemental health settings is covered.
HDFS 6040 Psycophathology and Relational Assessment throughout the Lifespan: Course facilitates the development of competencies in diagnosis using the DSM-5 to assess, diagnose, and treat major mental health issues. Relational assessment to identify and assess psychopathology and relational functioning across the lifespan, including addiction, suicide, trauma, abuse, intra-familial violence, and managing acute chronic medical conditions, utilizing CFT philosophy.
HDFS 6070 Couple Therapy: Course examines key issues associated with effective couple therapy and develops students’ competencies in treatment approaches specifically designed for use with a wide range of diverse couples, including same-sex couples, and includes a focus on evidence-based practice.
HDFS 6100 Theories of Human Development: Theoretical and historical perspectives used in the study of human development across the lifespan.
HDFS 6640 Issues in Family Relationships: Integration of classic and current research literature on families from an ecological, life-span perspective.
HDFS 6800 Research Methods: Research design in selected areas of family and consumer sciences. Emphasis on common problems incurred in measurement and data analysis.
HDFS 7030 Socioculturally Attuned Family Therapy: Facilitates competencies in applying clinical knowledge to the range of life experiences based on biopsychosocial, contextual, and societal position (e.g., power, privilege, and oppression as related to identities); applying models of family therapy from a critical lens to work with various populations, including those from multicultural, marginalized, and/or underserved communities.
HDFS 7070: Masters Couple & Family Therapy Practicum: Supervised practice in the application of relational intervention/couple and family therapy skills.
HDFS 7090 Masters Couple & Family Therapy Internship: Supervised internship in the practice of relational intervention/couple and family therapy.
HDFS 7100: Systems Theory & CFT Theory: Investigation of the foundations and critical epistemological issues of MFT, including the historical development of the Couple & Family Therapy (CFT) relational /systemic philosophy, the theoretical and empirical foundations of relational intervention, and the biopsychosocial framework. Major models of early couple and family therapy, such as Bowenian, Strategic, Structural, and Contextual, are explored.
HDFS 7110 Contemporary Family Therapy: Investigation of theory, research, and practice of constructivist and social constructionist family therapies, and contemporary models of MFT, including evidence-based practice. Major models of contemporary couple and family therapy such as Solution Focused, Narrative, and Common Factors.
HDFS 7350 Ethics in Couple & Family Therapy: Investigation of the foundations of ethical decision-making in relational therapy. Course addresses the development of a CFT identity and socialization and facilitates the development of competencies in ethics in CFT practice, including understanding and applying the AAMFT Code of Ethics and understanding legal responsibilities.
Thesis Option Courses
HDFS 7170 Introduction to Applied Statistics in Human Development & Family Science: Foundations for statistical reasoning and applications (e.g., SPSS), with an emphasis on the application of developmental and family research. Students will gain an understanding of basic statistical concepts and analytical procedures (e.g., descriptive statistics, statistical significance, standard deviation, correlations, t-tests, cross-tabulations, analysis of variance, and regression).
HDFS 7000 Masters Research (1-3 credits): Research while enrolled for a master's degree under the direction of faculty members.
HDFS 7300 Masters Thesis (2-6 credits): Thesis writing under the direction of the major professor.
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Clinical Competency Capstone Project
All MSCFT students will prepare a Clinical Competency Capstone paper that articulates their theoretical orientation to the practice of therapy, is grounded in the theoretical and empirical literature, describes the goals, agent(s), and process of systemic relational change, the role of the therapist and the techniques/interventions that facilitate second order change. See the schedule for the development of this paper in the section below.
Once the Capstone paper is approved, students will present their capstone paper to the clinical faculty, using recordings from their practice that illustrate their clinical process and competencies.
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Students begin didactic training in specific therapy models, observe therapy sessions, and participate in role play exercises as they begin to integrate theoretical and clinical issues. Additionally, students are trained in how to work from an interdisciplinary perspective. Thesis-track students begin working on their thesis.
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An intensive period of clinical application during which students observe more seasoned practitioners, begin seeing clients, and receive live supervision from the clinical faculty at the on-campus clinic. Thesis-track students continue working on their thesis and propose their project.
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Students continue course work and continue seeing clients either at the ASPIRE Clinic, community internship sites, or a combination thereof to complete their clinical hours. All students finish and defend their Clinical Competency Capstone. Thesis-track students finish and defend their thesis.
