Statement of Purpose

The Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Counseling (MAMFC) is offered through the College of Arts and Sciences. This degree program prepares individuals for the professional practice of counseling in settings that include, but are not limited to, mental health centers, hospitals, churches, and private practice. Students acquire the knowledge and skills to address a variety of mental health issues in the context of relationships and families. Specific objectives of the program include:

1. To prepare the student to be a competent professional counselor in various mental health settings;
2. To facilitate the integration of Christian worldview principles with the student’s philosophy and practice of counseling;
3. To prepare the student educationally for licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist and/or a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Alabama; and
4. To provide opportunities through classroom interaction, clinical experiences, and supervision to encourage the lifelong growth of the counselor as a person and a professional.

Criteria for Admission

Students seeking admission to the Marriage and Family Counseling program should address all inquiries to the Office of Enrollment Services (umenrollment@umobile.edu; 251-442-2222). The application, the application fee, and all supporting documents should be received at least three weeks prior to the date the student wishes to enter. Appeals of admission decisions should be addressed to the Chair of the Department of Marriage and Family Counseling.

Unconditional Admission

The student must meet the requirements listed below to qualify for unconditional admission. Students who already hold a graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution are exempt from requirement 9.

1. Hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education.
2. File the application for admission with the Office of Graduate Programs and furnish the various materials listed in the instructions.
3. Pay a non-refundable application fee.
4. Submit two letters of recommendation.
5. Submit a 2- to 4-page essay (minimum 2 full pages of text) describing his or her interest in University of Mobile and the MFC program, personal strengths and opportunities for improvement, and career goals.
6. Have a personal interview with the Chair of the Department of Marriage and Family Counseling and/or designated faculty member.
7. Furnish an official transcript from each institution attended, showing all credits previously earned.
8. Have a minimum of twelve semester hours (undergraduate or graduate) in psychology, counseling, or related field.
9. Have an overall undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or higher on a 4.00 scale.

Conditional Admission

Conditional admission may be granted to a student who does not meet all the qualifications for unconditional admission. To qualify for conditional admission, a student must meet the requirements listed below.

1. Complete unconditional admission requirements 1-7 (see above).
2. Have a GPA lower than 2.5, but not lower than 2.25, on a 4.0 scale.
3. If undergraduate GPA is lower than 2.25, submit official reported Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores in which the sum of the scores on the Verbal and Quantitative sections is 280 or higher, or a total of 1075 or higher derived from the following formula: (sum of the scores on the Verbal and Quantitative sections on the official GRE report - Analytical section not required) + (overall undergraduate GPA x 100) + (overall graduate GPA x 200)

Note: All prerequisite coursework must be completed within the first twelve months following conditional admission. No further graduate level work may be attempted after twelve months has elapsed, until unconditional admission has been granted.

A student granted conditional admission may be considered for unconditional admission after completion of all prerequisite coursework; completion of nine semester hours of approved graduate coursework at University of Mobile with grades “B” or above; and with the recommendation of the Chair of the Department of Marriage and Family Counseling.

Provisional Admission

If a student has been determined to meet admission criteria, but official/final documents are missing from his or her application packet, that student may be granted provisional admission. For the student to continue in the program, any outstanding documents must be received and the application packet completed by the end of the student’s first semester/term.

Retention

Students are expected to progress toward the MAMFC by making grades no lower than “B.” Only six graduate semester hours of work with grades of “C” will be accepted and counted toward the degree. Any course in which the student receives a grade of “F” must be repeated. If the six-hour limit of grades of “C” or below is exceeded, the student will be dismissed automatically from the program.

Comprehensive Examination

Satisfactory performance on a comprehensive examination is required of all candidates seeking the Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Counseling (MAMFC). The examination may be written, oral, or both (at the option of the MFC faculty) and will cover the student’s coursework. All incomplete grades from courses in previous academic periods must be removed prior to the comprehensive examination. If a student fails the comprehensive examination, a second examination may be taken only with the approval of the MFC faculty, and only after at least an interval of one regular academic period (semester) or one summer academic period has elapsed. A second failure will result in dismissal from the graduate program.

Graduation Requirements

1. Complete satisfactorily a minimum of sixty semester hours of MFC graduate credit, including fifty-four hours of required course work and six hours of electives.
2. Successful completion of the comprehensive exam.
3. Earn a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale on all work attempted in the graduate program.
4. File an application for a degree.

Licensure for the Marriage and Family Counseling Graduate

An MFC graduate may wish to pursue state licensure as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and/or as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). The student should be aware that state licensure boards require supervised experience and successful completion of a licensure exam beyond the graduate degree. If the student wishes to be licensed in another state, additional coursework beyond the sixty graduate semester hours for the MAMFC may be required for these credentials. The student should consult the licensure board(s) in the particular state(s) of interest for more information.