Statement of Purpose

The Master of Arts in Counseling and Family Therapy (MACFT) is offered through the College of Arts and Sciences. This degree program prepares individuals for the professional practice of counseling and marriage and family therapy in settings such as community mental health centers, hospitals, churches, nonprofit organizations and private practice. Students acquire the knowledge and clinical skills necessary to address a wide range of mental health and relational concerns. With a focus on the whole person in context, the program invites students to explore the integration of spirituality, ethics, and evidence-based practice in their development as mental health and relationship professionals.  

Specific objectives of the program include:

1. To prepare students to become competent, ethical professional counselors and/or marriage and family therapists in diverse clinical settings;
2. To facilitate the integration of a Christian worldview into the student’s philosophy and practice of counseling and family therapy;
3. To prepare students academically and clinically for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and/or Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in the state of Alabama;
4. To provide opportunities through coursework, supervised clinical experiences, mentorship, and community-building that foster the lifelong growth of the student as both a person and a professional;
5. To develop students’ ability to: 

• Demonstrate knowledge of and adherence to professional ethical codes and legal regulations pertaining to the practice of counseling;
• Apply systemic, developmental, and multicultural frameworks to assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning;
• Deliver evidence-based interventions with individuals, couples, families, and groups;
• Integrate spiritual and theological reflection into case conceptualization and clinical decision-making;
• Critically engage counseling and related research in order to inform and evaluate clinical practice. 

Criteria for Admission

Students seeking admission to the Counseling and Family Therapy 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 Counseling and Family Therapy.

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 signed 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 CFT program, personal strengths and opportunities for improvement, and career goals.
6. Have a personal interview with the Chair of the Department of Counseling and Family Therapy 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 Counseling and Family Therapy.

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 CFT 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

All candidates for the MACFT degree must demonstrate satisfactory performance on a comprehensive examination, which assesses students’ grasp of core concepts across the curriculum. The comprehensive requirement is typically fulfilled through an objective exam format. The specific version of the exam corresponds to the student’s declared counseling or marriage and family therapy track, but both versions are objective assessments offered twice each semester. All incomplete grades from prior coursework must be resolved before a student is eligible to sit for the exam.

Students who do not pass the exam must complete a faculty-approved plan for improvement before becoming eligible to retake it. Students who fail a second attempt will be required to complete an essay-based exam accompanied by an oral defense. If the essay-based variant is not passed, students may attempt the objective exam up to two additional times. Continued failure to meet the comprehensive requirement will result in dismissal from the program.

Graduation Requirements

1. Complete satisfactorily a minimum of sixty semester hours of CFT 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 Counseling and Family Therapy Graduate

An CFT graduate may wish to pursue state licensure as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapy (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 MACFT may be required for these credentials. The student should consult the licensure board(s) in the particular state(s) of interest for more information.