Admissions and Prospective Students

REQUIRED COURSES

MFTH 6800: Relational Theory, Practice, and Ethics (3 credits).
Introduces students to the foundational epistemological theories and practices in marriage and family therapy, history of the field and current developments, and the ethics and values associated with a systemic orientation to change. Students are expected to cultivate the ability to practice from a systemic lens.

MFTH 6900: Foundations of Family Therapy
Prerequisite: Admission to the program
Introduction to postmodern theory & social constructionism with a focus on understanding human interaction, meaning making, and problem resolution through both relational and narrative lenses. Students will explore the relationship between meaning, language, stories, and cultural discourse.

MFTH 7050: Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (3 credits).
Prerequisite: Admission to the program and MFTH 6800
An in-depth study of the skills, sensitivities, and theoretical ideas needed by family therapists to encounter otherness and navigate the interface between professional responsibilities, ethics, social justice, and the social and political context of treatment. Students are expected to cultivate the ability to practice from a culturally sensitive lens.

MFTH 7101: Family Systems Theories (3 credits).
Prerequisite: Admission to the program and MFTH 6800
An in-depth study of family systems theory. Emphasis on the major schools of thought included in a systems analysis of the family and current issues and ideas within family systems discourse.

MFTH 7102: Interventions in MFT (3 credits).
Pre or Co-requisite: Admission to the program and MFTH 7101 
A review of the various intervention techniques employed by the major theoretical approaches to MFT. Emphasis on skill development, video and role-play demonstrations, and linking practice and theory with appropriate treatment goals.

MFTH 7103: Advanced Theories Seminar (1 credit each; may be repeated; students must take at least two). 
Prerequisite: Admission to the program, MFTH 7102, clinical experience. 
A series of seminars that allow students to develop in-depth understanding of at least two theoretical approaches to MFT. Examples of offerings include structural/strategic, family of origin, narrative/constructivism, and solution-oriented. Two MFTH 7103: Advanced Theories courses are a required part of the curriculum. Currently, Advanced Theories courses are offered for the Fall and the Spring of the second year in the program. Advanced Theories courses are indicated with a ♦ symbol on your Plan of Study form.

MFTH 7200: Research in Marriage and Family Therapy (3 credits).
Prerequisite: Admission to the program and a statistics course 
Quantitative and qualitative methods for research design and data analysis in marriage and family therapy. Emphasis on current outcome and process studies and on critical evaluation and application of research data.

MFTH 7350: Legal Issues in MFT (1 credit).
Prerequisite: Admission to the program and MFTH 6800 
Legal responsibilities and liabilities in the practice of family therapy. Addresses issues such as limits to confidentiality, therapist liability, and client privilege. Includes working with the legal system and relevant aspects of family law. 

MFTH 7400: Psychopathology & Pharmacology in MFT (3 credits). 
Prerequisite: Admission to the program and MFTH 6800 
Psychological, biological, and medical issues in the practice of MFT and an introduction to pharmacology. Emphasis on DSM IV diagnosis within a systemic context and collaboration with other mental health professionals.

MFTH 7500: Development in the Family System (3 credits).
Prerequisite: Admission to the program
Human growth and development within the family system. Includes theories of individual development, developmental tasks over the family life cycle, normative and non-normative change, processes of divorce and remarriage, and social, economic, and ethnic influences on the family life cycle. Implications for practice are emphasized. 

MFTH 7600: Practicum in Marriage and Family Therapy  (6 credits, repeated for a total of 18 credits).
Prerequisite: Admission to the program, MFTH 7102, and approval of the MFT faculty. Corequisite: MFTH 7350

Supervised experience in the practice of marriage and family therapy. Includes practice and live supervision at FamilyWorks as well as experience in community placements. Requires a minimum of 20 hours per week.

• Practicum must be taken for three consecutive semesters
• Practicum is taken after successful passing Comprehensive Exam I and successful completion of the following courses: MFTH 6800: Relational Theory, Practice & Ethics; MFTH 6900: Foundations of Family Therapy; MFTH 7500: Development in the Family System; MFTH 7101: Family Systems Theories; MFTH 7102: Interventions in MFT; MFTH 7200: Research in Marriage & Family Therapy; MFTH 7050: Diversity, Inclusion, & Social Justice; MFTH 7400:Psychopathology & Pharmacology in MFT; MFTH 7350:Legal Issues in MFT; MFTH 7700: Assessment in MFT.
• If a student withdraws from a practicum, time accrued toward meeting the requirement for 3 consecutive practica is lost. When practica are resumed, the student must start from the beginning with the first of three practica.
• If a student fails a practicum, a practicum must be retaken.
• By the time three consecutive semesters of clinical practica are completed, the student should have accrued 500 hours of client contact and 100 hours of supervision. If not, students are required to enroll in one or more additional semesters of MFTH 7600: Practicum in Marriage and Family Therapy until the hours requirements are completed.

MFTH 7601: Treatment Issues in Family Therapy (3 credits).
Prerequisite: Admission to the program and MFTH 7102 
Applications of family systems approaches to the treatment of issues facing families in crisis and transition. Addresses grief and loss, substance abuse, family violence and abuse, child and adolescent behavioral problems, and chronic physical and mental illness. Emphasis on conceptualization and treatment planning.

MFTH 7602: Couples and Sex Therapy (3 credits). 
Prerequisite: Admission to the program and MFTH 7102 
Treatment techniques for intimate relationships. Emphasis on premarital and commitment issues, anger and conflict, gender and intimacy, and techniques for treating sexual dysfunctions.

MFTH 7700: Assessment in Marriage and Family Therapy (3 credits).
Prerequisites: Admission to the program, MFTH 7101, and MFTH 7500 
How to assess family processes within a developmental context. Models for assessing family functioning and use of individual and family assessment instruments will be included.

MFTH 7880: Professional Ethics Seminar (1 credit).
Prerequisite: Admission to the program
Addresses professional issues in the workplace. Includes marketing oneself, politics in the workplace, professional licensure and clinical membership, working in interdisciplinary teams, professional wellness, and the ethics, values, and decision-making associated with current practice issues.

THE MFT PROGRAM OFFERS THE FOLLOWING ELECTIVE COURSES:

MFTH 7650: Special Topics in MFT  (1 credit each, to be repeated).
Special Topics are a rotating series of seminars addressing important contemporary issues in the field of marriage and family therapy. Examples of topics include working with children, working with adolescents, spirituality, family violence, and substance abuse. The five Special Topics credits that the program offers meet Georgia licensure requirements. Currently, there is a 3-credit elective offered in the student’s first Fall. Two 1-credit Special Topics, one in the Fall and one in the Spring, are typically taken during the second year in the program. MFTH 7650: Special Topics are indicated on your Plan of Study form by this symbol: *

MFTH 7980: Internship in Marriage and Family Therapy (1-5 credits; Does not apply toward degree.)
Supervised experience in the practice of marriage and family therapy at FamilyWorks and/or at a community placement. Internship in MFT is ONLY for those students who have completed all other coursework but have not yet accrued their 500 client contact hours.

MFTH 7990: Directed Study in Marriage and Family Therapy (1-3 credits)
Requires admission to the program and consent of instructor 
Specialized study in an area of Marriage and Family Therapy under the direction of a faculty member.

HERE ARE EXAMPLES OF OTHER VSU COURSES THAT CAN BE COUNTED AS ELECTIVES. THESE ARE APPROVED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS.

SOCI 7021: Statistical Applications in Sociology (3 credits)
Evaluation of social statistics and data management for applied research problems. Students will gain skills in determining which statistics to use for particular research problems and designs, which statistics provide the most practical means for reading and interpreting data, and what computer software is available to facilitate data analysis in sociology.

SOCI 6000: Sociology of Mental Health (3 credits)
Introduces students to the history and causes of mental illness as well as the language of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. The relationship between mental illness and the major sociological variables, such as social class, race, gender, age, and marital status will be analyzed. Students will evaluate mental illness from the institutional and client points of view.

CRJU 7500: Seminar in Criminal Behavior and Personality (3 credits)
An advanced study of specific criminal behavior types emphasizing violent offenders, sexual deviants, the anti-social personality, and the criminally insane.

SOCI 6130: Social Gerontology (3 credits)
Study of the social phenomenon of the aging process, the life cycle, and patterns that include social roles, medicalization of aging and death, and the values, norms, and beliefs related to these phenomenon. Emphasis on the social changes that have occurred as medical technology and science impact on the culture and institutional patterns related to aging and death. Study of the process of dying will include the entire life cycle and new efforts to deal with this complex social phenomenon.

SOCI 6700: Family Sociology  (3 credits).
The social context of contemporary issues facing families. Includes family history, cross-cultural issues, research and theory regarding changing gender roles, family violence and abuse, divorce, single parenting, work families, sexual orientation, non-traditional families, and other relevant issues.

• a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university*
• an official copy of all college/university transcripts, undergraduate and graduate
• an overall undergraduate grade point average of 2.75
• three references 
• an essay describing yourself, professional goals, and discussing your reasons for choosing the MFT field and VSU’s MFT program.
• a personal interview with an MFT faculty member
• a criminal background check that includes a sexual predator search. Before or after the start of Fall classes, the Minors on Campus office will send all new students links to do the 40-minute training and give permission to sign up to have a background check done. There is no cost to the student.

Please note that personal information disclosed in admissions materials or during the admissions interview will be treated as confidential. Disclosures will be made only to other professional colleagues, administrators, staff members, or graduate assistants who share responsibility for evaluating prospective students or maintaining student files.

*A note about preferred undergraduate majors:
The program places value on previous coursework in the social sciences, human-services, or mental health. Although we do not favor one major over another, we have found that students with majors or minors in anthropology, sociology, child and family studies, psychology, child development, education, and communication are well prepared for graduate study in family therapy. While these are degrees most commonly held by our students, we have, however, admitted students with majors in general studies, liberal arts, and a variety of other undergraduate degrees. Whether through coursework, volunteering, or life experience, we place a high value on applicants who have found ways of learning what it is like to work with people or in a social service career. Some students find through coursework a passion for working with people. Other students discover how rewarding a career in family therapy can be through life experiences. What is important to the admissions committee is that applicants have been thoughtful about the decision to study family therapy and that the goal of becoming a family therapist is grounded in accurate information about the field.

If you are wondering whether your undergraduate degree will serve as an appropriate springboard into MFT, we encourage you to contact the MFT Program Director, Dr. Martha Laughlin, and discuss your undergraduate coursework.

Many students looking for graduate programs find it helpful to find helpful to obtain more information before submitting their application. The MFT faculty members think it is a great idea, and we encourage prospective students to talk to our currently enrolled students. We offer a number of options when planning a visit: a campus tour, sit in on MFT classes, talk to a current student, sit in with a consultation team, a FamilyWorks Tour, and visit VSU’s main campus.

If you are interested in speaking with someone, here are your options:

• Call our clinical coordinator, Jessica Millican , at (229) 293-6266 or email her at jhmillican@valdosta.edu
• Visit our Facebook Page and reach out to a GA during the office hours posted at the top of the page.
• Click here for more information and someone will be in contact with you.

Admission into the MFT program is for Fall entry only. The last day we accept applications for a given enrollment year is July 15. We except approximately 30 students each year, and the seats are usually filled by June, so we recommend that applicants submit as early in the year as possible. After all openings are filled, applicants can be placed on a waiting list and/or given the option to defer admission to the following year. The application process is as follows:

• Go to the homepage of either the MFT Program website or the Graduate School website and click Apply Now.

NOTE: At this time, you may discover that you can complete and submit the application only. Additional materials—recommendations, personal essay statement, and unofficial test scores, etc.—can be sent as attachments (.pdf, .doc, or an image file) to gradschool@valdosta.edu. If your prior schools allow electronic transcript delivery, select the VSU Graduate School as a recipient of an official electronic transcript. If you need to supply your previous school(s) with an email address to which they can send your transcripts, use gradschool@valdosta.edu. Note: The code for sending your GRE scores to the Graduate School is 5855. The code for sending your MAT score is 1117.

• When your application packet (official transcripts, all references, personal essay, etc.) is complete the Graduate School sends your application packet to the Marriage & Family Therapy (MFT) program, where MFT faculty review the application and decides if the applicant is eligible to move on to the interview stage of the admission process. If so, we contact you to schedule an interview, which typically takes place within a few days to three weeks. The interview can take place by phone or on campus. Often applicants combine the campus interview with a day-long campus visit.
• The face-to-face interview takes place with one or two faculty members. It is a time for the applicant to ask questions about the program and for the faculty to share information about program requirements. In addition, applicants may be asked to talk about a range of topics, including career goals, their approach to diversity–including how they anticipate helping clients who hold values and goals different than their own—their personal philosophy about embracing difference, why they wish to become family therapists, how they feel they fit with the VSU family therapy program, what they are looking for in their clinical training experience, and how they hope to use their degree.
• Once you have been accepted for admission to the MFT program, you will receive two email letters. The first welcomes you to the program and asks you to send confirmation of your intent to start the program. Once we have received that confirmation, we send you a second email letter, which provides a great deal of important information about advising, licensure, diversity, business cards, program requirements over and above the curriculum, how to get into the clinic, student FERPA rights, anticipated costs, and much more. This information will help you plan ahead and transition smoothly into the program. Please note that any and all correspondence or offer of admission from the program is unofficial. You will receive official notification of your admission status in an email letter signed by the Associate Provost for Graduate Studies and Research at some point after your interview.

• To apply online, or contact the Graduate School
• Call the Graduate School at (229) 333-5694 or toll-free at 1-800-618-1878
• You can write a letter to the Graduate School by addressing it to

The Graduate School
Converse Hall
Suite 3100 
1500 N Patterson Street
Valdosta, Georgia 31698-0005

• Tuition and Fees. You can learn more about the tuition and fee schedule at Financial Services Tuition and Fee Schedules webpage.
  • If you live in Florida, you may be in one of the counties to which VSU grants in-state tuition. Click here to learn if you qualify.
• Financial Aid and Student Loans. VSU has a wonderful website filled with useful information to help students identify sources of loans and other financial aid. To learn more about financial aid offered to graduate students and visit the Office of Financial Aid. 
  • Georgia residents enrolled in the VSU MFT Program are eligible for The Behavioral Health Professions Service Cancelable Loan Program (BHP SCL). This is a state program for Georgia residents who are seeking advanced degrees in the mental health field. Those individuals can qualify for a state of Georgia loan, which is paid directly to the University, like a federal loan. After you graduate, you are required to obtain your Georgia MFT license and work full-time for one year in an eligible employment site. Then, one year of your loan is canceled. For more, see GA futures.
• Grants and Scholarships. Grants and scholarships are available for graduate study and to minority students. Below are some resources for finding scholarships:
  • College of Education and Human Services Scholarships
  • VSU Office of Scholarships
  • External Scholarships
  • PurdueGlobal for Minority Students 
  • Additional:
    • Grants for Multicultural Students
      A website that offers multicultural students opportunities for grants at all school levels and for various degrees 
    • Academic Information 
      A website which offers multicultural student resources and scholarship opportunities/
    • FinAid
      A website which offers links and information on financial aid funding and fellowships:
    • Hispanic Scholarship Fund 
      HSF is the nation’s leading organization supporting Hispanic higher education. HSF was founded in 1975 with a vision to strengthen the country by advancing college education among Hispanic Americans, the largest minority segment of the U.S. population. In support of its mission to double the rate of Hispanics earning college degrees, HSF provides the Latino community more college scholarships and educational outreach support than any other organization in the country.
    • United Negro College Fund 
      UNCF is the nation’s largest, oldest, most successful and most comprehensive minority higher education assistance organization. UNCF provides operating funds and technology enhancement services for 38 member historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), scholarships and internships for students at almost 1,000 institutions and faculty and administrative professional training. 
    • Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals 
      The Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals 
      has as its mission the construction of higher education environments in which lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students, faculty, staff, administrators, and alumni have equity in every respect.
    • American Indian Graduate Center
    • Native Forward is unique in the higher education landscape in the support and services provided and in having grown in its services by expanding partnerships with other agencies. We now collaborate with like-minded organizations and graduate schools that support many of our American Indian and Alaska Native students. For over thirty years the American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC) has awarded more than 9000 fellowships to qualified Native American and Alaska Native students to pursue graduate degrees in all fields.

“New Student Orientation is held in the MFT Classroom the Friday before the start of Fall classes. We strongly encourage all new students to attend. You will meet the entire faculty as well as your new fellow-students. It is important that you review the MFT Clinical Training and Personal Disclosure Policy that your advisor sent to you. If you have questions, jot them down. We will review the Policy, and you can ask questions then. You will also initial and sign your copy, which will be retained in your student file. “

Prior to orientation, please complete the online Graduate School Orientation.

If you would like to get a preview of your Fall classes, check the MFT Program Requirement page, and University Class Schedule page.

We look forward to meeting you!

• Living in Valdosta
• Multicultural Student Resources
• Recommended Readings