Marriage & Family Counseling, M.S.

Master Compassionate Counseling for The Family

The Marriage and Family Counseling master’s degree program will equip you with the skills needed to help couples and families navigate common challenges as well as more complex relationship issues that occur within the family system.

Innovative Instruction in Marriage and Family Counseling

The Marriage and Family Counseling program (M.S.) prepares professionals who work with individuals, couples, and families in healthcare, agency, and church settings. Marriage and Family Counselors use the systems perspective to construct innovative and effective treatment approaches.

The Mission of the Program

The mission of the Marriage and Family Counseling Program is to help students acquire core competencies, as well as specialized knowledge and skill, necessary to perform effectively as marriage and family counselors. Completion of the program will assist graduates in making application for licensure as a professional counselor (LPC), as well as National Counseling Certification.

The program wishes to recruit students from diverse backgrounds who demonstrate character, maturity, scholarship, leadership, church/community involvement, and interest in the counseling profession. Students participating in the Marriage and Family Counseling Program receive training in the theories, models, and techniques of professional counseling with specialized preparation in work with couples and families, and other members of the behavioral healthcare and ministry teams in church, agency, hospital, and other marriage and family treatment settings. Students are expected to complete supervised clinical training in approved sites.

Students will develop the knowledge, skills, and practices of marriage and family counseling in order to provide competent care for differing populations within a multicultural and pluralistic society informed by an understanding of systemic context and multicultural theory.
Students will obtain the necessary skills to develop and maintain ethically appropriate therapeutic relationships with couples and families.

Marriage and Family Counseling Masters Degree Course Requirements

Tier I – Pre-practicum (courses must be taken prior to Practicum)
Tier II – Pre-Internship I (courses must be taken prior to Internship I)
Tier III – Pre-Internship II (courses must be taken prior to Internship II)
Tier IV – Pre-graduation (courses must be taken prior to graduation)
CC - Core Courses: (courses must be taken prior CPCE)

Tier	CC		TITLE	HOURS
Tier I	CC	COU 6501	Legal, Ethical and Professional Issues in Counseling	3
Tier I	CC	COU 6502	Theories of Personality and Counseling (cross-listed with PSY 6502)	3
Tier I	CC	COU 6506	Multicultural Counseling (cross-listed with PSY 6506)	3
Tier I		COU 6670	Foundations, Contextual Dimensions, and Knowledge and Skills of Marriage and Family Counseling	3
Tier I	CC	COU 6515	Lifespan Development (cross-listed with PSY 6515)	3
Prerequisites for COU 6503: COU 6501, 6502, 6506, 6670, 6515
Tier I	CC	COU 6661	Use and Interpretation of Tests (cross-listed with PSY 6661)	3
Tier I	CC	COU 6503	Helping Relationships (Methods and Techniques in Counseling)	3
Tier II	CC	COU 6662	Techniques of Group Counseling	3
Tier II		COU 6663	Practicum in Counseling and Therapy (requires completion of 18 hours in practicum prerequisites including COU 6503 Helping Relationships)	CR/NC
Tier II	CC	COU 6504	Research-Methods and Procedures (cross-listed with PSY 6504)	3
Tier II/III		COU 6536	Psychopathology III – Assessment & Treatment	3
Tier III	CC	COU 6665	Lifestyle and Career Counseling	3
Tier III		COU 6817	Crisis Counseling (cross-listed as PSY 6817)	3
Tier III		COU 6701	Internship in Counseling I	CR/NC
Tier IV		COU 6702	Internship in Counseling II	CR/NC
Tier IV		COU 6999***	Comprehensive Exam	CR/NC
Can be taken during any semester prior to graduation
		COU 6666	Introduction to Marriage and Family Counseling	3
		COU 6667	Addictions Counseling	3
		COU 6808	Family Dynamics and Counseling	3
		COU 6807	Couple Dynamics and Counseling	3
		SPECIALIZED COURSEWORK: 3 SEMESTER HRS	TITLE	HOURS
		Elective	In consultation with advisor (electives may vary each semester)	3

***COU 6999 is the exit exam course. This is not a physical or on-line class; however, you must enroll in COU 6999 and successfully complete this comprehensive exam (Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam; CPCE) 1-2 semesters prior to your expected graduation semester.

For the most up-to-date list of courses and requirements, please consult Mississippi College’s course catalog.

Marriage and Family Counseling Masters Program Admission Requirements

Our master’s program in Marriage and Family Counseling wishes to recruit students from diverse backgrounds who demonstrate character, maturity, scholarship, leadership, church/community involvement and interest in the counseling profession. Applicants must have a GPA above 3.0 in their prior undergraduate work from an accredited college or university and meet the general admissions requirements for becoming a Mississippi College graduate student. Applicants must also complete a successful interview process before being admitted into the program.

While prospective students may apply year-round, application deadlines for the upcoming semesters are:

June 1 for Fall Semester
October 1 for Spring Semester

Consult the detailed admissions requirements for further information on applying to our M.S. in Marriage and Family Counseling.

Please contact Mississippi College Graduate Admissions if you have any questions about the application process.