Family Therapy, MS (Online)
**If you are applying to the online version of a program, please be aware that your start term should be summer (e.g. Summer 2012). If you put start term fall (e.g. Fall 2012), you will be taking summer courses as a non-degree student which means you will not be eligible for financial aid until the fall semester. The starting term and program cannot be changed once you submit the application. Thank you.
**Please contact your state licensing board to verify that our program meets their requirements for licensure.
UMB Master’s of Science Degree in Family Therapy Online Program Description
Introduction
The program of Family Therapy in the Department of Counseling and School Psychology is committed to a vision of strengthening health in families by preparing ethical and qualified professionals who embrace an inclusive perspective of interconnected systems. The program’s curriculum is comprised of basic professional counseling content and theory, and provides comprehensive framework for learning family therapy. The courses lead students to view families as entities within larger social systems and promote collaborative, inclusive, and integrative systems approaches.
The curriculum offers students in the family therapy program an optimal perspective for supporting individuals, families, and communities in urban environments, and provides them with a framework for developing skills to facilitate dialogue with marginalized individuals, families, and communities.
The Family Therapy program is one of the five programs (Family Therapy, Mental Health Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling, School Counseling, and School Psychology) within the Department of Counseling and School Psychology, which is housed in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
The overall goal of the UMASS Boston Family Therapy Program is to prepare competent family therapists who can obtain licensure with the Board of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and to be concordant with the College of Education and Human Development educational outcomes and the urban mission of the university. In order to meet this overall goals,
• We educate family therapists who are informed by relational and strength-based theories.
• We prepare students who advocate for equity and social justice
• We ensure that these professionals fulfill professional ethical standards and are reflective.
In order to achieve this broad goal, the UMB-FT offers learning opportunities that include: (i) counseling and family therapy courses that cover the family therapy knowledge content; (ii) experiential exercises in classroom settings that mirror real family therapy situations; (iii) a three semester internship placement at a community agency that serves families in an urban setting; (iv) the integration of theory and practice in a culminating capstone/portfolio product.
Note: COAMFTE has just begun to accept applications for accreditation of online family therapy programs; we intend to submit our application in the 2012-2013 academic year. The online program is designed for students who cannot readily access the Boston campus. The admissions committee will assess this criterion. Those applicants who can reach the campus are encouraged to apply to the on-campus program, which is COAMFTE accredited. The University of Massachuetts Boston is regionally accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
How To Apply
The deadline for applications is January 2. Applications must be made to the University Graduate Admissions Office, and can be done online. Go here for links to information about applications, tuition and fees, and other information. Please email Alisa Beaver, Coordinator of the Online Family Therapy Program (Alisa.Beaver@umb.edu) to let us know that you are applying. We will then be more able to facilitate the process for you, including scheduling an interview, and we can also answer questions you might have.
The key components of your application include the following:
• Completed Application Form
• Official GRE test results (not the Miller Analogy Test)
• Foreign students must take the TOFEL
• 3 Recommendations (preferably from primarily academic sources)
• Personal Statement explaining your reasons for applying to the program, demonstrating your preparation, knowledge of the field, and specific interests for practice in family therapy
• Interview
Please email Dan at csp.admissions@umb.edu if you have more questions about the admissions process.
