The Master of Arts degree with an emphasis in Marital, Couple, & Family
Counseling/Therapy is a 67-69 credit hour program. The purpose of this extensive
training is to prepare graduates to be able to deal effectively with the variety of issues and family constellations
that will present them. Toward that end, students will receive in-depth training in conceptualization skills as
well as in the theoretical and practical application of systems theory.
II. PROGRAM OF STUDY (courses required)
CEP 642b
Assessment/Diagnosis in Marr/Family Therapy (3 cr.)
Aside from formal clinical coursework, graduate students in the Marital, Couple, & Family Counseling/Therapy
program will have the opportunity to intern in the Downing Counseling Clinic, located within the Department’s
office suite. This clinic serves numerous university students as well as individuals and families from the surrounding
community. Interns are assigned a variety of clients and client systems and are responsible for setting up appointments,
seeing clients in the emergency and walk-in services for individuals and families. There are also opportunities to
provide consultation as well as group counseling to various agencies in the community. In addition, the Clinic has
cutting-edge technology that allows for ample supervision of marital, couple, & family counseling/therapy interns.
It is important that future therapists be aware of their own family dynamics and issues. Hence, graduate students in the
Marital, Couple, & Family Counseling/Therapy program are invited to explore their own families in terms of rules,
roles, rituals, interactions, structures, and celebrations. In this manner, graduates become not only insightful into
their own lives, they are better able to empathize and provide incisive help to others.
Preprofessional Requirement Course (complete prior to or during
course sequence)
CEP 600 Introduction to Counseling & Guidance (3 cr.)
CEP 640 Educational Measurements and Statistics (3 cr.)
GROUP ONE
Course Sequence (complete prior to enrolling in group two)
CEP 605
Counseling and Information Technology (3 cr.)
CEP 620
Career and Lifespan Development (3 cr.)
CEP 650
Counseling Theory (3 cr.)
CEP 700
Introduction to Research (3 cr.)
CEP 705
Human Growth and Development (3 cr.)
GROUP TWOCourse Sequence (should have completed group one)
CEP 651
Counseling Practicum (3cr.)
CEP 670
Foundations of Marriage and Family Therapy I (3 cr.)
CEP 680
Foundations of Marriage and Family Therapy II (3 cr.)
CEP 751
Multicultural Counseling (3 cr.)
CEP 754
Substance Abuse Counseling (3 cr.)
CEP 761
Group Counseling (3 cr.)
GROUP THREECourse Sequence (should have completed group one and two)
CEP
756
Sexual Issues in Counseling (3 cr.)
SOC 680
The Family (3 cr.)
III. ADDITIONAL PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
a.
Complete Program of Study Form: The program of study form must be
submitted before 12 credits of course work have been completed. This form can be obtained in the CEP
Department or online through the graduate school website www.unr.edu/grad. It is completed in consultation
with your advisor. b.
Three Credits per Semester Requirement: Students admitted to
departmental programs must enroll in at least three credits per semester or they will be withdrawn from graduate
standing. c.
Application for Internship Placement: Students must confirm that all prerequisites have been completed. A formal, written
application is required and may be obtained in the department. It is understood that the effort expended must
be comparable to formal course work. This translates to 300 clock hours devoted to the internship for each six
credits. Two six-credit internships totaling 600 clock hours are required for graduation. d. Comprehensive
Examinations: Students must register for at least 3 credits of regular coursework and CEP 795 (1 credit) in their last
semester. The comprehensive examinations are scheduled once in the spring and fall.
·
Video tape: Students are expected to present one video-taped counseling session as
Part I of the Examination.
·
Written Examination: The comprehensive knowledge exam Part II is the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination
(CPCE). The CPCE consists of 160 items, multiple-choice, with 20 items per the eight CACREP areas of (1) Human
Growth and Development, (2) Social and Cultural Foundations, (3) Helping Relationships, (4) Group Work, (5) Career and
Lifestyle Development, (6) Appraisal, (7) Research and Program Evaluation, and (8) Professional Orientation and Ethics.
e. Six-year Program Completion Requirement: Degree
requirements for the M.A. degree must be completed in six calendar years from the date of the first course
listed in the approved program of study form. f.
Application for Graduation has to be obtained through the graduate school website at
www.unr.edu/grad.
CEP 765
Introduction to Marriage and Family Therapy (3 cr.)
CEP 766
Advanced Marriage and Family Therapy (3 cr.)
CEP 767
Couples Counseling (3 cr.)
CEP 770f
Internship in Counseling (6 cr.)
CEP 773
Internship in Marriage and Family Therapy (6 cr.)
CEP 780
Law and Ethics in the Profession (3 cr.)
CEP 795
Master’s Degree Comprehensive Exam (1-3 cr.)
All students must take
ONE 3-credit elective
(Five suggested courses listed below)
HDFS 635
Child Socialization: A Systems Perspective (3 cr.)
HDFS 636
Family Interaction (3 cr.)
HDFS 657
Work and the Family System (3 cr.)
HDFS 730
Family Theories (3 cr.)
IV. ACCREDITATION, LICENSURE
AND CERTIFICATION
The College of Education is accredited by both the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
and the Northwest Association for Schools and Colleges (NASC). The CEP masters program in
Marital, Couple, & Family Counseling/Therapy, is seeking acceditation from the Council for Accreditation of
Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP)by June 2008.
Nevada State Licensure: After students complete the 67-69 hour master’s degree program in Marriage and Family Counseling,
they are encouraged to apply to the Nevada Board of Marriage and Family Therapist Examiners for internship status and to
work toward Nevada State Licensure.
This post-masters work requires verification of an MA degree in counseling or a closely related degree and completion of
the specific coursework in Marital, Couple, & Family Counseling/Therapy (outlined previously in this prospectus).
Upon completion of their MA degree with the concomitant course requirements, applicants apply to the Board to sit for
the licensing examination. Once this examination is passed, the applicant receives “Intern” status and can then commence
working toward their 3000 hours internship under the Board’s supervision. The Board requires that applicants who have
passed the examination present their internship plan to the board that included the naming of a primary and secondary
suprervisor as well as designating where the internship will be completed. The Board will count up to 20 hours per
week against the 3000 required hours.
For application materials and information, contact:
State of Nevada
The Board of Marriage and Family Therapist Examiners
P.O. Box 370130
Las Vegas, Nevada 89134-0130
(702) 486-7388
Requirements for licensure in Marital, Couple, & Family Counseling/Therapy vary significantly from state to state.
So, students planning to pursue licensure out of Nevada are urged to gather information from those states.
Graduates of the Marital, Couple, & Family Counseling/Therapy emphasis are also encouraged to seek certification
through the American Counseling Association (ACA) IAMFC, and the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC).
V. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Prospective student meetings are held the second Thursday in January and August at 4 p.m. at the CEP office (call
department at (775) 784-6637 to register for the meeting). To obtain a University of Nevada catalog, contact the ASUN
Bookstore, Mail Stop 194, (775) 784-6597. A University of Nevada Graduate School catalog can be obtained at the Graduate
School web site www.unr.edu/grad , (Graduate School Mail Stop 326, and telephone (775) 784-6869).
The CEP Home Page
can be viewed at http://www.unr.edu/educ/cep/cepindex.html
VI. COORDINATOR
Thomas Harrison, Ph.D.
Professor and Department Chairman
Counseling and Educational
Psychology/281
College of Education Building, Room 3007
University of
Nevada
Reno, NV 89557-0281
(775) 682-7318
E-mail Dr. Harrison
at tch@unr.edu
Counseling and Educational Psychology Department Home Page
University of Nevada, Reno