Marriage and Family Therapy

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Purpose and Focus

The Family Studies minor provides students with a basic understanding of interpersonal development, behavior, and relationships throughout the lifespan. Drawing on theory, research, and experience, this minor provides an interdisciplinary approach to understanding individuals and families. This minor provides specialized knowledge for employment in a variety of educational and social service settings to enhance the development of individuals and families. The minor is designed for students in counseling, communications, health sciences, nursing, policy-making, psychology, recreation, social work, and sociology and for those who want to work with individuals or families. This minor also helps prepare those interested in pursuing graduate studies in counseling and marriage and family therapy.

Career Opportunities

National studies indicate that the human services field is rapidly expanding at the bachelor’s level due to a shortage of master’s and doctorally prepared counselors, plus the need to provide cost-effective services. Undergraduate students will be able to work in a variety of fields including residential counselors, recreation workers, and psychiatric and mental health aides and technicians as well as be able to work with children with developmental disabilities. Many jobs are in state and local government agencies, including clinics, detoxification units, community mental health centers, psychiatric hospitals, day-treatment programs, sheltered workshops, and homeless shelters. The undergraduate student will be well prepared to pursue graduate study in several areas, including marriage and family therapy, counseling, psychology, social work, and related fields. Our department offers a master’s program in Marriage and Family Therapy, which leads to state licensure.

Accreditation

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Admission Policies

Students may declare Family Studies as a minor at anytime subsequent to being matriculated. Students must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.00 to declare and to graduate with a minor in Family Studies.

Departmental Policies

Academic Policies

A minimum overall GPA of 2.00 must be maintained in order to continue in the Family Studies minor.

Advisement

Upon acceptance as a major, each student must meet with an advisor from the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs’ Student Advising Center. To ensure orderly progress toward the degree, the faculty of the Marriage and Family Therapy Department strongly suggest that majors see an advisor at least once each year, preferably every semester. Upon acceptance as a premajor or major and at least once a year thereafter, students should contact the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs’ Student Advising Center.
Curricular decisions must be made through consultation with an advisor. Decisions about the appropriate courses in related areas must be approved.
Transfer students are required to consult with an academic advisor within the first semester after admission to the department. This initial advising session will determine to what extent those credits accepted by the university will be accepted as part of the major.
The Advising Center can be reached at 702-895-1009 or urbanaffairs@unlv.nevada.edu or may be visited in person on the 4th Floor of Greenspun Hall.
 

Notes

1. MFT 150 fulfills the general education social science requirement.
2. MFT 225 fulfills the general education multicultural requirement.
3. MFT 360 fulfills the general education/social science requirement.

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