Current Students

Course Overview

Welcome, MFT students! Here you’ll find your course sequence, clinical hour requirements, graduation requirements, and the resources you’ll need along the way.

Course Progression

The 54-credit UVU MFT program is designed to be completed in five sequential semesters.

  • Full-time enrollment: Students are expected to enroll full-time.
  • Fixed sequence: Each course builds on the ones before it, so courses are offered only in the semester listed below. If you do not follow this sequence, you’ll need to wait until a course is offered again to take or retake it.
  • Clinical hours: Clinical hour requirements may extend the program beyond five semesters. See the Clinical Hour Requirements section below.
  • Time limit: Under UVU policy, you have a maximum of six years from your first semester to complete the program.

Course Schedule Overview

  • First-year (fall and spring): Tuesday and Thursday, 9:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
  • First-year (summer): Monday–Wednesday, 9:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
  • Second-year (fall and spring): Monday and Wednesday, 9:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

Do not schedule clients during class hours unless your practicum instructor directs you to.

Additional Resources

Course Schedule

students in a circle with arms around each other

First Year: Fall Semester

 Course Number 

Course Title

Pre-requisite*

Credit Hours

MFT 6100

Ethical Issues in MFT

  

  3

MFT 6000

Systemic Foundations of MFT

  

  3

MFT 6200

Systemic Assessment and Diagnosis

  

  3

MFT 6900R

Pre-Practicum

  

  3
 

Semester total:

  12

First Year: Spring Semester

Course Number 

Course Title

Pre-requisite

Credit Hours

MFT 6010

Contemporary Approaches to MFT

  

  3

MFT 6210

Couples Therapy

  

  3

MFT 6240

Individual Therapy

 MFT 6200

  2

MFT 6510

Contemporary Issues in MFT

 MFT 6000

  1

MFT 6910R

Practicum I

MFT 6900R

  3
 

Semester total:

 12

First Year: Summer Semester

Course Number 

Course Title

Pre-requisite

Credit Hours

MFT 6400

Research in MFT

 MFT 6000

  3

MFT 6220

 Group Therapy  

  2

MFT 6500

 Community Intervention  

  1

MFT 6920R

Practicum II

MFT 6910R

  3
 

Semester total:

  9

Second Year: Fall Semester

Course Number 

Course Title

Pre-requisite

Credit Hours

MFT 6310

Child & Adolescent Development

MFT 6000

3

MFT 6230

Family Therapy

 

3

MFT 6300

Working with Diversity

 

3

MFT 6930R

Practicum III

MFT 6920R

3
 

Semester total:

  12

Second Year: Spring Semester

Course Number

Course Title

Pre-requisite

Credit Hours

MFT 6320

Adult Issues in Human Development

  

3

MFT 6520

Either Clinical Business Development

  

2

      or MFT 6790R

 Special Topics Electives

  

1-3

MFT 6600

Capstone

  

1

MFT 6940R

Practicum IV

MFT 6930R

3
 

Semester total:

9

Clinical Hour Requirements

During the Pre-Practicum course, students are introduced to basic clinical skills and expectations. At the end of this course, students are evaluated and must demonstrate competence at an established level to be allowed to progress into the sequence of practicum courses.

During Practicum I, students begin their work with clients at the UVU on-campus clinic. The UVU MFT program has relationships with many local practicum sites. During Practicum II, students are expected to secure an approved off-campus clinical site in order to accrue clinical hours required for graduation. (Please refer to the Practicum Handbook.)

Students need to complete a minimum of 400 face-to-face therapy hours, 200 of which must be with couples or families.  Hours are earned only after students are enrolled in Practicum courses, and only at approved sites.  During the accrual of clinical hours, students must attend practicum and participate in approved supervision weekly. 

Students must complete at least 100 supervision hours, 50 of which should involve direct client data (i.e., live observation, co-therapy with a supervisor, video or audio recording).

To meet hour requirements within the five-semester program, students should accrue 100 therapy hours during each practicum course.  Students who do not meet this hour expectation should expect to enroll in practicum courses during sixth, seventh, and/or additional semesters until clinical hours are completed.  This may delay a student's graduation.

Graduation Requirements

Academic Eligibility for Graduation

Students must complete 54 credits with a minimum GPA of 3.0 and a B- or better grade in every course.

  • Any course with a grade lower than B- needs to be retaken
  • If a student's cumulative GPA falls below 3.0, courses with a B- grade may also need to be retaken
  • 42 of 54 required credits must be taken at UVU

Program Capstone Requirements for Graduation

Students must complete program capstone requirements demonstrating achievement of student learning outcomes.

  • The Capstone course requires students to present a portfolio of evidence demonstrating achievement of each student learning outcome. During the capstone course, students will be expected to demonstrate understanding and application of concepts and skills through a process of formal evaluation.

Clinical Experience Requirements for Graduation

  • Students must provide documentation of the completion of 400 direct clinical contact hours, including a minimum of 200 relational therapy hours
    • Direct clinical contact hours are counted when the student, functioning as a therapist who is primarily responsible for the session, meets with a client in a therapeutic meeting. These meetings occur in a face to face setting with the student-therapist and client in the same physical location
  • Students must provide documentation of the completion of 100 supervision hours, including a minimum of 50 hours of supervision utilizing direct client data (ie., supervision using live, video, or audio observation)

 Curriculum Map to DOPL & COAMFTE Requirements

Curriculum Requirements

Utah Licensing Educational Course Requirements Minimum Required Credits COAMFTE Foundational Curricular Areas Minimum Required Credits UVU Classes Credits Required
Theoretical Foundations of MFT 6 FCA 1:
Foundations of Relational/Systemic Practice, Theories and Models		 6 MFT 6000: Systemic Foundations of MFT 3
MFT 6010: Contemporary Approaches to MFT 3
Assessment and Treatment in MFT
From r156-60b: including Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM) 		9 FCA 2:
Clinical Treatment with Individuals, Couples and Families		 6 MFT 6210: Couples Therapy 3
MFT 6220: Group Therapy 2
MFT 6230: Family Therapy 3
MFT 6240: Individual Therapy 2
FCA 7:
Systemic/Relational Assessment & Mental Health Diagnosis and Treatment		 3 MFT 6200: Systemic Assessment 3
Human Development and Family Studies
From r156-60b: which include ethnic minority issues, and gender issues including sexuality, sexual functioning, and sexual identity		 6 FCA 6:
Biopsychosocial Health and Development Across the Life Span		 3 MFT 6310: Child & Adolescent Development 3
MFT 6320: Adult Issues in Human Development 3
FCA 3:
Diverse, Multicultural and/or Underserved Communities		 3 MFT 6300: Working with Diversity 3
Professional Ethics 3 FCA 5:
Professional Identity, Law, Ethics and Social Responsibility		 3 MFT 6100: Ethical Issues in MFT 3
Research Methodology and Data Analysis 3 FCA 4:
Research & Evaluation		 3 MFT 6400: Research 3
Electives in MFT 3 FCA 8:
Contemporary Issues
…
These issues are to reflect the context of the program and the program’s mission, goals, and outcomes. Programs are encouraged to innovate in this FCA		 Area must be covered in the curriculum in some way MFT 6510: Contemporary Issues in MFT 1
MFT 6520: Clinical Business Development and Practice 2
MFT 679R: Special Topics In MFT 1 to 3
FCA 9:
Community Intersections & Collaboration
Key Element IV-B: Programs must require students to develop and/or present an integrative/capstone experience before completion of their degree program as part of the foundational curriculum below. Programs must decide how to meet this requirement in keeping with the program’s mission, goals, and outcomes. Examples include: a theory of change/therapy theory presentation/paper, a thesis, a therapy portfolio, or a capstone course.		 Area must be covered in the curriculum in some way MFT 6500: Community Intervention 1
MFT 6600: Capstone 1
Total Credits
  30   27   39

Clinical Hour Requirements

Utah Licensing Educational Course Requirements AAMFT Foundational Application Component UVU Classes Credits
A clinical practicum under supervision that includes at least 400 hours as follows:
  • 100 hours of direct supervision; and
  • 300 hours of mental health therapy under direct supervised clinical practice, with at least 150 hours in couple or family therapy with two or more clients participating.
 Key Element III-C: Students must acquire a minimum of 300 direct clinical contact hours with individuals, couples, families, or other systems, at least 100 of which must be relational hours that occur over a minimum of twelve months of clinical practice.
Students must receive at least 100 hours of MFT relational/systemic supervision from a program clinical supervisor on a regular and consistent basis while seeing clients. When the supervision schedule is interrupted for any reason, the program must have a plan to assure student access to supervisory support. MFT relational/systemic supervision can be individual MFT relational/systemic supervision (one supervisor and eight or fewer students) and must include a minimum of 50 hours of MFT relational/systemic supervision utilizing observable data.		 MFT 6900: Pre-Practicum 3
MFT 6910: Practicum I 3
MFT 6920: Practicum II 3
MFT 6930: Practicum III 3
MFT 6940: Practicum IV 3
Credits Required
  15

Total UVU MFT Program Credits: 54

Requirements Credits
Curriculum Requirements 39
Practice/Clinical Hour Requirements 15

Program Outcome Assessment

The UVU MFT program was built on an outcome-based educational framework. Outcome-based education is an approach to program development that starts with the program's goals, including the program's expectations for student competence upon completion of the program. Our outcome-based educational framework also involved the design and structure of curriculum, resources, and policies to support the development of student competence and achievement of program goals. Consistent with our outcome-based framework, the UVU MFT program employs formal assessment processes to evaluate student competence and program goals, and to make data-informed modification and improvements.

Program Goals Student Learning Outcomes Individual Student Targets Program-level Targets
Formative Assessment: Eligibility for Practicum Summative Assessment: Eligibility for Graduation

Knowledge of MFT:

The program trains students in the knowledge and history of the MFT Profession and how to utilize systemic and developmental theories in their clinical work.

1. Students will demonstrate understanding of MFT models.

MFT 6000:
Model Presentation or Exam

Pass at 83% or better

Capstone Course:
AMFTRB Practice Exam

Passing Total Score on Exam

 80% of students will pass the AMFTRB practice exam on their 1st attempt.
2. Students will apply systemic and developmental theories in their conceptualization of clinical cases. n/a

Final Practicum:
Case Presentation

Average score of 4 or higher on Theories Competencies

 On their first attempt, 80% of students will meet/exceed target for Practicum IV Case Presentation theories competencies.

Competence with MFT Skills:

The program trains students to practice relational/systemic therapy including assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of a variety of presenting problems.

 3. Students will demonstrate competent assessment, diagnosis, and treatment with a variety of clinical cases.

MFT 6200:
Grand Rounds, Parts 1 & 2

Pass at 83% or better

Adult Issues & HD:
Clinical Tx Paper

Passing score of 80% or higher

80% of students will meet/exceed target on formal submission of the Clinical Tx Paper.
4. Students will utilize published MFT literature to provide research informed therapy. n/a

Final Practicum:
Case Presentation

Average score of 4 or higher on Research Competencies

 On their first attempt, 80% of students will meet/exceed target for Practicum IV Case Presentation research competencies.

Commitment to inclusion:

The program trains students to be aware, knowledgeable, and conscientious in their work with diverse, marginalized and under-served populations.

 5. Students will demonstrate awareness of client context and of their power and privilege as individuals and as clinicians.

MFT 6900/690R:
Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)

Total average score of 3 or higher

Capstone Course Objective: Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)

Total average score of 6 or higher

 On their first attempt, 80% of students will meet/exceed target for the OSCE competencies.
6. Student work with marginalized, diverse, and underserved communities will be multiculturally-informed. n/a

Adult Issues & HD:
Clinical Tx Paper

Passing score of 80% or higher

 80% of students will meet/exceed target on formal submission of the Clinical Tx Paper.

Adherence to MFT Ethics:

The program trains students to engage in ethical clinical work and decision making through a commitment to ethical practice and to the AAMFT Code of Ethics.

 7. Students will demonstrate recognition of the AAMFT Code of Ethics' application to clinical scenarios and cases.

MFT 6100:
Ethics Exam

Pass at 83% or better

Capstone Course:
AMFTRB Practice Exam

Passing Total Score on Exam

80% of students will pass the AMFTRB practice exam on their 1st attempt.
8. Students will apply an ethical decision-making framework in clinical practice and supervision. n/a

Final Practicum:
Case Presentation

Average score of 4 or higher on Ethics Competencies

 On their first attempt, 80% of students will meet/exceed target for formal demonstration of Practicum IV Case Presentation ethics competencies.

Development of MFT Professional Identity:

The program assists students as they develop an MFT identity by preparing students for MFT licensure and employment upon graduation from the program.

 9. Graduates of the program will become licensed as A/MFTs. n/a Alumni survey

80% of program graduates will become provisionally licensed as Associate MFTs after graduation.
10. Graduates of the program will become employed as MFTs. n/a Alumni survey 80% of program graduates will report that they are employed as marriage and family therapists.

For detailed information on Formative & Summative Assessment, please review the Program Handbook