Marriage and Family Studies

Undergraduate

Lisa Merchant, Chair
ACU Box, 29444
Abilene, Texas 79699-9444
Biblical Studies Building 268

Phone: 325-674-3778
Fax: 325-674-3749
Email: lisa.merchant@acu.edu

Faculty

D. Greg Brooks, Assistant Professor
Heidi Morris, Assistant Professor

The Department of Marriage and Family Studies offers the Bachelor of Science degree in Child and Family Services, which includes the option of a Child Life track. A minor in Child and Family Services may be added to other majors.

Introduction

The mission of the Department of Marriage and Family Studies is to equip students to strengthen family relationships and solve personal and relational problems through child and family services or therapeutic intervention (at the graduate level) while cultivating Christian leadership and character in each student.

The undergraduate program in Child and Family Services contributes to this mission through:

Emphasizing the formation of healthy relationships and the promotion of optimal human development;
Examining current research and theory regarding the normal issues with which individuals and families must contend as they grow and evolve;
Creating opportunities for students to design, implement, and evaluate family life education programs; and
Providing diverse practicum experiences that prepare students for future employment.

The graduate program in Marriage and Family Therapy contributes to this mission through:

Introducing students to a broad range of therapeutic models;
Providing an exceptional clinical training experience;
Exploring Christian principles related to the practice of Marriage and Family Therapy;
Encouraging students to cultivate their own spiritual beliefs and worldviews;
Equipping students to work with diverse and marginalized communities;
Encouraging development of professional identity and leadership; and
Creating a culture of research.

The Department is committed to attaining high standards in education while offering personal guidance to students regarding their life choices. Marriage and Family Studies faculty members have academic degrees and professional experience in such areas as community services, marriage and family therapy, gerontology, research, administration, family life education, ministry, organizational development, group leadership, business consulting, family violence, and healthcare services.

Study Abroad Expectations

All students are encouraged to participate in ACU’s Study Abroad program. Classes offered at Study Abroad sites vary depending on the site. Academic advisors can assist students in planning ahead for their Study Abroad experience and should be consulted during the freshman year.

Bachelor of Science Degree (BS)

The Bachelor of Science Degree in Child and Family Services is designed to equip students to serve the needs of children and families in a variety of community settings. For those with a strong desire to help improve people’s lives, the program equips students to provide social services and educational programs designed to improve the functioning of children and their families, to help strengthen family relationships, and to solve personal and family problems. Taught from a Christian perspective, the program prepares students for a variety of careers serving children and families such as social service providers, family service workers, child life specialists, child and adult protective service providers, youth services and program directors, child development center directors, and family life educators. The Child and Family Services major requirements examine ten content or subject areas prescribed by the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR).

Students use recommended electives to build a specific area of study or concentration based on their professional interests such as child life, marriage and family, counseling, child and family ministry, and gerontology. Upon graduation, majors will have completed the course content necessary to apply for designation as a Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) through NCFR. To become a CFLE, graduates must take and pass the NCFR Certified Family Life Educator examination. Students enrolled in the Child Life Track, which is pre-approved by the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP), will have fulfilled ACLP’s academic requirements. To sit for the Child Life Professional Certification Exam, students must also complete a 600-hour child life clinical internship after graduation. Majors in Child and Family Services should be people-oriented, sensitive to the concerns of children and families, effective in communication and listening skills, and strong in potential for leadership and management.

Graduation Requirements

To graduate within the major, students must maintain:

A grade of C or higher in all major courses.
An overall cumulative GPA of 2.25 or higher.

Graduate

Lisa Merchant, Program Director and Chair
ACU Box 29444
Abilene, Texas 79699-9444
Biblical Studies Building, Room 268

Phone: 325-674-3778
Fax: 325-674-3749
Email: lisa.merchant@acu.edu
Web: https://acu.edu/academics/college-of-biblical-studies/departments/marriage-family-studies/

Faculty

Joanna Mendez-Pounds, Assistant Professor
Lisa Merchant, Assistant Professor
Lisa Powell, Assistant Professor

Supervising clinical faculty:
Jeff Emery
Gretchen Etheredge
Cara Flanders
Michael Pounds
Steve Willis
Erica Yourdan

Introduction

The Department of Marriage and Family Studies, located in the College of Biblical Studies at Abilene Christian University, offers a Master of Marriage and Family Therapy (MMFT) degree. A thesis track is also available.

The 60-hour MMFT degree and 66-hour thesis track are designed to be completed in 24 consecutive months. Part-time students may be admitted with Department Chair permission.

The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). This degree meets the requirements for licensure in Texas. Applicants should visit amftrb.org for licensure requirements in other states.

Marriage and family therapy is not about the number of people and the room, but instead is a way of conceptualizing problems within their relational, historical, developmental, social and multigenerational context. Rather than focusing on the individual as a source of dysfunction, marriage and family therapists explore how the contextual factors above create difficulty for individuals, couples and families. The overarching goal of marriage and family therapy is to help people have healthy, meaningful and vibrant relationships that support individual, familial and social wellbeing. A master’s degree in marriage and family therapy trains students in this life-giving art and is required for licensure as a marriage and family therapist.

Our primary objective is to produce excellent, ethical and diversity-respecting marriage and family therapists ready for clinical practice or doctoral work. Our program prepares students for licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist and graduates commonly pursue careers in private practices, churches, schools, adoption agencies, residential treatment centers, and family service agencies, or they pursue doctoral work in marriage and family therapy. We prepare students through our commitment to excellent teaching practices and the 500-hour clinical internship in our on-site therapy clinic, the Marriage and Family Institute. Students may also gain additional experience in community-based externship sites including churches and private practices. Students are supervised by experienced, community-based and faculty AAMFT Approved Supervisors. Supervision costs are included with tuition. Classroom study and internship occur simultaneously, allowing students to immediately apply what they learn.

We prepare students for doctoral work through rigorous assignments, course work in research methods and statistics, and our optional thesis track. All students must complete a research project, but have the choice of completing the project individually or collaboratively. Students completing an individual research project usually apply for the thesis-track, which requires 6 additional hours. Students completing collaborative projects must submit a poster presentation abstract to the Texas Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (TAMFT) conference or another conference with Department Chair approval.

The Marriage and Family Therapy program is committed to a value system that espouses a Christian worldview in terms of human nature, the development of interpersonal or intrapersonal problems, and the context within which those problems can be solved. Integration of theory, therapy, theology and spirituality are found in the classroom as well as within the clinical experience.

The program welcomes students who are diverse in race, age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, relationship status, gender identity, socioeconomic status, disability, health status, religion and spiritual beliefs or affiliation, national origin, or immigration status.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the program is on a competitive basis. The admission requirements for the MMFT are:

A completed application for admission with a nonrefundable application fee;
An official transcript(s) in English (or translated to English) of all previous colleges attended. The transcript must indicate an earned bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university or equivalent;
A cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale;
Three letters of recommendation;
A written purpose statement declaring why the applicant wishes to study marriage and family therapy at ACU and what he or she plans to do professionally upon graduation;
Completion of a psychosocial history;
Interview with faculty.

To practice in our on-site clinic, students must also pass a background check.

When all required materials are received, the application will be reviewed by the MFT faculty. Students are admitted once a year and begin their program of study in the fall semester.

No specific undergraduate major is essential for admission. Applicants are encouraged to have undergraduate credit in subjects that embrace human development, family relations, theology, sociology, psychology, and statistics.

Applicants without adequate preparation may be accepted upon the condition that they register for additional courses deemed necessary by the graduate advisor.

A student who does not meet all of the admission requirements may be considered for admission, if space is available. At the discretion of the department chair, such a student may be placed on academic probation during the first semester.

Graduation Requirements

In addition to the graduation requirements established by the University, students must meet the academic and clinic requirements outlined in the Program Handbook, including successful completion of the Comprehensive Examination.

Programs

Master of Marriage and Family Therapy

Bachelor of Science

Minor

Child and Family Services Minor (CFS)

Courses

Family Studies

Marriage and Family Therapy