Graduation Requirements
To be eligible for graduation in the MA in Marriage and Family Therapy degree program, students must meet the following requirements:
- Satisfactory completion of 48 credit hours of coursework
- Successful completion of practicum requirements
- Successful completion of the comprehensive exam
- Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.0 (on a scale of 4.0)
- Completion of all requirements within five years of matriculation into the program
- A completed Petition to Graduate submitted to campus administration
Comprehensive Examination and Portfolio Process Requirements
Students fulfill the Comprehensive Examination requirement by passing the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB) Marriage & Family Therapy practice exam. This exam was developed by the AMFTRB, and can be taken online through the AMFTRB website (amftrb.org).
The exam is comprised of 100 multiple choice items. Students are given two hours to complete the exam and must receive a grade of at least 66%, which corresponds to the national passing rate. The exam assesses competency in the following domains: the practice of marital and family therapy; assessing, hypothesizing and diagnosing; designing and conducting treatment; evaluating ongoing process and terminating treatment; maintaining ethical, legal and professional standards.
Passing the exam suggests that a student has retained the appropriate information and gained a level of clinical experience essential for graduation from the Marriage and Family Therapy program. Students must pass the exam in order to be eligible for graduation. If a student fails the exam, it may be retaken two additional times. A student who does not successfully pass the Comprehensive Examination within three attempts will be immediately dismissed from the program.
Prior to taking the Comprehensive Examination, students must successfully complete a minimum of one full semester of practicum and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students must register for the Comprehensive Examination the semester before they plan to sit for the exam. The exam must be taken on campus during the registered time in order to fulfill the graduation requirement.
Professional Development Portfolio
The Professional Development Portfolio is introduced to students in their first course and described in the graduate handbook. It is designed to assess growth and competency in each of the Argosy University Marriage & Family Therapy program students.
- Learning Outcome areas, and AAMFT content areas:
- Theoretical Knowledge (Theory of Change Paper and Family Conceptualization Paper)
- Clinical Knowledge (Clinical Skill Demonstration and Case Study Presentation)
- Individual Development and Family Relations (Self-of-the Therapist Paper)
- Professional Identity and Ethics (Ethical and Developmental Autobiography and Legal Competency Review)
- Research (Literature Review)
- Interpersonal Effectiveness (Letters of Reference and Recommendation and Personal Statement and Professional Vita)
- Diversity (Self-awareness and Experience Interview)
The Professional Development Portfolio is assembled by the student throughout his or her coursework in the program. Submitted at least four weeks prior to graduation, each section of the portfolio is evaluated by the faculty of the Marriage & Family Therapy program. In order for the student to be eligible for graduation, the faculty must determine that the Professional Development Portfolio meets all of the programmatic requirements and standards.
Any incidence of cheating, plagiarism, or falsification of information on the AMFTRB Practice Exam or Professional Development Portfolio will result in automatic dismissal from the MA in Marriage & Family Therapy degree program.
