A student seeking admission to a graduate program needs a bachelor's degree, a GPA of 3.0 or higher, a minimum of 500 on the verbal section of the GRE and a 5.0 on the analytic session, a strong personal statement detailing his or her goals, three professional recommendations, and undergraduate coursework in psychology.
Students must complete 60 credit hours of coursework to attain a master's degree. Coursework should include theoretical and applied psychology.
Graduates must complete a research thesis prior to being awarded their master's degree. The master's thesis is a comprehensive clinical case study that integrates diagnostic, ethical, social and therapeutic issues. The thesis can be an original contribution or experimental based on published literature.
Students in a master's program should seek an internship or employment as an assistant to a practicing psychologist in order to receive practical experience. Practical experience is important toward gaining licensure as a marriage and family therapist in most states.
An overall grade point average of 2.75 or higher is required for completion of a master's degree. Students seeking to continue on to a doctoral program should maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher.