Questions and Answers

How and when do I apply?

Admission is a two-step process. After academic credentials are reviewed and accepted, students are invited for a personal interview. The program strives to provide financial assistance whenever possible. The deadline for applying to the Department of Human Development & Family Studies and Marriage and Family Therapy Program is January 15th. You application is reviewed by faculty in the Department of Human Development & Family Studies.

Will I have a personal interview?

You may then be invited for an interview with faculty in the MFT program after your application is reviewed by faculty in the Department. All prospective MFT students are interviewed prior to a final admissions decision being made. We typically interview in February and early March.

Who should I contact for application information?

For information regarding your application please contact the graduate school. For additional information specific to applying to the Department of Human Development & Family Studies, please email Liz Little at sfsgradprogram@uconn.edu.

How many students are accepted each year?

We typically accept 6-10 new students into the master’s program each year. This group becomes very cohesive as they go through classes and clinical experiences together. The number of students admitted into the doctoral program varies from as few as one to as many as four or five.

When will I start seeing clients?

In the master’s program, during your first semester you begin observing therapy from behind a one-way mirror. During your second semester, you begin seeing clients as part of a team. You will start seeing clients more independently during your second semester as well, both at the Humphrey Center for Marital and Family Therapy here within the program, as well as being assigned to a practicum site in the community. This gives you time to develop as a clinician and receive supervision from faculty in the MFT program as well as “real world” agency experience. Doctoral students often see clients at the Humphrey Center along with their internship experience in the community.

How long is the practical experience component of the program?

In the master’s program, your practical experience starts the second semester and continues until you graduate, including the summer months.

Can I do research in the master’s program?

Master’s students have the option of completing a thesis. They are encouraged to develop their own research ideas or can be invited to join faculty research projects. Faculty facilitates a thesis research practicum for developing and sharing ideas as well as supporting the completion of student theses.

What types of jobs do Master’s students get after graduation?

A variety of entry-level positions in varied treatment facilities and agencies such as youth service bureaus, mental health clinics, residential treatment programs for children and adolescents, psychiatric hospitals, outpatient and residential substance abuse treatment programs, the State of Connecticut Department of Children and Families, Family Services Division of the Superior Court, and Adult Probation Services.

What types of jobs do Doctoral students get after graduation?

Doctoral –level graduates have been successful in obtaining entry-level, tenure track positions at major universities; post-doctoral fellowships at universities and national institutes, and administrative positions in mental health agencies and human service organizations.

Is there support for international students?

We welcome and highly value the diversity that international students bring to our program. We often offer teaching and/or research assistantships to international learners. Our goal is that all students become part of our learning community and enjoy the fellowship of close colleagues, supervisors, and professors. We hope this creates a “home away from home” for international students in our program.

Are student assistantships available?

The Department of Human Development & Family Studies provides a limited number of graduate assistantships to incoming students, including marriage and family therapy applicants. Other assistantships are also available to students but the numbers vary from year to year because they depend upon the amount of external funding received by faculty from grants and contracts.

What if I already have some coursework in MFT?

Students in a Masters program are to complete the Standard Curriculum as designated by the COAMFTE, and the Masters program must teach the entire Standard Curriculum. However, students may complete part of the requirements before entering the program or at another institution. You can request transfer courses be considered for acceptance by the Program Director after you are admitted into the program.

Which theories are taught in the program?

To assure that students have knowledge and basic clinical skills derived from a number of systemic marital and family therapy approaches including but not limited to: intergenerational, structural, solution focused, narrative, experiential, and strategic. Students also are expected to be familiar with individual psychotherapeutic approaches and to integrate an appreciation for individual, couple, familial, social, and cultural levels of analysis into their therapeutic perspective.

What do I do to get an advisor?

You will be assigned a faculty advisor before you get here. This person is the Chair of the Academic Committee that will finally decide on your receiving a degree. You can change to another advisor if you wish to do so, if the person you wish to have as your advisor agrees. However, the academic advisor for MFT students must be a member of the Clinical Faculty (Anderson, Rigazio-DiGilio, Sabatelli).

Is there a distinction between receiving a degree and completing the MFT program?

Yes. The MFT program is a particular specialty within a more broadly conceived degree. You cannot complete the M.A. MFT program without qualifying for a degree, but you can receive a Masters degree other than by completing the MFT program. You should consult the Program Handbook for further details of this distinction.

What GPA do I need to keep?

The Graduate School requires a B average. However, if you get close to trouble on this requirement of the Graduate School, you will already be in trouble with us.

Should I have already taken statistics?

It wouldn't hurt, but it is not a requirement for admission.

How many clinical hours do I need to graduate?

If you are a Masters student or a Ph.D. student without previous MFT supervised experience, you need 500 hours of direct, face-to-face contact with clients. At least 250 of these hours must include more than one client system member. In addition, at least 250 of the hours must be completed in the program's Marital and Family Therapy Clinic, at the Humphrey Center.

When do I begin recording client contact hours?

Clinical hours that count toward the required 500 usually start at the beginning of the second semester, when you become involved with clients in the Program's MFT Clinic. Introductory experience usually begins in the second month of the first semester, but these hours do not count toward the 500.

How am I supervised?

Supervision consists of individual conversations with a faculty supervisor, as well as conversations with groups of students and a faculty supervisor. Supervision will sometimes involve direct observation or participation by the supervisor, or use of videotape, as well as information reported by the student therapist.

What happens if something goes wrong in the clinic?

There should always be at least two people (other than clients) in the clinic, so that assistance or help in getting assistance is available. A good part of the time, but not always, a faculty member is present in the clinic. Failing that, the student can phone the student's supervisor, the Clinic Director or the Associate Clinic Director for instructions or other assistance. Rarely (perhaps once in five years) an emergency has occurred that requires calling Emergency Medical or Police assistance. These are located on campus, and arrive in a matter of minutes.

Do I need a car?

Yes. The public transport system in Storrs is not adequate (for marriage and family therapists). It provides an irregular bus service for students within a ten mile (16 km) radius of campus. There are many apartments but no practicum sites within this radius.
All students, foreign and National, are expected to own a vehicle.

I will have a car. What do I need to do in order to park?

Call parking ASAP (860-486-4930) to get registration information. Graduate Assistant parking is different than regular student parking. Any GA seeking a decal will need to provide proof that they have an assistantship. If they bring in or fax a copy of their assistantship letter to the parking office, they'll be able to get the GA parking. This is better than waiting for the school to send a list or the registrar's office to send a list, as those often do not arrive until late August. You want to beat the rush (and not have to stand in line) by getting this done as early as possible so that the decal can be mailed to you. Also, be sure to fill out the card COMPLETELY and ACCURATELY and send the appropriate PAYMENT. "Problem" forms can wait until you come in September (and stand in line). This is a major pain you want to avoid.

As a foreign student, how much money will I need to budget to purchase, register and insure a car?

The rule of thumb in the Storrs area is that everything that moves cost at least $500. Common wisdom suggests that buying a car below $2,000 is very risky. A cheapest brand-new car in 1996 was about $9,500 (it was about the same in 2001). A million dollar Mercedes has not been seen in Storrs and is not yet required for graduation. Basic insurance cost between $400 and $1,000 a year depending, among other factors, on how many persons have sued you for damaging them and their property. Remember that insurance costs more for those with international licenses as they do not have a verifiable driver's record (only experience in the US counts -- to provide foreigners with an equal opportunity to pay higher rates). Foreign students, however, are eligible to receive a US driving license after taking a test and a driving exam.

What do I do if I have other questions?

Go to the Program Handbook, which has a lot more information. If that does not work, call us (860 486-4721) for the Program Secretary. You can also email the Program Director, Stephen Anderson, at stephen.anderson@uconn.edu.