Program Structure
Overview of the program:
The Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling Master’s degree program is a three-year program of study. We operate on a cohort model, which means our students are admitted together and progress together through sequential coursework. Our program is held in person on PSU’s campus in downtown Portland and includes academic and clinical work.
Year One:
The first year of our program includes foundational courses for the counseling profession and specialty area. These classes focus on developmental foundations, theories and interventions, legal and ethical issues in counseling, and diagnosis and treatment planning.
In the first year of the program, students will also participate in a group counseling experience called the Experiential Training Clinic (ETC). In this experience, recent graduates of our program facilitate group counseling sessions. As group members, students will increase self-awareness, explore personal cultural identity, facilitate interpersonal learning and skills, learn about group processes and skills, and increase readiness to begin in counseling practicum. Students will choose to take this class in one term of the first year.
Year Two:
The second year of the program includes our students' first clinical work. All of our students complete their practicum in our Community Counseling Clinic. This low-barrier clinic serves the public at a low cost, meeting a vital need in our community and aligning with PSU’s mission Let Knowledge Serve the City. Practicum is a year-long experience wherein students engage in both clinical work and serve as peer supervisors. By experiencing their first clinical under our direct supervision, our students receive exceptional support as we guide their practice and development as a counselor. When our students move into the peer supervision aspect of practicum, they also learn about supervision theory and process, a unique offering rarely found in counselor education master’s degrees. We believe this helps set our students up for success in their future as counselors and supervisors.
Year Three:
Our students complete a 20 - 30 hour per week internship placement in the third year of the program which usually occurs during daytime hours. Students do not have to seek out their internship placements, rather our dedicated Internship and Practicum Coordinator supports our students in applying to internships with our partner organizations. We have worked hard to develop and maintain strong relationships with our internship sites, ensuring students receive high-quality support and supervision.
Here is a small sample of some of our long-term partners:
- Children's Home Society of Washington
- Domestic Violence Resource Center
- Family Roots Counseling
- Fora Health
- Helen Gordon Child Development Center
- Northwest Regional Re-entry Center
- Oregon Commission for the Blind
- Oregon Vocational Rehabilitation Services
- Owl's Nest North
- PSU Student Health and Counseling Center
- PSU Community Counseling Clinic
- Sakura Counseling
- Therapy, Altered
- William Temple House
- **Please note this is just a sample of the many amazing internship sites we work with. You can read more about the internship process on our internship website
In addition, students are required to pass a comprehensive examination during the spring quarter. This exam evaluates their knowledge of all core counseling material.
Class structure:
Our academic classes during the core academic year are held in the late afternoons and evenings. In general, during the core-academic year, each class meets once per week for about two and a half hours. Generally, our students take three classes in a term. Clinical work and summer terms are exceptions to this rule. This is designed to meet the needs of working adults as much as possible.
We have included a sample document of what days and times these classes have historically been held. Please note that this does not mean you will have classes on these specific days, but rather is meant to provide an outline of what it can look like to complete the program. Specific days/times of classes are released on a term-by-term basis following the academic calendar.
Sample Days and times of classes for the 2020 - 2023 cohort. Please note that this is a sample. Class days and times are subject to change, please always refer to the most recent class schedule for current times.
Program of Study - Full List of Classes Required
Sequence of Courses
Course descriptions
For course descriptions, please consult the Bulletin or Class Schedule.