Department of Pastoral Counseling & Marriage
and Family Therapy

Implications of Admissions to the Department:

Students are required to sign a waiver of understanding that they will not engage in any independent or private practice while enrolled in the program.

The Department makes every reasonable effort necessary to enable students to meet accrediting/certifying/ and licensing requirements. Students, themselves, are advised to remain aware of the different requirements of the various accrediting/certifying/licensing bodies, so that they will be able to meet these requirements.


Academic Standing Policy:

Students in the Department of Pastoral Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy are being trained in the most sensitive areas of interacting with other persons. Those who gain from their Iona training and who in turn become capable of helping their clients are those whose emotional maturity and ethical standards and behaviors signal their ability to develop and maintain the highest of professional standards and personal growth.

In view of this fact, Iona College reserves the right to place on probation, suspend or dismiss from the program any students who falls short of the required academic, clinical or professional standards of competence established by the Department.

The decision of the Department Chairperson or his/her delegate with regard to a student's status in the program shall be supported by written faculty assessments and recommendations. These shall be guided by the precepts of the latest edition of the "Ethical Principles of The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy".

College procedures afford the student the opportunity to address concerns raised by the faculty and to take advantage of the appeals process in effect in the Graduate Programs of the School of Arts and Science.


American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy:

The MS in Marriage and Family Therapy prepares students for careers as marriage and family therapists. The curriculum follows guidelines set forth by the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). Students may apply for student membership, upon enrollment, through the Department. Completion of the Master's Degree leads to eligibility for Associate Membership in AAMFT. Upon completion of additional relevant clinical experience and supervision, graduates may qualify for clinical membership.

The Marriage and Family Therapy Program was awarded Candidacy Status by the Commission On the Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education in December 2004.

Last Updated: April 2005
Send any questions, comments or suggestions to rburns@iona.edu