Program Mission, Goals and Outcomes

The Mercer University School of Medicine Master of Family Therapy (M.F.T.) program’s mission is to transform M.F.T. students into competent, compassionate and ethical professionals who work collaboratively to meet the needs of individuals, couples, families and communities, including the rural and medically underserved. Emphasizing interactive and innovative teaching strategies, our student-centered faculty provides a conceptual and practical foundation that equips graduates to be discerning consumers and innovative producers of knowledge across a variety of medical and other clinical settings, as well as academic institutions. This foundation prepares clinicians to articulate and utilize a wide variety of philosophical perspectives, theoretical orientations and clinical modalities, all with sensitivity and responsiveness to diverse contextual factors that impact therapist and client systems, as well as institutions and communities in which they participate. Through scholarship and clinical outreach, students and faculty work closely to have local, regional, national and global impact.

For more detailed information about the Program Goals, Student Learning Outcomes, Objectives, and Assessments:

Mercer M.F.T. students, graduates and faculty will:

  • Infuse systemic/relational and biopsychosocial/spiritual perspectives into academic work, clinical activities, service and scholarship.
  • Recognize, articulate and be responsive to influences of diversity and contextual factors in academic work, clinical activities, service and scholarship with a focus on building a program climate of safety, respect and social responsibility (for all people, including diverse, marginalized and/or medically underserved communities).
  • Adhere to legal and ethical regulatory standards in order to competently address moral/ethical/legal decisions faced by therapists, clients, supervisors, other health professionals and/or scholars.
  • Conceptualize from a variety of theoretical and empirically informed frameworks and practice consistently from a chosen perspective (either pure or integrated) across clinical settings, diverse client populations and presenting problems.
  • Have local, national and/or global influence through reciprocal interdisciplinary scholarship, clinical outreach and/or service learning projects.
  • Display both interpersonal and professional competence within clinical activities, service, scholarship and collaboration with colleagues.

M.F.T. Program Student Learning Outcomes

Recognizing that full mastery of clinical core competencies is not expected until several years after graduation or at the time of full licensure, the following are expected learning outcomes for students graduating from the Mercer M.F.T. program.

  • Students have the basic core competencies to infuse systemic and biopsychosocial/spiritual perspectives into their academic work, clinical activities, service and scholarship.
  • Students have the basic core competencies to recognize, articulate, and be responsive to influences of diversity and contextual factors in academic work, clinical activities, service and scholarship, in particular with diverse, marginalized and/or medically underserved communities.
  • Students have the basic core competencies to adhere to legal and ethical regulatory standards in order to competently address moral/ethical/legal decisions faced by therapists, clients, supervisors, other health professionals and/or scholars.
  • Students have the basic core competencies to conceptualize from a variety of theoretical and empirically informed frameworks and practice consistently from a chosen perspective across clinical settings, diverse client populations and presenting problems.
  • Students have the basic core competencies to be discerning consumers and producers of empirical research and/or program evaluation in their scholastic work and clinical services.
  • Students have the basic core competencies to display both interpersonal and professional competence within clinical activities, service, scholarship, as well as collaborate with colleagues in order to practice in a variety of settings and with diverse populations.