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other health care professionals; the role of the family health care provider in the
continuum of services; the politics and economics of health care; understanding human
systems in health care; and brief interventions and systemic assessments useful in the
treatment and care of patients, their families, and interactions within the health care
milieu.
The Graduate Certificate in Family Systems Health Care consists of eight courses (24
credits), which include biopsychosocial and systemic theories, relationship skills,
professional issues, and health care systems. The program is offered in a distance-
learning, online format, and some courses may also be available in a residential format.
This flexible format allows mid-career working adults, and those unable to attend on-
campus programs, to study in a creative, rigorous, and structured fashion. Students
enrolled in the online program will be invited to participate in Residential Institutes on the
main campus two times per year as part of their practical experience and add to their
collaboration with co-professionals. Residential students in the family therapy master’s or
doctoral degrees can take their practicum experiences to apply their clinical and relational
skills at a health care internship site. A minimum of 200 clinical hours, along with
approved supervision, are required for this certificate.
Students must have a bachelor’s degree and 3.0 GPA to apply. Students may enroll full or
part time, taking 3 to 9 credit hours per term. Students who attend full time can expect to
complete the program in 1 or more years, depending on pace of study. Students who
complete Graduate Certificate in Family Systems Health Care courses online may wish to
attend the Residential Institutes to further add to their collaboration with co-professionals
and further their studies. Summer attendance is required based on course offerings.
Degree Plans
A sample of a degree plan is shown for a full time student who begins studies in fall term.
Degree plans will be modified based on a student’s enrollment date and pace of study. To
complete the requirements for the Graduate Certificate in Family Systems Health Care,
students must take 24 credit hours. Additional electives may be taken based on a
student’s interests with the approval of the program director.
Students in graduate programs (i.e., M.S. in Family Therapy, Ph.D., or D.M.F.T. in Family
Therapy) that include the following courses can transfer up to 9 credit hours into this
certificate program:
SFTM 5010: Introduction to Systems Theory
SFTM 5321: Theories of Marital & Family Therapy
SFTM 6320: Assessment in Marital & Family Therapy
Electives are available and are based on a student’s interests (i.e., Clinical Practicum III;
Gerontology, others).
Two External Practicums are required to meet the requirements of placement in a medical
setting to experience a collaborative learning process to combine theory and practice in a
setting based on student interest. The Internship Coordinator facilitates site locations and
contracts to support clinical placement(s). A minimum of 200 clinical hours are required to
meet this certificate requirement, along with one hour of supervision from an AAMFT
Approved Supervisor, as well as supervision by a medical professional. Students register
for two terms of External Practicums. Clinical and supervisor hour forms are available on
the SHSS M.S. student resources website.
