Sept 2025 Entry
1.5 years (Full-time)
3 years (Part-time)
31
The title of this programme has been changed from MA in Social Work (Family-centred Practice and Family Therapy) to MA in Marriage and Family Therapy and is applicable to students admitted in 2024/25 and thereafter.
This programme is offered within the Postgraduate Scheme in Applied Social Sciences.
This programme adopts multi-method approaches in teaching and learning, such as online, classroom, skill laboratory or blended learning.
Applications are considered on a rolling basis. Shortlisted candidates may be invited to attend an interview. Qualified candidates will be notified of their results via the eAdmission portal. Once all of the vacancies are filled, the remaining qualified applicants will be put on a waiting list. Early applications are strongly encouraged.
What's New
Programme Aims
The emphasis of this programme is on “scholarship in practice” in both teaching and learning, and on the development of reflective and competent practitioners who can work with individuals, couples or families. Students are encouraged to enhance their ability to recognise the complexity and inter-connectedness of the problems and issues that confront people; to reflect upon and draw implications from the social, economic and political contexts that influence human-service practitioners and their clients with individual, marital and family problems; to relate family-centred practice theories and systems therapy to their own practice; and to develop personalised professional styles.
Characteristics
This programme is designed for practising social workers and related human-service professionals who are interested in working with individuals, couples and families. The programme is offered on a mixed-mode basis, with the majority of its subjects being taught on weekday evenings.
Students who enrol in the 31-credit programme can choose to take an additional 13 credits (3 credits of coursework and 10 credits of clinical training) to prepare themselves to apply for Clinical Membership in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). They can also complete 22 credits and exit with a Postgraduate Diploma.
This programme is offered within the Postgraduate Scheme in Applied Social Sciences. Its configuration of multiple subjects means it is a unique form of postgraduate training in applied social sciences in Hong Kong. Allowing students from different specialisms to take subjects from the same pool of electives is important for enhancing their competence to learn and practice in a multidisciplinary context, which are characteristics of a well-rounded professional.
Students are equipped with the knowledge that is necessary to make integrative links between classroom learning and practice in the field.
The Programme has been fully accredited by the Hong Kong Professional Counselling Association (HKPCA). Graduates who have completed the Practicum course will have a total of 180 supervised practice hours, as required by HKPCA to qualify as an HKPCA Candidate of Certified Counsellor.
Programme graduates (31 credits) are eligible to apply for membership in the Hong Kong Marriage and Family Therapy Association (HKMFTA).
Programme graduates (44 credits) fulfil the coursework requirement and half of the supervised direct-client-contact hours requirement for Clinical Membership in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT).
Programme Structure
For the MAMFT degree, students are required to complete 31-32 credits for different study paths:
|
Study Path |
Preparation for Professional Membership |
Required Subject |
Elective Subject |
Academic Integrity and Ethics Requirement |
Clinical Training |
Total No. of Credits |
|
MA degree without any clinical training |
HKMFTA |
5 subjects |
5 subjects |
1 subject |
-- |
31 credits |
|
Clinical option with 180-hour practicum training |
HKMFTA |
5 subjects |
4 subjects |
1 subject |
2 subjects |
31 credits |
|
Clinical option with 300-hour practicum training |
HKMFTA |
5 subjects |
4 subjects |
1 subject |
2 subjects |
32 credits |
Students who successfully complete 22 credits with 5 Required Subjects, 2 Elective Subjects and 1 AIE subject may exit the programme with a Postgraduate Diploma.
For AAMFT Clinical Membership Application
Students planning to apply for Clinical Membership in the AAMFT* can continue their studies by taking additional subjects after obtaining the MAMFT degree:
|
Stage of Study |
Required Subject |
Elective Subject |
Academic Integrity and Ethics Requirement |
Clinical Training |
Total No. of Credits |
|
Subjects completed in the MAMFT degree |
5 subjects |
4 subjects |
1 subject |
2 subjects |
32 credits |
|
Post-degree study (additional subjects) |
-- |
2 subjects |
-- |
2 subjects |
12 credits |
Upon completion of the degree and additional subjects, students should have taken 44 credits. Clinical training consists of 300 practicum hours and 500 hours of clinical internship. Each clinical internship period involves 250 direct practice hours and 50 hours of group supervision.
* Please refer to the current course requirements set by the AAMFT, as available on its website.
Core Areas of Study
Required Subjects
- Evolution in Family Therapy: Structural & Systemic Approaches
- Marriage, Separation, Divorce & Reconstituted Families
- Practice Research
- Professional Identity & Ethics
- Social Constructionism & Collaborative Dialogic Approach
Elective Subjects
- Advanced Practice Methods: Brief Therapy
- Advanced Practice Methods: Cognitive Behavioural Intervention
- Child & Family Psychopathology: Theory, Practice & Research
- Couple Therapy Processes & Techniques
- Family Systems & Adolescent Development
- Integrative Project
- Mental Health Practice and Interpersonal Neurobiology: Attachment, Trauma and Healing in the Context of Relationships
- Mindfulness-based Programme in Mental Health and Social Care
- Narrative Therapy
- Psychopathology: Holistic & Humanistic Orientations
- Violence in Intimate Relationships
Clinical Training
- Clinical Internship I
- Clinical Internship II
- Practicum A (2 credits)
- Practicum B
- Pre-Practicum General Counselling Theories and Skills Workshop (1 credit)
Remarks:
- In addition to the above subjects, students are required to complete a 1-credit subject on Academic Integrity and Ethics (AIE). No tuition fee is required for this subject.
- All subjects carry 3 credits, unless otherwise specified.
- Programme structure and content are subject to continual review and changes.
31
Dr So Wa Ngai
PhD, MS MFT, BA Psy, AAMFT Clinical Fellow and Approved Supervisor
(This programme admits students in alternate years and will not invite applications for admission in 2025/26)
- A Bachelor's degree in any discipline. Degrees in a related discipline and relevant work experience are desirable.
If you are not a native speaker of English, and your Bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification is awarded by institutions where the medium of instruction is not English, you are expected to fulfil the University’s minimum English language requirement for admission purpose. Please refer to the "Admission Requirements" section for details.
For further information on admission matters, please contact:
Tel: (852) 2766 5764
Email: sspg@polyu.edu.hk
Career Prospects
The MAMFT programme provides students with opportunities to gain the latest knowledge, develop specialist skills and become reflective, competent practitioners/therapists working with individuals, couples and families challenged by complex problems. The learning experience will facilitate students improving the quality of their service and to meet the continuous education requirements stipulated by professional and licensing bodies. This programme will also allow students to pave a career path with an option to become a private practitioner in helping individuals and families in need.
3 for local students
6 for non-local students
For local and non-local students
Taught subject: HK$6,900 per credit
Practicum: HK$14,200 per credit
Clinical Internship: HK$10,770 per credit
(Subject to review)
* No tuition fee is required for 1-credit Academic Integrity and Ethics subject
Entry scholarships are available. Please click here for details.
PolyU reserves the right to change or withdraw the scholarship at any time. In case of any dispute/disagreement, PolyU's decision is final.
I highly recommend the Master of Arts in Social Work – Family-centred Practice and Family Therapy programme to those who seek to improve their intra- and interpersonal relationships, or to increase their proficiency in their current professional roles.
The thoughtful design of this programme means it is a good balance of theory and practice. Supported by a resourceful teaching and learning community, students are intensively and diversely trained by renowned professionals in the field, allowing students to exhibit the professional competencies demanded in today’s practitioners. The 1-year supervised practicum was a practice ground, in which knowledge and theory were integrated and applied to allow us to tackle the complex problems arising in real-life situations.
In addition, studying this programme has enabled me to embark on a journey of self-growth, as I gained an increased awareness of the perplexing features of family dynamics and their perpetual impact on each member of a family. My relationships with myself and my family members have significantly improved, as I have become more compassionate than I used to be towards my parents and have mindfully learnt how to be a loving parent to my children. Thus, this wonderful 3-year programme gave me a complete make-over in terms of my attitude towards my family, leaving me with a wealth of happy memories and overflowing with heartfelt gratitude.
Studying for a Master of Arts in Social Work – Family-centred Practice and Family Therapy was an interesting and rewarding experience. Due to the variety of elective classes, it was always fun to decide what to do before the start of each semester. All of the subject teachers are skilled and experienced in the profession. Many real-life examples were given, along with up-to-date local practice and role play case studies, to enhance student engagement during the lectures. My classmates were from different professions and backgrounds, and it was a valuable experience to study alongside them.
The major advantage for me in doing this programme was what I learned about self-reflection. By understanding family dynamics using different approaches, I was able to reflect on myself and my limitations, and to re-organise my mind before helping others. By completing the programme, I acquired new skills in family therapy and also learnt about myself.
Studying in the Master of Arts in Social Work, Family-centred Practice and Family Therapy programme has led to intensive self-reflection and was a life-changing experience for me. The programme is composed of various therapeutic approaches and offers plenty of opportunities for professional development and personal growth. By reflecting on how I have been interacting with my family-of-origin and my family of procreation, I uncovered many ‘blind spots’ in my personal life, and I also discovered new ways of perceiving, positioning and relating. This self-awakening and self-healing process is crucial for being an effective counsellor. I have become more positive, more emotionally stable, and less judgmental than I used to be. By connecting and building relationships with professors and fellow students, I have a developed a newfound passion for my profession. In summary, I am very thankful to have been a student of this enriching and fulfilling programme.
I decided to start my journey by being a student in this programme because I was impressed by the emphasis on the three pillars of casework collaboration (therapist’s knowledge, skills and self) in the information seminar.
My 3 years of study have been rewarding and the result was far beyond what I had expected. In terms of knowledge, I was informed by a wide range of marriage and family therapy approaches. Additional studies on neurobiology, psychopathology, ethics and related areas enabled me to understand family systems and human development comprehensively. In terms of skills, I encountered a variety of cases in the practicum. I learnt how to build rapport, gather useful information, conceptualise cases and shift family patterns. Through class activities and a specially designed ‘Care and Growth Group’, I learnt how my family-of-origin influences my personality and counselling style. Overall, the structured programme allowed me to strengthen connections with service users and increased my confidence in my ability to be a change agent.
Another unique feature of this programme is that it paves the way for becoming a professional member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the Hong Kong Marriage and Family Therapy Association and the Hong Kong Professional Counselling Association, and is the only programme in Hong Kong to do so. I was also fortunate to make good friends in this ongoing professional development journey, and anyone who joins this programme will also do so.
Copies of the graduation certificate and official academic transcript are required. Please also provide the academic transcript explanatory notes of the grading systems (課程績點與等級換算關係表).
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