(Part-time)
Message from the Programme Director
Prof. Joyce Ma
Programme Director
MA Programme in Family Counselling and Family Education
The pursuit of postgraduate studies is an effective means for helping professionals advance and enrich their professional knowledge and competence. Our Department has offered the Master of Arts in Family Counselling and Family Education (MAFCFE) Programme (Part-time) since 2002. Many enthusiastic responses from students and favourable feedback from external examiners have been received.
This Programme has the following characteristics. First, its students come from different helping professions, and are namely social workers, guidance teachers, student counsellors, pastors, nurses, speech therapists and occupational therapists. The multidisciplinary mix of the students provides an excellent learning opportunity for them to widen their academic and professional scope. Second, this Programme puts an emphasis on helping students to integrate theoretical concepts with practice; the first year curriculum focuses on the acquisition of foundation theories and knowledge related to family education and family counselling and the second year curriculum focuses on applying the acquired knowledge to different clienteles (e.g. families with adolescents at risk, families suffering from mental disorders) in different social service settings (e.g. school, family services, hospitals and residential service). Third, this Programme is taught by a group of high calibre teaching staff with different areas of expertise in family education and family counselling. Both dedicated and conscientious, the faculty members use different teaching methods, including lectures, experiential learning, small group discussions, live demonstrations, clinical observations, simulated role-plays and various presentations to facilitate the students' learning. Fourth, through provision of scholarships, students are encouraged to present their master projects in international, national and local conferences and participate in overseas study tours and international Summer Institute (e.g., the 7th Summer University in Social Work in Lausanne, Switzerland in July 2016).
Besides quality teaching, this Programme is backed up by the Social Welfare Practice and Research Centre and the Family and Group Practice Research Centre of the Department. There are five practice research projects under the Family and Group Practice Research Center: (a) multiple-family group therapy for Chinese families of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; (b) family therapy for Chinese families suffering from maltreatment in parent-child relationships; (c) treatment groups for elderly people suffering insomnia; (d) transformation based family education using experiential learning and mindfulness practice; and (e) multiple-family group therapy for adults suffering from depression. Students can participate in live demonstrations and clinical observations to better understand principles pertinent to the success of multidisciplinary collaboration and co-operation in clinical practice.
Prof. Joyce Ma
Programme Director
Master of Arts in Family Counselling and Family Education
Introduction
The rapid social changes in Hong Kong undermine traditional family functions and structures. The increasing incidence of extra-marital affairs, single parenthood, cohabitation and family relationship problems as well as the complexity of family issues such as sexual assault, child abuse and suicide among family members all indicate the vulnerability of Hong Kong families. As a result, there is a rising need for family related services and an increasing demand for social workers and human service practitioners to acquire more advanced and practical skills in family counselling and family education in order to help families cope with different crises effectively.
In view of this situation, the Department offers a part-time 2-year Master of Arts in Family Counselling and Family Education (MAFCFE) Programme. The Programme aims to help students acquire specialised training in family counselling and family education. It enables students to advance their professional competence and skills in relation to family practice and parental education.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Programme, students are expected to demonstrate a thorough understanding of:
1) The theoretical foundations and conceptual frameworks of family counselling and family education;
2) Professional skills used in analysing human behaviour and family systems, conducting family groups and family education, handling programme evaluation, and developing their own personal style of helping in family counselling and family education; and
3) Using scientific research methods to address critical family issues and applying theories to practice.
Programme of Study
Study mode available
Part-time: 2 years
The Programme consists of 9 courses (7 required courses and 2 elective courses) to be completed in two academic years of study beginning in September. The courses are usually taught in the evenings. The courses offered are as follows:
*Students are required to take two of these elective courses which are offered in accordance with resources available.
# A fixed number of quota is set.
Scholarships
The following scholarships are available to students of the MAFCFE Programme:
1) Admission Scholarship: Master of Arts in Family Counselling and Family Education Scholarship
2) Distinguished Academic Scholarship for Master of Arts in Family Counselling and Family Education Students
3) Conference Presentation Award for Master of Arts in Family Counselling and Family Education Final Year Students
4) Scholarship for School Teachers (Pursuit of Master's Degree Programmes) organized by the Education Bureau
A Group Photo of 2016 – 2018 Graduates of MAFCFE Programme
Continuing Education Fund (CEF) - for students admitted in 2020-21 and thereafter
This course has been included in the list of reimbursable courses under the Continuing Education Fund. This course is recognized under the Qualifications Framework (QF Level 6).
CEF course no : 44M122821
CEF course title : Master of Arts in Family Counselling and Family Education
For details of eligibility and reimbursement procedures of CEF, please visit here.