Pre-Degree Hours: BBS Rules for California MFT Trainees

Pre-degree hour caps at a glance

The BBS sets three interlocking caps on pre-degree hours for MFT Trainees:

Even if you max out all 1,300 pre-degree hours, you still need at least 1,700 post-degree hours as a registered AMFT to reach the 3,000-hour LMFT requirement.

When you can start counting hours

You cannot count hours from day one of your degree program. The BBS requires:

• 12 semester units or 18 quarter units completed in your qualifying MFT degree program
• If you are counseling clients, you must be simultaneously enrolled in a practicum or field study course at your school
• If you are only performing non-clinical work (e.g., case management, community outreach, documentation), practicum enrollment is not required — but you still need the unit threshold

Trainee setting requirements

MFT Trainees face stricter setting rules than registered associates:

• The setting must be approved by your school
• A written agreement must exist between the trainee, the school, and the site
• The setting must lawfully provide mental health counseling services
• Trainees cannot work in private practice or professional corporation settings
• Supervision must meet the same BBS ratios as post-degree: 1 unit per work setting per week, with an additional unit if over 10 direct hours in a week at any setting

Why LPCC and LCSW do not allow pre-degree hours

Of the three BBS license types, only LMFT permits pre-degree hours. Here is how they compare:

For LPCC and LCSW candidates, practicum and fieldwork hours completed during the degree program do not count toward the 3,000-hour requirement. The clock starts only after degree conferral and associate registration (subject to the 90-day rule described below).

The degree_awarded_date boundary

The BBS classifies every hour as either pre-degree or post-degree based on a single date: the date your qualifying degree was officially conferred. Any supervised experience logged for a week ending on or before that date counts as pre-degree. Any week starting after that date counts as post-degree. In HourJourney, this is tracked via the degree awarded date in your profile — changing it automatically reclassifies all your logged hours.

The 90-day rule: bridging graduation to registration

There is a gap between when you graduate and when the BBS issues your AMFT registration number. The 90-day rule bridges this gap:

• If you submit your AMFT application within 90 days of your degree conferral date, hours earned between graduation and registration issuance count as post-degree hours
• If you miss the 90-day window, hours earned before your registration number is issued cannot be counted at all
• This rule also applies to APCC and ASW registrations for LPCC and LCSW candidates

The practical takeaway: submit your associate registration application immediately after graduation. Most applicants file the same week they receive their degree conferral letter. Waiting beyond 90 days means losing weeks or months of countable experience.

Separate Experience Verification forms

The BBS requires pre-degree and post-degree hours to be reported on separate Experience Verification forms. You cannot combine trainee hours and associate hours on the same form, even if the supervisor and setting are the same. Each form covers a distinct phase and must be signed independently. HourJourney automatically separates your hours by phase when generating BBS export forms.

Planning your pre-degree hours strategically

• Start early: Begin logging non-clinical hours as soon as you hit the 12-semester-unit threshold — you do not need to wait for practicum
• Maximize the 750 counseling cap: Once you are in practicum, prioritize direct client hours to fill the counseling portion
• Track the 550 non-clinical separately: Non-clinical hours (case management, documentation, workshops) fill the remaining pre-degree allocation
• File your AMFT application early: Apply within 90 days of graduation to avoid losing the transition hours
• Use separate logs: Keep pre-degree and post-degree documentation distinct from day one to avoid problems at application time

Source: BBS MFT FAQ revised February 2025, BPC Sections 4980.42, 4999.46, 4996.23