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Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy Degree Overview
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Your Career in Psychology Starts Here - Extended Application Deadline: January 15
The nuclear family has evolved. No longer does the American household fit one shape, size, or style. Yet, the family unit remains the cornerstone of our society, and the COAMFTE-accredited Master of Arts in Marital and Family Therapy (MFT) Degree Program offered by the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) at Alliant International University is specifically tailored to train you in how to help these individuals and families, regardless of their structure or circumstance.
Families and married couples need the assistance of therapists to guide them through contemporary problems in difficult and challenging times. With a family therapy education, you can help make a difference in people’s lives. We are committed to your success as a marriage and family therapist, and with our marriage and family counseling program you will get the education and skill set you need to flourish. Learn more about our graduate school and advance your career today with our MFT master’s program.
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Faculty and Admissions
Get the information you need in order to start your Alliant experience. Browse our diverse list of faculty members, or see the latest admission requirements for your desired program.
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Degree Highlights
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COAMFTE-Accreditation
Alliant is proud to offer one of only nine on-campus COAMFTE-accredited MA MFT programs in the state of California.
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Online Marriage and Family Therapy Master’s Program
Our Master’s in MFT program has its coursework offered completely online, and is one of only five such programs in the nation to be COAMFTE-accredited. With MFT licensure being issued on a state-by-state basis, holding a degree from a COAMFTE-accredited program makes it easier to obtain licensure in a new state. Our MFT program is ideal for those who are going to pursue becoming a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and plan on traveling between states.
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Hands-on Training
Get hands-on training through 500 hours of direct client contact—leaving you primed for impact from the moment you step off our commencement stage.
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Service and Investment
Get up to $50,000 of loan reimbursement from the National Health Services Corps in exchange for two years of work in an underserved area.
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Cultural Competency
Join an MFT program that has cultural competency at its core, and consistently adds culturally and linguistically qualified mental-health professionals into the workforce.
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Compelling Coursework
Through your program, you will explore courses like: Parent-Child Therapy, Psychopharmacology, and many more. (Course offerings and sequence are subject to change.)
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“I chose Alliant because they are COAMFTE-accredited and degree portability was really important to me. My experience through the masters and doctoral MFT programs has not only prepared me to be a therapist, but also to be an advocate for my clients, and for the MFT profession as a whole.”
Nicole Sabatini Gutierrez
MFT MA and PsyD Alumna
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Degree Information
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MFT – Continuing CSPP’s Legacy of Impact
CSPP’s Marriage and Family Therapy programs, at both levels, have a long and storied history of faculty that have passed through its doors to relay their knowledge to a new generation of family therapists. For the last 50 years, this master’s level program has worked to produce some of the best marriage and family therapists and some of the most-respected thought leaders the field has seen since the program’s inception. From 1969 to today, the MFT master’s program has worked toward making families in California, and around the world, the best they can be.
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Chemical Dependency Specialization Track
Every MFT student has the option to earn a specialization in Chemical Dependency. This CAADE accredited chemical dependency specialization is a unique opportunity for every graduate student to prepare to work with individuals, couples, and families facing addiction through professional development hours directly related to chemical dependency treatment.
Understanding how to treat addiction is one of the most valuable professional tools an MFT can acquire. When working with families who are struggling with addiction, it’s imperative to know the best care clinical practices for treating chemical dependency.
This specialization covers how to treat families from a systemic perspective with a focus on treating clients who are experiencing addiction as a part of your internship hours at a residential treatment center or intensive outpatient program, not as a separate clinical internship that would require increased hours. This specialization is embedded into the MA program and does not require any additional coursework.
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Links and Downloads
San Diego Student Achievement Criteria Data
Los Angeles Student Achievement Criteria Data
Sacramento Student Achievement Criteria Data
Irvine Student Achievement Criteria Data
Online Student Achievement Criteria Data
As part of COAMFTE requirements, we provide the diversity composition of our student body, faculty, and supervisors. Please follow the link below for the related data. We hope this information will help you make an informed decision regarding your graduate study.
San Diego Diversity Chart
Los Angeles Diversity Chart
Sacramento Diversity Chart
Irvine Diversity Chart
Online Diversity Chart
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Frequently Asked Questions
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What is the career outlook for graduates of the MA in Marriage and Family Therapy degree program?
Marriage and Family Therapy is one of the fastest-growing fields in psychology and behavioral sciences today. The Bureau for Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that it will grow by 23% over the next 10 years—compared to just 16% for counselor and therapist positions of all types, and 7% for all jobs in all fields—which earns MFT a “Much faster than average” designation from the BLS. Growth is expected due to the increasing use of integrated care, which is a treatment of multiple problems at one time by a group of specialists, such as marriage and family therapists working with substance abuse, behavior disorder, or mental health counselors, to address patients’ issues as a team.
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What kind of job can I expect to get with this master’s degree program?
Graduates of master’s degree programs in Marriage and Family Therapy often work in outpatient care centers, inpatient care centers, hospitals, schools, social services for local, state, and federal governments, substance abuse centers, and private practices. They can also open their own clinical practice or go into fields such related to law, corrections, the military, churches and religion-based fields, and employee relations and benefits for companies both big and small.
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What scholarship and financial aid options are available to me?
Private and public scholarships can help you meet the cost of your education. Alliant International University is pleased to be able to offer a significant number of institutional scholarships for many of our students. Learn more about these scholarship opportunities here. Additional Financial aid is available for those who qualify in the form of loans, grants, federal work study, and military aid. Learn more in our Financial Options Guide.
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When does the MA in Marriage and Family Therapy degree program start?
The master’s program is offered as both a semester-long and 8-week term program and is open for enrollment during each of those respective enrollment periods. You can find our 8-week term academic calendar here.
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How long does it take to complete the MA in Marriage and Family Therapy degree program?
The MA MFT degree program is a 60-credit program and takes a minimum of 2 years to complete, either across 6 semesters or 13 terms, depending on which calendar is applicable to you.
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What is the modality of this program?
You can earn your MA in Marital and Family Therapy degree online or on-campus, offering you an educational experience that is both customizable and tailored to your schedule.
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Program Campus Locations in California
The Master of Arts in Marital and Family Therapy program is offered both on-campus and online. Click an image below to learn more about each university campus and what each one has to offer.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles
Entertainment Capital of the World
Sacramento
Sacramento
California’s Capital City
Online Programs
Online Programs
Quality Programs and Degrees, Delivered Online
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Why Alliant
At Alliant, our mission is to prepare students for professional careers of service and leadership and promote the discovery and application of knowledge to improve the lives of people in diverse cultures and communities around the world. Our Vision is an inclusive world empowered by Alliant alumni.
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Why CSPP
The California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) is Alliant’s cornerstone school and was built on a legacy of thought leadership, multicultural competence, and quality of care. CSPP’s programs pair hands-on professional practice with academic rigor in order to prepare the next generation of psychologists and mental health care professionals.