Master’s in Couple and Family Therapy Overview
The nuclear family has evolved and the American household no longer looks the same as it has in the past, yet the family unit remains the cornerstone of our society. In this online, COAMFTE-accredited marriage and family therapy master’s degree program, you'll learn to help individuals and families, regardless of their home structure or circumstance.
Many modern families and couples rely on the help of therapists to guide them through life changes and challenging times. With a family therapy education, you can help make a difference as a therapist or mental health counselor in how these people relate to one another, and provide them with the tools to make their lives better.
As a graduate from the program, you'll have the education and skills you need to join the profession with confidence as a couple and family therapist or mental health counselor. Some of the topics you’ll touch on in the marriage and family therapy master’s program include parent-child therapy, group therapy, trauma and crisis intervention, and more. Learn more about course offerings below.
Program Highlights
A Portable Degree
Alliant offers one of only a few on-campus, COAMFTE-accredited MA MFT programs in the state of California. MFT licensure is issued on a state-by-state basis, and a degree from a COAMFTE-accredited graduate program makes it easier to complete the licensure requirements and obtain MFT licensure in a new state.
Accredited Online MFT Program
Coursework is offered completely online, and is one of only five such online MFT programs in the nation to be COAMFTE-accredited. Choosing an online program with COAMFTE accreditation makes it ideal if you are going to pursue becoming a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and plan on traveling between states.
Hands-on Training
Get hands-on training through 500 hours of direct client contact, 250 supervision hours, and at least 100 professional development hours, giving you 800 to 1200 hours to apply towards your license.
Service and Investment
If qualified, you can receive up to $50,000 of loan reimbursement from the National Health Services Corps in exchange for two years of work in an underserved area.
Cultural Competency
This MFT program has cultural competency at its core, and consistently adds culturally and linguistically qualified mental-health professionals into the workforce.
Compelling Coursework
In the program, you’ll explore areas such as parent-child therapy, couples therapy, MFT theories and techniques, sex therapy, and more.
Admissions
Learn About Admissions Requirements
Faculty
Get to Know Our Diverse Faculty
Degree Information
Continuing a Legacy of Impact
MFT programs at CSPP have a long and storied history of esteemed faculty and industry luminaries that have passed through its doors to share knowledge to the next generation of family therapists. For the last 50 years, these programs have worked to produce the best marriage and family therapists and the most-respected thought leaders in the field.
Chemical Dependency Specialization Track
MFT graduate students have the option to earn a specialization in chemical dependency. This CAADE-accredited chemical dependency specialization provides a unique opportunity for you 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 have. 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 and substance abuse. This will be 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.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What scholarship and financial aid options are available?
Private and public scholarships can help you meet the cost of your education, and Alliant International University offers 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.
When does the program start?
The master’s program is offered as both a semester-long and eight-week term program and is open for enrollment during each of those respective enrollment periods. You can find our eight-week term academic calendar here.
How long does it take to complete the program?
The MA MFT degree program is a 60-credit program and takes a minimum of two years to complete, either across six semesters or 13 terms, depending on which calendar is applicable to you.
What is the modality of the program?
You can earn your MA in marital and family therapy degree online or on-campus at Irvine, Los Angeles, San Diego, or Sacramento.
"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."
Why Alliant
At Alliant, our mission is to prepare students for professional careers of service and leadership and to promote the discovery and application of knowledge to improve lives. We offer an education that is accredited, focused on practical knowledge and skills, connected with diverse faculty and alumni, and aimed at the student experience.
Why CSPP
Founded in 1969, CSPP was one of the nation’s first independent schools of professional psychology. Today, CSPP continues its commitment to preparing the next generation of mental health professionals through graduate-level degree programs in clinical psychology, marriage and family therapy, clinical counseling, organizational psychology, psychopharmacology, and more.