Psychology Department

Graduate Programs

The Master's of Science Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy

This program provides an integrated course of study that meets the educational requirements for the Marriage Family Therapists (MFT) license by the State of California. The 48-unit program is designed to train competent professional counselors to work in mental health agencies and private practice settings. The counseling curriculum is competency based with laboratory practice beginning in the introductory course in counseling. Skill acquisition is emphasized by a strong core of introductory laboratory courses and practica, culminating in a family practicum and/or post-practicum internship in a local agency. Theoretical background and training are provided in a variety of counseling approaches, including cognitive, cross-cultural, family systems, and existential models of counseling. Program objectives include: (1) encouraging students to develop the personal qualities of an effective therapist; (2) preparing students to work effectively with an ethnically diverse client population; (3) teaching students to use DSM IV TR in assessing individual symptom patterns; (4) training students to conceptualize marriage, child, and family problems within a systemic framework; (5) training students in a variety of psychotherapeutic approaches for enhancing individual, couple, and family relationships; and, (6) preparing students in research methods to enable them to conduct research and evaluate the research of others.

Graduate Application (PDF)
University Catalog
Class Schedule