MS in Marriage and Family Therapy

The Master of Science Degree in Psychology, Marriage and Family Therapy

This three-year program provides an integrated course of study that meets the educational requirements for the Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) license as specified in California State law (SB-33; Section 4980.36). The 60-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 on-campus practica in our Counselor Training Center (CTC), culminating in an off-campus traineeship at a local agency. Theoretical background and training are provided in a variety of counseling approaches including family systems, postmodern, cognitive behavioral, multiculturally sensitive, and integrative models of counseling. Program objectives include:

1. encouraging students to develop the personal qualities of an effective therapist;
2. preparing students to work effectively in public mental health settings with diverse client populations;
3. teaching students to work within a wellness, recovery, and resiliency framework;
4. teaching students case management and case documentation skills, including the appropriate use of the DSM-IV-TR in assessing individual symptom patterns;
5. training students to conceptualize child, marriage, family, and community problems within a systemic framework;
6. training students in a variety of psychotherapeutic approaches for enhancing individual, couple, family, and community relationships; and
7. preparing students in research methods to enable them to conduct research and evaluate the research of others.

• Apply to the Psychology, Marriage and Family Therapy Program (PDF)
• Class Schedule
• University Catalog