Why Choose USD

The program has national and state accreditation. We are one of only four master's programs in California that have national accreditation from the Commission on the Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). The COAMFTE establishes national standards for MFT programs. Our program also meets the educational requirements set forth by the Board of Behavioral Sciences necessary to get an MFT license in California. Since national standards are more rigorous than state standards in a number of areas, the quality of training is often much higher in nationally accredited programs. Students from nationally accredited schools, for example, must complete 500 hours of clinical work, while state guidelines only require 150 hours. Supervisor qualifications for nationally accredited programs are also much more rigorous than those required by the state. Although every state is different, most states that license or certify family therapists generally follow COAMFTE guidelines for many of the requirements. Therefore, should you ever leave California , coming from a COAMFTE accredited program will greatly help in getting licensed or certified in another state.

The program has a strong clinical emphasis. The primary aim of the program is to teach students the skills they need to be effective MFT clinicians. Through our program you will develop an excellent foundation upon which to begin your clinical work as a therapist. In fact, our practicum sites have consistently praised our students for their level of clinical preparedness. Graduates of our program have also frequently commented on how well they feel the program prepared them for clinical work, particularly in relationship to some of their peers. 

The program offers a rich and diverse clinical experience for students. Students gain a minimum of 500 hours of therapy experience working in agencies within the San Diego community. The agencies or practicum sites available for clinical experience offer a wide range of clinical opportunities. Some of the agencies specialize in working with couples, children and adolescents (both outpatient and in-patient), bereavement issues, or adults with mental illness. Other agencies offer a broad range of services for individuals, couples, and families. All of the agencies will offer the therapist an opportunity to work with clients from ethnically and racially diverse backgrounds. Students receive over 200 hours of supervision from both agency and USD faculty supervisors.

The University and MFT program are highly committed to teaching. The faculty and University of San Diego are committed to excellence in teaching. In some universities, the demand to do research and to publish means that teaching is often not a first priority. You will not find this true at USD! Although scholarship and research is important to USD faculty, teaching always remains first priority. All faculty members are clinically active professionals from the mental health, medical, and law communities, enhancing their teaching of clinical courses. In addition to the full-time faculty at USD, the program is fortunate to have several outstanding adjunct faculty who are highly committed to the program. Over time, the program has been able to recruit adjunct faculty who are noted not only for their clinical expertise, but also for their excellent teaching skills. Class sizes are limited to 20 students, which promotes faculty-student interaction. The full-time faculty also have office hours for five hours each week to insure availability to students.

The program has a strong and innovative curriculum. One of the strengths of the curriculum is its breadth in terms of topics. The curriculum includes, for example, courses on spiritual issues in therapy, family health issues in therapy, and psychopharmacology. The USD program was one of the first to offer courses in these areas. In fact, several of our class curriculums have been published in our primary professional journals as innovative models for other programs to follow. Another strength of the curriculum is the inclusion of a multidisciplinary perspective. Family and Health, for example, is taught by a family physician, and examines how issues like chronic illness, death and dying affect families. Psychopharmacology is taught by physicians with expertise in both psychiatry and family medicine, and introduces students to a treatment model that incorporates the use of psychotropic medications and collaborative treatment with a psychiatrist or primary care physician.

The full-time faculty is active in scholarship. In addition to their commitment to teaching and training, full-time faculty members are active in research and scholarship. The faculty strives to mutually enhance teaching and scholarship through the Teacher-Scholar model. Some of the MFT faculty, for example, wrote Essential Skills in Family Therapy: From the First Interview to Termination , a book for beginning therapists that has been widely adopted by other programs. In addition, the full-time faculty have conducted research and published several articles on teaching, training, and supervision. Students have participated in faculty members' research and several students have published articles with the faculty. Recent publications by each of the full-time faculty are listed in the faculty section.

USD has a tradition of recruiting strong students. An important part of any graduate student experience will be your interaction with fellow students. A strength of the MFT Program is the quality of students that are part of the program. Students report learning a lot from each other through class discussions, study groups, peer presentations, and informal case consultations. The students are not only bright and highly motivated, but are also active in the program. In addition, the program strives to enroll students with a variety of backgrounds and interests. We believe this diversity can enrich both student and faculty experiences.

San Diego is a wonderful place to live. San Diego is considered to be one of the best cities in the nation in which to live. One of the most popular things about San Diego is its wonderful climate, with moderate temperatures year round. The moderate climate makes it an ideal place for people who like to do outdoor activities and sports year round. San Diego boasts several cultural and tourist attractions, including Old Town , Sea World and the world famous San Diego Zoo. San Diego is also ideal for nature enthusiasts. In addition to several miles of ocean beaches, the mountains and desert are all within a one-hour drive of downtown.