Students in our Marital and Family Therapy program include individuals seeking to serve a variety of populations. Our students often have a background in psychology or other social sciences and most are seeking to enter the profession by earning licensure as Licensed Marital and Family Therapists (LMFTs). The curriculum is rich with applied opportunities including working in a community agency as a part of the practicum requirement.
MFTS 500 | Evidence-Based Practice in Family Therapy | 3 |
MFTS 523 | Family Therapy Theories I | 3 |
MFTS 524 | Family Therapy Theories II | 3 |
MFTS 528 | Psychopathology in the Family | 3 |
MFTS 529 | Ethical & Legal Issues in Family Therapy | 3 |
MFTS 532 | Human Diversity in Family Therapy | 3 |
MFTS 533 | Family Development | 3 |
MFTS 541 | Systemic Treatment of Children | 3 |
MFTS 543 | Developmental Psychopathology | 3 |
MFTS 544 | Psychopharmacology and Systems | 2 |
MFTS 546 | Couples and Sex Therapy | 3 |
MFTS 562 | Recovery-oriented Case Management | 1 |
MFTS 563 | Collaborative Care | 1 |
MFTS 567 | Individual, Family, and Community Trauma | 2 |
MFTS 570 | Systemic Treatment of Substance Abuse | 2 |
MFTS 571 | Family Violence | 1 |
MFTS 574 | Aging Issues in Family Therapy | 1 |
MFTS 577 | Treatment of Severe Mental Illness | 3 |
MFTS 595P | Practicum in MFT 1 | 5 |
MFTS 596P | Practicum in MFT 2 | 5 |
MFTS 597P | Practicum in MFT 3 | 5 |
Electives | ||
Take two of the following: | ||
MFTS 542 | Families of Children with Special Needs | 1 |
MFTS 572 | Gender Issues in Family Therapy | 1 |
MFTS 573 | Group Therapy | 1 |
MFTS 575 | Social Neuroscience for Family Therapists | 1 |
MFTS 576 | Self of the Therapist | 1 |
MFTS 578 | Spiritual Issues in Family Therapy | 1 |
Degree Requirements
Comprehensive Examination
Successful completion of a comprehensive examination is required for graduation. The exam is taken in the second year and covers three areas: Theory & Application, Assessment, and Law & Ethics. Students are given two hours to complete each section.
Clinical Contact Hours
Students must successfully complete a total of 400 clinical contact hours (minimum of 200 relational hours) and 100 supervision hours (minimum of 50 with raw data) while enrolled in Practicum.
Completion of Prerequisite Requirements
Students must complete the three prerequisite requirements (Human Development, Research Methods, and either Counseling Theories or Theories of Personality) either prior to enrollment in the program or before the beginning of their second semester in the program.
Practicum In MFT
An important part of the training program is the practical experience and training students receive during the clinical practicum. The MFT faculty maintains a variety of sites that meet the rigorous clinical hour and supervision requirements. Practicum placements are typically non-paying positions.
Practicum (MFTS 595P, MFTS 596P, MFTS 597P) is a 12-month, three-semester sequence that is completed during the student’s final year in the program. During this clinically rich experience, students will be expected to complete 400 direct client-contact hours, 200 of which need to be with couples or families. Students receive a minimum of 100 hours of supervision from MFT faculty during this time, in addition to the supervision received from on-site supervisors. Faculty supervision is in both individual and group format, with live and videotaped data being used as the primary source of session information.
International Requirement
At SOLES, all master's and doctoral students participate in an international experience designed to support the growth of cultural competency. Our goal is to inform best practices in working with culturally diverse populations locally, nationally, and globally. International experiences are approved by each student's faculty advisor and can be credit-based or non-credit-based activities.
Questions?
Connect with the Office of Admissions and Outreach team to learn more information about SOLES master's and doctoral programs. Additional information for international applicants is also available.