Program Overview

Couple and Family Therapy (FCFT) Program

The mission of the M.S. in Couple and Family Therapy (CFT) program is to prepare competent, effective therapists for clinical practice and advancement of the marriage and family therapy discipline. The program seeks to train professionals who demonstrate superior therapeutic skills, ethical integrity, intellectual curiosity, and a sincere commitment to working with families from diverse populations.

Abstract

The Couple and Family Therapy M.S. program provides students with the coursework and supervised clinical training typically required in states with Marriage and Family Therapy licensure. The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). The CFT program requires 48 credits for the non-thesis option and 51 credits for the thesis option. Completion of the program, which includes the 2-year internship, generally requires 2 years.

Program Overview

The Department of Family Science prepares students to describe, explain, and improve the quality of life through applied research, education, therapy, human services, policy analysis, and advocacy. The approach is interdisciplinary, emphasizing individual, interpersonal, and social change. The program of study is based on a system or ecological paradigm, combining the perspectives of interrelated professional fields of family science, maternal and child health, couple and family therapy, family policy, behavioral science, and human services. Graduates are prepared for careers in the public, non-profit, and private sectors, including university teaching, research, family policy analysis, and administrative positions in human services and public health programs.

Financial Assistance

Graduate Assistantships are available to students admitted into the CFT program.

General Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree
• Minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA
• Transcripts from all previous coursework
• English proficiency test score (TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE) (international applicants)
• Statement of purpose and objectives, including career and educational goals, professional experience, areas of interest, and faculty you are interested in working with
• Response to personal experiences question(s)

Program-Specific Requirements

• Prior coursework in family studies, human development, abnormal psychology, introduction to therapy or counseling, and statistics courses are useful in preparation for graduate CFT work. In addition, computer literacy is essential
• Three letters of recommendation
• Resume or curriculum vitae
• One writing sample is required (up to 1 more optional)
• GRE scores are not required for this program

Application Deadlines

• Domestic Applicants: December 5, 2025
• International Applicants: December 5, 2025

Faculty

• Mariana K. Falconier, Ph.D., Program Director, Associate Professor
• Mona Mittal, Ph.D., Associate Professor
• Amy Morgan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor

Research and Facilities

The Couple and Family Therapy program utilizes the Center for Healthy Families, which is the training and research arm of the program. The Center provides clinical and educational services to families from surrounding communities and serves as a site for data collection for research projects. The University's proximity to the nation's capital and other federal executive departments offers unique research and internship opportunities for studying family policy. The campus and department have excellent computer facilities, and students have access to the University's extensive library systems and other library collections in the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area.