Northcentral University

(acquired by National University in 2018)

M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy

Online Only

Administrative and Legal Headquarters
9388 Lightwave Avenue
San Diego, CA 92123

MAMFT Program Page

 

Program details below are quoted from program websites, supplied here for informational purposes only, and subject to change at any time. Refer to the program website for current information, deadlines, complete admission requirements, etc. It is the responsibility of the prospective student to verify with program administrators program details and that the program still meets BBS requirements for licensure in the state of California.

Program Snapshot

Accreditation

COAMFTE

Concentrations/Specializations Offered

  • Marriage and Family Therapy, California Licensure Track

    • For many working Californians, the traditional graduate school model and on-campus classroom schedules prevent highly qualified individuals from pursuing a Masters of Marriage and Family Therapy in California. Northcentral University’s California Licensure Track option is pre-approved by the Board of Behavioral Sciences in California (CA). and meets all the educational requirements set by the state to earn a qualifying degree towards licensure. Since NCU is a regionally accredited university, this degree meets the licensing requirements in many other states. All courses are taught by professors who possess significant experience in the field of MFT, and many are also currently practicing clinicians.

LMFT Track or Dual LMFT/LPCC Track

LMFT only

Length of Program

4.5 years

Schedule/Format

  • Each course includes a variety of learning activities and assignments and incorporates multiple study materials, including required textbooks, journal articles, educational videos and lecture, and scholarly online information.

  • Most courses include engagement with faculty in a discussion about a question posted in the course room. This is a one-to-one conversation between the student and their faculty member.

  • You will also work with faculty in completing, submitting and receiving grades and feedback for course assignments — including reflection and research papers, case studies, literature reviews, presentations, and experiential exercises.

  • Class discussions, assignments and other learning activities can be completed online at your convenience each week within the 8 or 12-week course period; weekly assignments are generally due Sunday at midnight.

  • In every week of each clinical course attendance in NGU group supervision, a 2-hour coordinated meeting via an online video conferencing platform, is required.

Program Start

Ongoing

Estimated Total Program Tuition

$57,605

Religious Orientation

None

Entering Class Size and Classroom Sizes

2020-2021: 352 admitted
2019-2020: 287 admitted
2018-2019: 229 admitted
2017-2018: 312 admitted

(from Student Achievement Criteria Data)

Fieldwork Hours Accrued During Program

  • Though not required, students in the master's program can begin seeing clients as soon as they've completed the first nine courses. Most students will start their practicum experience (i.e. start seeing clients) between the ninth and thirteenth course in the program. A few students will complete all the content courses (12 three-credit courses or 36 credit hours) first and then start the practicum experience. You can begin the pre-clinical process, which is designed to evaluate your readiness to see clients, after you have vested in the 6th course of the program.

  • Once the pre-clinical process is completed, you are enrolled in a clinical course, and you have received the clinical eligibility email, it's expected that you will begin and continue to actively see clients until you've completed the required 300 hours of direct client contact and 100 hours of supervision.

  • It takes at least one year to complete the practicum and internship courses and finish the required hours of direct client contact and supervision. When possible, we recommend that students plan to complete these clinical requirements concurrently with remaining content courses. However, some students are not able to devote the time needed to both work on a content course and participate in the clinical training, in which case students are encouraged to consult with their academic advisor to determine the most appropriate sequence of courses and practicum hours.

  • The MFT Clinical Coordinator at Northcentral University will assist you, but each student is ultimately responsible for finding a local practicum/internship site and a qualified local supervisor. We have a list of sites where current and past students have completed their clinical training. This list may include specific locations in your area or may serve as an example of types of sites you could consider in finding a placement.

Personal Psychotherapy Requirement During Program

None

Comprehensive Exam/Culminating Project/Thesis/Etc:

Students must take the AATBS practice exam online and submit the results to NCU One. This is a practice exam for the national licensing exam or the California licensing exam. Information about preparing for and taking this practice exam is provided in the applicable course syllabus. Finally, students must prepare and give a presentation demonstrating their competence in their preferred model of therapy. This presentation will be given in an online video conference and must include video clips from actual therapy sessions of one case. Students must pass the Final Case Presentation and acquire the needed hours to graduate.

Application Process

Application Deadline

We accept applications year-round and do not have to wait to fill cohorts before starting a new class. Basically, the sooner you begin the application process, the sooner you can get started on your education journey.

Undergraduate GPA Required

n/a

GRE Requirement

None

Prerequisite Courses

None

Application Highlights

  • Current resume or CV

  • Statement of Intent

  • Licensure plan (not required for applicants with an existing MFT license)

  • Statement of professional ethics and conduct

  • List of clinical site possibilities in the area of residence

  • Course transfer/waive request (if applicable)

  • Interview with an MFT faculty member

  • Background check - All students in the MFT program that currently live or who have ever lived in the United States are required to complete a background check through NCU’s designated provider prior to acceptance in the MFT program. International students and students holding a current MFT or other (e.g., LPC, LCSW) clinical license are exempt from the requirement. Some students will do this as part of the application process, all students will have this completed before starting work in their clinical placements. (See the MFT application packet for further details)

Interview Requirement

Once all documentation is received, MAMFT applicants must participate in a one-to-one synchronous interview with a current MFT faculty. One goal of this meeting is to inform students of how licensing regulations may differ across states and provinces. After submitting all required materials and completing a one-to-one interview with program faculty, student will complete a background check prior to enrollment.

Program Summary

MAMFT Program Learning Outcomes

  • Employ competence in working with diverse populations in clinical settings.

  • Students/graduates** will evaluate family systems oriented clinical skills across a variety of contexts.

  • Examine family systems-theory-oriented models of therapy

  • Formulate a decision-making process for ethical dilemmas congruent with the AAMFT Code of Ethics.

The MAMFT degree is structured to assist students to seek licensure in the state or jurisdiction of their choice. To allow this, courses can be added to the standard 45 credit program (up to a total program requirement of 60 credits) to assist with meeting licensure requirements. Eligible transfer credits can be applied to the program to support the respective state licensure requirement.

A core goal of the Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy (MAMFT) degree is to qualify students to become licensed as Marriage and Family Therapists and pursue a career within this field. NCU recognizes that today’s professionals are much more likely to move, live, and work in multiple states during their professional careers. With over 25% (n=16) of states now requiring 60 credit hour degrees to qualify for MFT licensure, and with more states proposing this change, it is recommended that students consider a degree plan and electives that maximize portability of the degree throughout the U.S.

NCU recognizes that a majority of states do not yet require 60 credit hour degrees and thus desire to allow students to keep the cost of their education as low as possible while still balancing the need of having a degree that allows for transportability between states during their professional career. Due to the nature of the MFT profession and differences that exist today in state licensing requirements, NCU allows students the ability to select additional electives above the required 45-credit degree plan, up to 60 credits.