Phillips Graduate Institute
(Phillips Education Center of Campbellsville University,
previously Phillips Graduate University)
Master of Marriage and Family Therapy
On-Campus
Los Angeles Education Center
19900 Plummer St.
Chatsworth, CA 91311
Phillips MMFT Program Page
California Student Disclosures
School Performance Fact Sheet
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
SACSCOC
Concentrations/Specializations Offered
None
LMFT Track or Dual LMFT/LPCC Track
LMFT only
Length of Program
60-unit program delivered over five consecutive terms, including one or two summer terms.
Students typically graduate in two years; however, students may choose to develop a part-time academic plan and extend their program to six or seven terms
Schedule/Format
Full-time Academic Schedule:
One full day of MFT classes either on Saturday or on a weekday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
A three-hour weekly Case Conference section for the first two terms offered at various days and times. Students select a day/time that works best with their schedule.
Beginning as early as the second term, students may gain practicum hours at a clinical placement site. Students should plan to spend approximately 15+ hours a week in clinical placement by the second year of the program (this is in addition to the regular class day).
Students are advised to plan carefully for integrating this phase of training into their schedules. Students must be prepared for the academic and professional demands of graduate school, which for MFTs include extensive practicum experience.
Program Start
Fall, Spring
Estimated Total Program Tuition
$56,400
Religious Orientation
None
Entering Class Size and Classroom Sizes
We have two intakes per year, one in the fall and the other in the spring. Each intake there are 25 to 35 students, with each class day having about 12 to 15 students.
Fieldwork Hours Accrued During Program
The MFT program requires students to complete 375 hours of practicum experience (as part of the academic requirement) at an approved training agency prior to degree completion. The practicum experience, part of the student’s clinical training, allows students to provide counseling services to clients under the supervision of licensed professionals. Phillips-approved training sites include counseling centers, schools, mental health agencies, and hospitals. Training opportunities for students are also available at the California Family Counseling Center (CalFam), Phillip’s onsite community counseling center. CalFam is a primary training site for Phillips students, and the Counseling Center has been providing affordable community mental health services to diverse clientele since 1971.
Personal Psychotherapy Requirement During Program
The program requires that you have 24 hours of personal psycho-therapy.
Comprehensive Exam/Culminating Project/Thesis/Etc:
There is a capstone/research paper that all students must complete in order to earn their degree. There is also an oral exam, that you will prepare and take at the end of the program.
Application Process
Application Deadline
Fall 2022
Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis. Semester begins on August 22, 2022.
Spring 2023
Priority Application date is November 15, 2022. Semester begins on January 9, 2023.
Undergraduate GPA Required
A cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of a 3.0 is required. However, all applications, regardless of GPA, are reviewed in a holistic manner to determine appropriateness and fit for acceptance into the Phillips’ Master of Marriage and Family Therapy program. A Grade Point Average Exemption statement will be required prior to review by the Admissions Committee.
GRE Requirement
None
Prerequisite Courses
None
Application Highlights
Statement Of Interest
Applicants are required to submit a 400 – 700 word essay demonstrating interest in the MMFT degree. The statement should describe your interest in becoming a Marriage and Family Therapist and how your life experiences or abilities have prepared you to become an effective therapist. The statement should be emailed to phillips@campbellsville.edu.
Recommendations
Three (3) recommendations are required for applicants to the MMFT program. Recommendations should be written within six (6) months of the application and submitted directly to the Enrollment Services office. Click here to obtain the Recommendation Form.
Applicants should not select their former or current personal therapists, family members, or friends to provide recommendations. Recommenders should be able to speak to an applicant’s ability to be academically and professionally successful in his/her chosen field of study and as a graduate level student.
Where possible, it is preferred that recommendations come from different sources in the applicant’s life. Applicants who have not attended school for several years should submit recommendations from individuals who are familiar with them on any level of professional involvement.
Interview Requirement
After your application is complete with required documentation, such as official transcripts and such, the MFT Department will review your file and if they see that you may be a good fit for the program, they will offer you an interview. There are two parts to the interview: the first is a writing sample, to which you’ll respond to a vignette. You’ll have 15 minutes to complete your response. Then you’ll be interviewed via the zoom platform by two of our faculty members that are a part of the Admissions Committee. The entire process takes up to 90 minutes.
Program Summary
On May 1, 2019, the Los Angeles Education Center opened as an off-campus instructional site of Campbellsville University offering the Phillips Graduate Institute’s Master of Marriage and Family Therapy program. This continues the 50 year Phillips legacy dedicated to the training and preparation of students as marriage and family therapists as part of a visionary, expanding, and innovative university.
The Phillips Graduate Institute’s Master of Marriage and Family Therapy program has been training students to become competent and effective marriage and family therapists (MFT). As a proud extension of our main campus, we share a common mission to empower students to make a difference in the lives of others and to help them grow professionally and personally.
Our MFT program integrates theory and practice, preparing students with the academic knowledge, clinical competency, and professional development necessary to successfully practice as MFTs.
Phillips students have access to exceptional training opportunities. We offer a cutting-edge training facility that includes a one-way mirror to facilitate live supervision and clinical modeling by faculty who are licensed, practicing professionals. As a result, our students have a rich and dynamic learning environment. Our graduates are highly regarded for their professionalism in the mental health field.
About the Program
A systemic/relational perspective is at the core of the academic program, as students are exposed to foundational concepts and cutting-edge developments in marriage and family therapy. Although, the Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) program utilizes systemic/relational theories as the basis for academic learning and clinical skill development, the program also presents a broad array of theoretical frameworks for assisting individuals, couples, families, and larger systems to develop and grow.
Learning occurs on three levels: traditional academic instruction, skills training, and personal and professional growth. Lectures and assignments are always complemented by hands-on practice. Students are challenged to explore their interpersonal processes in order to develop the personal qualities of excellent marriage and family therapists. Our program respects and encourages students of diverse backgrounds to learn with and from each other and to be prepared to work in complex multicultural environments. The cohort model, where a consistent group of students goes through the program together, provides a context in which students learn about systems by reflecting on their cohort process as well as by academic study.
In year one, the students participate in the MFT program’s signature course: Case Conference, which introduces students to the practice of marriage and family therapy. In Case Conference, students observe actual therapy from behind a one-way mirror. This training opportunity functions in collaboration with our onsite counseling center and allows students to be mentored by licensed MFTs who provide therapy to clients from our local community. Students participate through observation, co-therapy, discussion, and reflecting teams.
As students progress through the program, they begin their practicum experience. In practicum, students have support and careful advisement to locate appropriate training opportunities consistent with their clinical interests. Students are required to obtain practicum hours that provide clinical experience working with individuals, couples, families, and groups.
Phillips is both experiential and applied in our educational philosophy. All faculty are licensed, practicing professionals with diverse specializations. Their professional expertise enhances both the classroom experience and the post-graduation careers of our students.