Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy

Purpose
Provide you the opportunity to pursue a PhD in MFT in a specialized area where you are able to complete your coursework online and your clinical training and doctoral research in your local community.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in the field of Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) is expected to grow almost a third (29%) over the next decade, much faster than average for all occupations. Whether you are a working mental health professional or a new therapist, NCU’s online Marriage and Family Therapy doctoral program is designed to help you acquire the knowledge, skills, practical application and values that will shape you into competent, ethical and culturally sensitive marriage and family therapist. Within the marriage and family therapy doctoral degree program, you will choose from five specializations to better focus your education to match your career goals.

Outcomes
Throughout the program, you will develop advanced clinical skills in a specialization of your choosing through doctoral practicum and internship work and doctoral-level research methodology and theory, and will be prepared to find employment in the marriage and family therapy field.

Within this rigorous program, you will complete a variety of requirements, including:

• MFT standard curriculum courses
• Focused clinical specialization content courses
• Advanced clinical training through doctoral practicum and internship work
• Integrated research training throughout the curriculum
• Doctoral ePortfolio
• Doctoral Dissertation
• Program Student Learning Outcomes

Northcentral University’s Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) programs have specific goals and student learning outcomes (SLO) that are designed to support the mission, philosophy, goals and objectives of the MFT program and those of Northcentral University. The goals and SLOs are reviewed on a regular basis and revised to reflect professional marriage and family therapy principles, educational guidelines, the needs and input from communities of interest, and the advancement of the program and the MFT profession.

The program faculty has established the following mission, goals and SLOs for the PhDMFT program. The mission of the program is articulated below, along with a table that provides a visual representation of how these goals and outcomes are linked and support one another, and are congruent with the missions of the program and the University.

Program Mission

The mission of Northcentral’s PhDMFT Program is to prepare competent, ethical, culturally sensitive Marriage and Family Therapists. The program emphasizes a family systems perspective so that client processes, whether these clients are individuals, couples, or families, are conceptualized relationally and systemically. Faculty engage students in a one-on-one process that invites students to grow both professionally and personally through the development of critical thinking skills, information literacy, important clinical skills, an appreciation for and knowledge of research through the scholar-practitioner model, a valuing of diversity, and a lifelong commitment to learning and service.

Take a Look at the Cultural Diversity of NCU MFT Students, Alumni and Faculty

As a PhD in MFT graduate, you may choose to follow one of four career paths or a combination of the following roles: clinician, administrator, academic and researcher.

Clinician: Many graduates will take their advanced clinical training, pursue state licensure and provide mental health services in a private practice, community-based non-profit agency, or governmental or educational institutions. Our graduates often work as clinical supervisors in these organizations.

Administrator: Many graduates will use their PhD to advance their current employment status, often within the same organization in which they are currently working. The degree helps them advance into an administrative role over mental health or social services organizations/departments.

Academic: Many graduates will pursue full-time or part-time employment as faculty/instructors in universities and graduate programs.

Researcher: Some graduates will pursue a professional career as a researcher in the area of social services, mental health, or human services.

Northcentral University’s Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. For more information on COAMFTE accreditation, visit their website.

COAMFTE requires accredited program to provide Student Achievement data, starting with the year the program becomes accredited. The following table provide all Student Achievement data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy Program.

Accredited: May 2015
Advertised Program Length: 6.2 years*
Maximum Program Length: 8 years**