What you will study
Take engaging courses that will develop your skills as a clinically effective therapist
through your degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at the University of Central Missouri.
You’ll also build additional skills, such as program evaluation, that will help you
succeed in your field through classes such as:
- Couples and Sex Therapy
- Diversity and Family Interventions
- Systemic Treatment of Children and Families
- Systemic Treatment of Substance Use Disorders
- Theoretical Foundations of Couple and Family Therapy
Thesis track vs. integrative project track
Choose between a thesis and non-thesis track to complete your MFT degree. If you plan
to pursue doctoral studies in order to teach or perform research, the thesis track
will start you on that path.
If your goal after completing your Marriage and Family Therapy degree is to become
a therapist, the non-thesis track will give you the best preparation. The non-thesis
track for UCM’s master’s degree in marriage and family therapy focuses on an integrative
project course. Learn important grant-writing skills to help you in your future practice
by identifying a public health topic you’re interested in and developing a grant proposal
to support it.
Excellence in Marriage and Family Therapy
- #19: Best Affordable Marriage and Family Counseling Programs (University HQ, 2022)
- A Most Focused College for Human Development & Family Studies in the Plains States Region (College Factual,
2022)
- Top 15%: Most Popular Colleges for Human Development & Family Studies (College Factual, 2022)
Unique learning opportunities in the Human Development and Family Science MFT degree
program
You’ll have numerous opportunities for active engagement in the University of Central
Missouri’s Marriage and Family Therapy degree:
- Foundational practice: As a core part of the MFT degree, you’ll complete an internship with an outside agency
as well as one through UCM’s Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic. There, you’ll work
with a faculty supervisor to earn 500 clinical contact hours with individuals, couples
and families.
- Faculty mentorship sessions: You’ll meet with your faculty mentor on a weekly basis to ensure you’re building effective,
culturally competent therapy skills.
- Graduate research: Engage in graduate research on a project that ignites your passion, or work with a
faculty mentor on a joint research project. You may even get the opportunity to present
your work at a professional conference.
- State-of-the-art training facility: Practice your clinical skills in an immersive learning environment that allows for
live supervision, post-session reviews and training on the use of health record systems.
Tools include audio and video session recordings, a therapy room equipped for live
supervision, space for collaborative discussions with fellow students and faculty,
telehealth capabilities and an electronic health record system.
- Student life: Meet and engage with fellow graduate students in the HDFS degree in marriage and family
therapy in groups such as the Council of Marriage and Family Therapy, Council of Human
Development and Family Science and Recovery Central.
What can you do with a master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from UCM?
Graduates of the University of Central Missouri’s Marriage and Family Therapy degree
have a 100% job or continuing education placement rate. In fact, most of our graduates
find employment or are accepted into a doctoral program before they even graduate
from UCM with their MFT degree.
Most of our students who pursue therapeutic practice after graduation join community-based
agencies or private clinics, including community mental health centers, substance
use disorder treatment centers, domestic violence shelters and private counseling
practices.
If you’re interested in becoming a full-time researcher or teaching at the university
level, you’ll be prepared to continue your education in a related doctoral program.
Marriage and Family Therapy degree jobs
Use the interactive tool below to learn how you can apply your Marriage and Family
Therapy degree to a variety of career paths. You can also discover information about
salary expectations, job growth predictions and more.
Financial assistance options for your MFT degree
At the University of Central Missouri, you’ll get a high-value degree at a cost you
can afford. It’s one of the reasons that LendEDU has recognized UCM as a top-ranked
university for low student debt.
To help you finance your graduate education, we provide access to resources such as scholarships, grants, tuition awards, assistantships,
federal financial aid guidance and more.
Additional funding may also be available through the UCM Alumni Foundation. You can
learn more about program-specific scholarships with the UCM Scholarship Finder.
You may also be able to obtain additional funding for your degree in family counseling
and marriage therapy through national fellowships and foundations. To learn more,
contact our program coordinator.
Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic
Gain clinical experience right on campus
Practice the skills learned in your degree in Marriage Counseling and Relational Therapy
coursework at UCM’s Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic. Meet with clients, observe
counseling sessions and get guidance and mentorship from faculty practitioners.
Learn More
Meet Amanda M.
MS Human Development and Family Science – MFT degree option ’19
“I took advantage of the many opportunities to learn from my professors, attend conferences
and network. To someone pursuing their MFT degree at UCM, I would say take every opportunity
offered to you and gain every scrap of knowledge you can from the supportive faculty.
They can help you develop a roadmap to your future that could otherwise seem overwhelming.”
Meet Dr. Tim Welch
Expert in couples and family therapy
Dr. Welch has experience working with individuals, couples and families in multiple
treatment settings, including a residential treatment center, in-home family therapy,
a nonprofit community agency and private practice. He is trained in Emotionally Focused
Couple Therapy (EFT) and Internal Family Systems (IFS).
Meet Our Faculty
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MFT Mission, Program Goals & Student Learning Outcomes
MFT Program Mission
The Marriage and Family Therapy specialization aims to train clinically competent
Marriage and Family Therapists through quality academic instruction and supervised
clinical practice. Our goal is to train therapists that are clinically effective,
guided by an awareness of systemic processes, devoted to multicultural competence,
and to ethical and evidence-based practice.
MFT Program Goals & Student Learning Outcomes
The MFT Specialization Goals & Student Learning Outcomes are based on the American
Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) Core Competencies, Association
of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB), the Missouri State Committee
of Marital & Family Therapists, and the AAMFT Code of Ethics. Pursuant to our mission,
the Marriage and Family Therapy specialization has established four overarching goals.
Each of these goals informs Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) by which we measure success.
Program Goal 1: Clinical Effectiveness
SLO 1: Students will demonstrate fundamental skills of therapy and family systems
theories with individuals, couples, and families.
SLO 2: Students will demonstrate ability to effectively apply therapy models and interventions
to individuals, couples, and families.
Program Goal 2: Diversity
SLO 3: Students will demonstrate awareness and sensitivity to their and the clients’
cultural and other contextual factors, particularly as related to privilege and marginalized
and underserved communities.
Program Goal 3: Ethics and Professional Development
SLO 4: Students will demonstrate competence in managing legal and ethical issues related
to the practice of marriage and family therapy.
SLO 5: Students will demonstrate collaborative, systemic, multidisciplinary practice
skills.
SLO 6: Students will demonstrate professionalism across clinical and professional
contexts.
Program Goal 4: Theory, Research and Practice
SLO 7: Students will demonstrate understanding of human development and family science
theories.
SLO 8: Students will demonstrate competence in evaluating and integrating research
on best practices to inform their practice.
Marriage and Family Therapy specialization --54 credits
- 2 years of coursework with a simultaneous clinic practice component
- Prepares students to be eligible for licensure in the state of Missouri and many other
states
- On-site student training clinic for direct clinical supervision
Entrance Requirements
- Be fully admitted by UCM Graduate Studies
- Have completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
- Have a minimum undergraduate 2.50 GPA or 3.00 minimum in undergraduate major
- Have completed at least nine college credit hours in social or behavioral sciences.
Based on transcript analyses, students may be required to complete up to 15 credit
hours of background courses in HDFS prior to taking graduate-level courses.
- Submit three reference forms
- Submit Admission Essay (500 words maximum) addressing the following questions:
- Why are you choosing this degree?
- How can UCM HDFS degree assist you to reach your career goal?
- Interview- an interview will be scheduled for eligible candidates
Preference date for applications is February 1; applications will be accepted after
the priority date.
Course Sequence
Courses are offered in the graduate program in the fall, spring, and summer semesters.
Upon admission to the program, you will work wtih the HDFS Coordinator to schedule
your first semester classes. Subsequent semesters, you will work with your faculty
advisor for course scheduling options and advice. Students pursuing the Marriage and
Family Therapy Option of the Human Development and Family Science, MS degree can view
the course sequence for fall 2020-summer 2021 in the right column of this document.
