Program Requirements

The Graduate Department of Marital and Family Therapy offers a graduate program leading to a Master of Arts in Marital and Family Therapy. Thus, in addition to State of California required curriculum in traditional marital and family therapy coursework, the program integrates a comprehensive art therapy curriculum. The Program trains clinicians to work in facilities providing psychological therapeutic services such as: public mental health, community mental health centers, non-profit agencies, psychiatric hospitals, medical centers, therapeutic and public schools, residential treatment facilities, and substance abuse treatment facilities.

The Department provides two- and three-year programs of rigorous academic work combined with two clinical internships of approximately 840 hours with 350 hours of direct client contact.

Students enrolled in the full-time Master of Arts in Marital and Family Therapy program will complete the degree requirements in two years. A three-year program is also available. Courses are offered Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during the day on campus, with internship assignments varying in times and locations.

Students are required to maintain a “B” (3.0) grade point average in both classroom and internship tracks.

The Department takes seriously its role in the training of therapists. The personality as well as the intellectual capability of each student is carefully evaluated. In light of this, a student may be disqualified from the program for factors other than grades. Students are also encouraged to seek personal psychotherapy during the first two semesters in the program.

Faculty members are practicing MFT/art therapy clinicians or scholars with a couple of field experts (teaching psycho-pharmacology or Intimate Violence treatment). The courses are directly related to professor’s work experience and area of expertise.

Course Work Sequence

**Summer Study Abroad in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

The Graduate Department of Marital and Family Therapy has established a summer Study Abroad program in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. While obtaining a master’s degree at LMU, students are encouraged to attend the summer program as part of fulfillment of the degree requirements (non-mandatory courses), broadening their appreciation for issues of culture and, specifically, the Mexican culture. Classes available are MFTH 620 , MFTH 622 , and MFTH 629 . These summer units can be counted toward partial completion of Fall classes MFTH 621  and MFTH 630 .