Mar 28, 2024  
Loyola Marymount University Bulletin 2016-2017 
    
Loyola Marymount University Bulletin 2016-2017 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Marital and Family Therapy, M.A.


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Student Learning Outcomes


Graduates of the Department of Marital and Family Therapy should know:

  • A broad theoretical basis for the practice of art psychotherapy
  • The complex societal culture in which they are engaging
  • The legal and professional responsibilities of the licensed practicing psychotherapist.

Graduates of the Department of Marital and Family Therapy should be able to:

  • Advance to professional engagement in the mental health community
  • Describe individual and family dynamics according to the theory and concepts of the discipline of marriage and family therapy
  • Delineate short-term and long-term psychotherapeutic goals and develop treatment plans
  • Synthesize the art therapy modality with traditional theoretical approaches and use a variety of techniques and interventions to achieve systemic change
  • Present case material in verbal and written form at a professional level
  • Work with others from varied and diverse perspectives
  • Engage in critical scholarly discourse in the field of art psychotherapy.

Graduates of the Department of Marital and Family Therapy are encouraged to value:

  • An increasing commitment to change as part of the psychotherapeutic and artistic process
  • The ongoing development of multicultural competencies
  • Engagement with the community in the service of social justice.

Program Requirements


The Master of Arts degree will be granted upon satisfactory completion of a minimum of 60 semester hours. A total of eleven practicum semester hours are applied towards the required total semester hours of credit. The internship fulfills a minimum of up to 840 hours with 420 direct client contact hours. The internship includes a minimum of two hours a week of supervision. This is provided by licensed psychotherapists who are approved by Loyola Marymount University.

Students enrolled in the full-time day Master of Arts in Marital and Family Therapy program will complete the degree requirements in two years. A three-year day program is also available.

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 required to receive personal psychotherapy during the first two semesters in the program.

Faculty members are practicing clinicians. The courses they teach are directly related to their work experience and area of expertise.

Course Work Sequence


Total: 16 semester hours


Total: 15 semester hours


Summer Session I


Total: 5 semester hours


Total: 13 semester hours


Total: 11 semester hours


Total: 60 semester hours


* Clinical art therapy specialized courses

Summer Study Abroad in 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 at which they are able to fulfill degree requirements, broaden 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 Fall classes MFTH 621  and MFTH 630 .

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