Master of Marriage and Family Therapy
Help clients overcome problems within their families and relationships, as well as mental and emotional disorders with ACU’s online Master of Marriage and Family Therapy.
The need for professionals who can help couples and families work through and cope with difficult issues is on the rise. The Department of Labor reports that this career field will grow faster than the average occupation through 2024. Our Master of Marriage and Family Therapy is a 60-hour graduate program that will prepare you for Christian service and leadership in a variety of secular and faith-based clinical, medical or counseling settings. This degree also prepares you to sit for the Marriage and Family Therapy National exam.
Master of Marriage and Family Therapy is also available as a residential program in Abilene.
Why choose ACU's Online MFT program?
You will receive practical training in couple, family and child therapy, mental illness, substance abuse and addiction, and assessment and diagnosis. Your online marriage and family therapy graduate program will give you real-world experience through a 500-hour internship. Are you ready to make a difference in the lives of families in your community?
Our MFT degree curriculum is designed to achieve specific program goals with corresponding student learning outcomes.
Program Goals and Student Learning Outcomes
- Student Achievement Data
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- Program Diversity
Respect for Diversity
The Online Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) is committed to creating a learning context that is characterized by the inclusion of multiple groups in the student body and faculty. Further, the faculty and program leadership view matters of diversity as integral to the foundational curriculum and foundational practice component. Read our full committment statement here.
Download the full statement here (PDF).![Program diversity breakdown]()
- Tuition & Fees
- $825 per credit hour
- $470 per credit hour for Internship courses
Degree Highlights
Tracks
Treatment of Trauma
Child and Adolescent Therapy
General
Medical Family Therapy
Timeframe
Program length: minimum of 33 months
Credit Hours: 60
Example Coursework
MFTO 639: Family Theory
MFTO 645: Systemic Diagnosis & Assessment
MFTO 663: Cultural Diversity in Family Therapy
MFTO 610: Couples Therapy
Department
School of Health and Human Services
Upcoming Start Dates
May 5, 2020
June 30, 2020
Meet the Program Director.
Dr. Sara Blakeslee Salkil is the program director of the online Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy program and Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies. She is independently licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in Ohio and Texas and is an AAMFT-Approved Supervisor. Sara grew up in Oklahoma and earned her bachelor's degree in Marketing from Oklahoma State University. She received her master's degree in marriage and family therapy from ACU and her doctorate in MFT from Texas Tech University. In addition to her academic and clinical work, she is a member of the Counselor, Social Worker & Marriage and Family Therapist licensing board in Ohio and a member of the Governance Leadership Identification Task Force with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. She also practices part-time.
Marriage and Family Therapy Faculty
Andrew Jamieson, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor
Jackie Halstead, Ph.D. - Associate Program Director, Associate Professor
James Morris, Ph.D. - Clinical Coordinator
Sara Blakeslee Salkil, Ph.D. - Program Director, Assistant Dean
In what settings can you expect to practice once you’ve completed your Master of Marriage and Family therapy degree?
- Private and group practice
- Non-profit agencies
- Community mental health clinics
- Churches
- Hospitals
- Adoption agencies
- Residential treatment
- Recovery Centers
MFT Admissions Requirements
- A written purpose statement addressing three prompts:
- What do you know about the field of marriage and family therapy?
- Why are you drawn to the field?
- How will a degree in marriage and family therapy advance your career or ministry goals?
- Three letters of recommendation
- Quality of life that reflects high moral standards
- Video conference interview with the program director may be requested. See full ACU online graduate catalog, including admission requirements here
- Students must earn a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA in the first 12 credit hours and receive a minimum grade of B in MFTO 601 Pre-Internship.
For a comprehensive list of admission requirements for our Master of Marriage and Family Therapy program, online, please contact a Graduate Advisor.
